Name: Amir Golestan
Date of birth: 22/02/1983
Profession: Executive Director
Nationality: Iranian
His story: Amir launched The Mansion Group in 2006 after five years of running successful web hosting company Micfo.com LLC. He turned Micfo into a multi-million dollar organisation, employing 50 staff and hosting more than 30,000 websites. Specialising in the communication of lifestyle experiences, The Mansion Group includes eight subsidiary companies, including Mansion Creative, Mansion Model Management, Media, Mansion Interiors and more. Check out www.mansion.ae for more information.

Could you give us a brief overview of what Mansion is and what it does?

The Mansion is a creative live communications agency, providing lifestyle and experiential events and
environments to its audiences.

How would you describe the Mansion brand?

I tend to leave that to people’s imagination. It is, however, paramount to me that our work does the talking. Around the world, and particularly in the Middle East, people like to be associated with great brands. Great brands overexceed expectations, create trends, lead, not follow, challenge creativity, extend boundaries and immerse their audiences experientially. Our brand is synonymous with these.

How do all the different aspects of Mansion sit alongside each other?

This is the beauty of The Mansion Group; all the eight subsidiary companies directly and indirectly interlink with each other and complement one another when needed. For instance, for the live events, our clients require models and hostesses as well as entertainment, that’s when Mansion Model Management and Mansion Entertainment can add value to Mansion Creative’s needs and requirements.

You’re 25 and are at the head of a very successful company. Do you ever feel overwhelmed that you just want to let go with everything?

Overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation is more the case, and this is not a problem. In fact, it is the key to The Mansion Group; the ‘going home on a high’ atmosphere that affects all my team members is never going to leave me exhausted.

The ever-lingering problem of an entrepreneur is the unstable feeling of having too many fingers in too many pies. But when you understand what you are offering to each project you start to paint a picture of what it is you are actually good at. Once you can appreciate your ability you can start to develop a single focus that is made up of multiple directions. The Mansion is this for me. It represents a number of very special projects that all share one very important asset; the ‘support of each other’.

Was Mansion an easy venture to set up?

Nothing is easy. Can I rephrase your question more fittingly: Did you enjoy establishing Mansion? The response to that is absolutely. I put my heart and soul into establishing and setting up The Mansion. Every morning, it was a new and a better day for me. I woke up and went to work more excited than the day before. Although I must admit the biggest challenge I had was finding the key people and the creation of the Mansion team. Finding a team of creative, young, ambitious and forward-thinking people was definitely the hardest part. As you know it’s the people you work with that make the difference.

How are you different from other events companies in the region?

We chose our clients in the same way they chose to work with us. It is only natural for us to target companies that have the ambition to be or are world class companies. We are a creative agency. In order for us to add value to a company’s BTL communication, they have to have the need for us to create ideas that will reflect their goals.

How is the Abu Dhabi royal family involved?

We have a great personal relationship with the Al Nahyan family. They are involved in The Mansion Group because of their belief in this home-grown brand. We enjoy both their advice and support, and work closely with them on many projects.

Why is Mansion successful in the UAE?

It’s simply because we have extended the brand-sell message beyond the scope of traditional marketing ventures, with the intent of delivering a consumer or guest experience that only that particular brand can provide. Others call this experiential marketing. We have raised the bar and elevated special event production and experiential marketing to a higher standard, we call ‘Live Marketing’, where experiential marketing attempts to differentiate products through experiences, setting your brand apart by touching consumer’s emotions in a way that reinforces brand positioning.

There is the Model Management arm to the company as well. Are you involved with Dubai’s Next Top Model?

We tend to not lose our core focus which is high-end fashion, again encompassed in the team I have built and the models we have on our books. Mansion Model Management is going to be a key player in introducing the standards of the fashion industry to Dubai. We are bringing international models every three months to Dubai, not only making our streets more attractive, but making the marketplace more competitive.

What do you think about these competitions? Are they good for the modelling business, like American Idol is ‘good’ for the music industry?

Any competition is healthy as long as the motives behind it are to contribute and add value to society, rather than making a quick buck and being fly-by-night.

Who do you take your lead from as a businessman?

My parents without a doubt. My dad continues to inspire me with the fact that he left home at the age of 14 when he lost his parents. He worked alone, got married at 20 and by the age of 24 had three of my sisters. What inspires me more, however, is my mum; being the businessminded person that she is, working hard, supporting my dad and now, 40 years have gone by and my parents are still together and have five kids. That’s priceless to me.

Where do you see the future of Mansion?

Let’s meet again next year.

You guys are paid to think of exciting ideas for your clients. What is the best idea you’ve had?

I would love to be able to disclose it, but I’ll let the world experience it themselves. Towards mid-2009 a project we are working on will be launched, which will speak for itself.

