Born in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), India to an Air Force doctor, Amit Rathore, the visionary of several renowned large-scale events organised in India and UAE, didn’t know that the childhood years he spent traveling from one city to another would serve a bigger purpose.
A talkative and friendly child, Amit was always comfortable in new surroundings, a trait he has leveraged well as the Founder of Genie Events (Genie Infotainment Middle East LLC), an 18-year old successful event management company, Managing Partner of Al Kosha Events, and Managing Partner of Genie Events LLP, India the fastest growing event agency in Dubai and Delhi.
Amit is renowned for his ability to deliver ground-breaking and inspiring conceptual ideas across a gamut of events including weddings, corporate functions and striking decor.
His father’s encouragement, family’s support, wife’s active participation in the business, and his own never-give-up attitude have made him the kingpin of events in India and Middle East.
Despite having a rather nomadic childhood what with travelling from Leh Ladakh to Bangalore, Gwalior and Delhi, Amit Rathore gleams with joy at the steadiness of his business and the newer travel opportunities it presents.
Borne out of his love of exploring new cultures and lifestyles, Genie Events is the final outcome of several attempts at establishing a profitable event management business.
Today, Amit is glad for his choices as he sits at the helm of not one but three event management companies with projects across the globe.
Never Giving Up
Realizing that his flair for creativity could be put to better use, Amit Rathore chose to set out on the path that would steer him to entrepreneurship even as he spent his days studying for an MBA at NIS Delhi.
So, unlike his younger brother Sumit Rathore who continued in the field of IT, Amit got his first job as Marketing Manager in Blossom Kochhar Aroma Magic, Delhi, the largest aromatherapy cosmetic brand in India.
He spent two years here learning the intricacies of running an organization across different departments like marketing, sales and customer care.
It was during this time that he decided to lead his own business venture, rather than remain an employee.
The lack of guidance, or any point of reference for that matter, did not perturb Amit. Following his gut instinct, he and his then classmate, Shruti – who would later become Amit’s wife – set up their first event management venture, Corporate Relationship Management. “It was a tough first year,”
Amit admits and continues, “Getting investors and gaining the trust of clients was difficult.” He was forced to use his own savings and get financial support from his father.
This was just one of many hurdles in store for Amit. His attempt to create a mega exhibition to attract bigger customers failed, forcing him to shut down the first venture.
He tried his hands again through a second venture in the same space, Mirchi Events, which also didn’t succeed. But, they say, ‘third time is a charm’. And so it was that on his third attempt with Genie Events Amit Rathore sailed right through.
A Class Apart
Despite the failures of his earlier businesses, Amit never considered giving up or going back to a corporate job.
Working out of a small office in Connaught Place, Delhi, his company gradually grew their portfolio from small events of ticket sizes amounting to 1 lakh to the blockbuster events of today totalling several crores.
18 years since its inception, Genie Events now caters to the cream of society and the business world under the steady hands of Amit and Shruti.
Always keen to keep exploring, Amit chanced upon Al Kosha Events, a 26-year old event management firm in Dubai that was looking for a buyer.
The company boasted of a strong team that was skilled in a variety of event management services including wedding planning, decorations, corporate events and others.
This was his doorway to strengthen his presence in the Middle East. Amit lunged at the opportunity, acquired Al Kosha and is now the Managing Partner with a glittering portfolio of success.
Empowering His Workforce
A strong believer in team work, Amit is glad that all his employees work together side-by-side to get any job done.
He explains, “These events happen once in a lifetime for our clients and it is up to us to make each of them magical and memorable. When it comes to all-hands-on-board to get a job done, nobody hesitates, including me.”
In the coming years, he is excited to expand his wedding showroom business across premium hotels in the UAE. Amit is a strong proponent of gender-diverse workplaces and flexible opportunities for women.
To this end, he encourages women to adopt franchise models so they can gain complete ownership of his showrooms.
In fact, he has already set up one such showroom in Le Meridien, Dubai and looks forward to more in the next 2 years.
He also hopes to incorporate flexible work options for women employees through select timings, work-from-home models, and choice of roles from decorations to coordination and planning.
He emphasizes, “I want to create an environment that attracts women back to the workforce while giving them the flexibility to spend time with their families.”
His Own Inspirations
Acknowledging his father’s staunch support, Amit says “If it wasn’t for him, I may not have persisted in achieving my dreams.”
Even though his father, Dr A S Rathore, an Air Force doctor, didn’t have a business background, he has a keen understanding of people, enabling him to guide his son in the right way.
His feats in the Air Force and his contributions as DIG Ministry of Health are hallmark achievements.
No support system is complete without a mother’s steady hand and Minu Rathore, Amit’s mother, has also been a light on his path and he hopes that he continues to make his parents proud of him.
He lovingly credits his wife for being a rock of support, an active contributor in their business journey, and a fantastic mother to his two beautiful children Devaj Rathore and Deepit Rathore. Nowadays, Amit is determined to outdo his previous successes.
He regularly travels the world to stay abreast of the latest global trends and incorporates his observations to create innovative solutions for his clients.
He also takes time out every week to attend prayer meets, meditate and contribute to his community through charity.
His message to new entrepreneurs is, “Never give up. Keep striving no matter how many times you fail because every failure is a lesson that will lead you to success.”