The company is headed by Alan Scoley and embraces all types of events from high profile corporate activations to live performances, cultural shows to conferences and exhibitions to lavish weddings.
There are three directors in addition to CEO Alan - Scott Davies, Nigel Smith and Terry Murtha. Alan is the only one involved in the daily operation, while Terry is busy heading up UK based drapes, soft goods, video and special FX S+H Technical Services together with other ventures.
Twenty years ago, they had a collective hunch that Dubai had all the ingredients to become a major player in the world of events. Their vision and willingness to take some risk and make key commitments has clearly paid off, as the company has thrived over two decades and robustly survived the economic dips.
Over the same time period Dubai has expanded dramatically, become a pulsating global metropolis and epicentre for events of all types - sporting, cultural, corporate and industrial etc.
IBS now has 86 full time employees bringing a dynamic mix of international cultures, vibrancy and energy to an impressive office and warehouse facility in Dubai's Investment Park. This is fully owned and has been customised to meet current needs and maximise an efficient and streamlined operation.
When IBS first set up in Dubai 1996, there were fewer international companies and although the event business was not as well developed as it is now ... the competition was not as intense.
Deciding on a steady, almost organic, growth pattern has bolstered the success. IBS didn't over invest or get tangled up in hasty and crippling finance deals, which meant that 12 years later when the GFC hit Dubai in 2008 they were in good shape to withstand the shockwaves, consolidate, keep calm and carry on!
"The strong will always survive" comments Alan "and right through this rough period we still retained clients who came to us wanting good quality sets and reliable service rather than cut price packages".
At the core of IBS's set up now is a creative project management team and a design and costings department who work in unison on quotes and ensuring that both the expectations and budgets of each project - and client - are managed coherently and realistically.
Project wise there have been numerous highlights. Stand-out moments include the colourful Summer in Abu Dhabi Festival in 2010 - a pop-up theme park built in Hall 11 of the Expo centre, with IBS contributing much of the décor and finishing.
There have been multiple National Day celebrations - each year the production designs get more complex and memorable, with IBS usually required to produce a good chunk of the set and décor build work.
A great tribute to IBS, its operational philosophy and the pervasive teamwork was winning the 2016 ILEA Award earlier in the year, presented by the International Live Events Association.
(Jim Evans)