This interview was posted in iQ Magazine in it’s 8th issue. Words Scott Walker, Pictures Mosh Lafuente

Top international models are becoming increasingly hard to find in Dubai as there seems to be a lack of local talent in the region. In the past this has been due to the lack of modeling assignments, but now with the market picking up pace clients are having to extend their reach internationally.

With the cultural barriers slowly breaking down the need for swimsuit models in Dubai is also increasing as clients from Europe are choosing to shoot their campaigns here in the UAE where the sun never seems to fade. The need for male models in Dubai is also on the increase with sporting goods, the motor industry and the real estate market flourishing. It is still difficult to find the beautiful young models in Dubai as the boundaries between the Middle East and Europe aren’t quite on the same level yet.

The clients here in the region keep on inquiring for the hot models in Dubai and continuously raise the question “where are the young models in Dubai“? This is due to the market being saturated with the same faces over and over again leaving the beautiful models of Dubai used in the same campaigns year on end.

So if you think you’re a young professional model and would like to come to Dubai to work with the only boutique model agency in the region, contact Mansion Model Management on +971 4 329 6899 or by e-mail info@mansionmodel.com

Mansion Model Management is a model agency based in Dubai, that specializes in providing high fashion models for the catwalk, film, print or events. Since its inception in early 2008 they have already signed a large contingency of international models that are being used as signature faces for the Middle East market. With Dubai being the hub for advertising within the Middle East, there is an increase in model assignments and a need for new faces as there is limited local talent. With this in mind, top models Dubai is becoming increasingly difficult to find as they are more so often than not already signed to several differentagencies on non exclusive contracts which means the same faces are being passed around over and over again.

The agency is looking to recruit high end brunette models based in Dubai or blond Models, Dubai based so that they can be utilized for a selection of assignments for their wide database of Middle Eastern clients. Models Dubai based should get in touch with Mansion Model Management to register, so to be considered for forthcoming assignments.

Burj Al Arab

Out and about you have probably heard that all Models in Dubai must have a professional model agency that’s bringing them lots of working projects. Then you think “If I could get myself signed with a good modeling agency, I should be set to go”. But how am I meant to locate or find a professional model agency in Dubai to sign and represent me? So if you’re considering having a career as a model in Dubai or thinking of relocating to Dubai to take your modeling career to the next level, we at Mansion Model Management would like to offer you few tips on how to proceed from here.

For those of you who are new to the industry, there are quite few key factors that you should put into consideration before moving forward and choosing your model agency in Dubai.

• The Field: There are various types of modeling that you can get involved in. Whether you’re a male model in Dubai or a female model in Dubai, first you need to figure out which field best suits your character and you have the potential for. To give you an example, there are some young and beautiful models in Dubai that only do photo shots, simply because of the fact that they don’t have the height for the catwalks!

• The Model Agency: When you say you want to belong to a professional model agency in Dubai, you will need to first do your homework and research on as many model agencies as possible to make sure you’re going with right one. A good model agency in Dubai will manage your modeling career and will find you good number of work projects. Search for those model agencies that will be there to help you to develop your great natural talents, organize and prepare your marketing and creative materials for the industry that they believe will be the most successful for your character.

• Again, the Agency: The good model agency in Dubai will have a proper and professional office, where both models and clients can make a frequent visit. It’s the model agency’s duty to constantly keep in touch with their clients, who use their models frequently, in order to strengthen and expand their business partnership, and necessarily improve upon their services so it is always to the complete satisfaction of its clients.

• Contracts: Some model agencies in Dubai would have you to sign a contract with them. Never signing upon their request, it’s recommended that you take the model management contract with you, read through it very carefully before signing and returning it back to them.

We pointed to some of important factors that you should be looking into before choosing your model agency. Now, in the same way that you choose your model agency, they will choose their top models in Dubai in the same way.

Before pointing to those factors, we have a word for you models in Dubai! Be sure that when you meet your agent for the first time, to be confident that you will definitely get chosen! Confidence, faith and trust are some of the key elements you need in this industry! Each model agency in Dubai definitely has different categories and each model according to their looks, physics and some other factors are assigned to one or few of these categories such as blonde models, brunette models, beautiful models, top fashion models, young models and swimsuit models.

Height is a crucial and a demanded factor in the fashion industry. For the gents, the ideal height is somewhere between 5′10 and 6′4. For the female models here in Dubai, they look at heights ranging from 5′7 to 6′.

As for the overall looks and appearance, white teeth, clear skin, great hair and a toned body are some of the elements they look for. At the end of the day, you’re it’s a modeling industry, you get paid to look a particular way. Surely you should look your bests before making a visit to your future model agency in Dubai.

Another important factor is your physiques! Whether you’re a male model or female model, you will need a stellar body and a great physique! Gents out there should be ripped, and ladies must have a toned body.

A high-end model agency in Dubai will definitely demand these elements and before signing you, such factors are put into a great consideration!