DOHA: Despite the constraints faced by the organisers, the Akon concert held last Month has turned out to be one of the most successful concerts held in Qatar.

Qatar Vision not only brought an international artiste such as Akon to Doha but also successfully hosted the event without any major or official sponsor. The Akon crew pocketed QR1m for the performance, for which 8,960 tickets were sold.

The InterContinental hotel’s beach was a perfect location for the big event. The hotel provided Akon a full suite with food and beverages and arranged the visas for the artist and the crew.

While the event brought much publicity to Doha for having hosted a magnificent concert, the absence of an official sponsor was sorely felt by the organisers. They could get some sponsorship only at the last minute from Kodak, Pepsi and Sarq.

Sharif Omar Hashisho, Managing Director of Qatar Vision, said: “We did not make any money in Akon but we are happy that all Doha is speaking about it. The profit is not really much if we compare it to the hard work done for the event. At least we had great exposure and managed to prove to people that Qvision is capable of doing an amazing job in bringing to Qatar superstar artists such as Akon.”

On the issue of sponsorship, he said: “Honestly, without good sponsors and government support, its just too much for us as a private company to do all this work ourselves. If sponsors cover 50 percent of your cost you are in a good shape and can bring even better artists.”

“From my side, I am extremely happy that everyone who attended the concert left with a great impression about the good organisation and professional work of the Qvision team. I am also happy because Qatar now is going to be considered a place artists would include in their future tours. I am also happy because we had zero incidents regarding safety or security of our guests. I am also happy because Akon and his musicians left Qatar with a great impression about the culture and hospitality and are ready to come back again and again,” Hashisho added.