Inspire Dubai is a celebration of our Emirate’s most amazing individuals – the unsung heroes and heroines who make Dubai what it is for the 1.5 million of us who call it home.
Hope there's a special category for the amazing individuals at ITP - the organisers - for managing not to gag as they wrote the copy. And another category to those ITPers who manage to go into work, time and again, with no praise and no thanks from their masters. DMO would love to sponsor that category....
And a special word goes out to the kind souls in Garhoud who are selflessly putting on this event. And selling sponsorship around it. Hope all the profits go to a charity other than the Directors' Bentley Fund.
22 comments:
What an utter and total embarassment for Time Out - ITP are completely without shame.
There are links to sales people on the same page!!!!!!
This is just too shite and shocking for words - unless they donate everything to a good cause how's about organising a boycott of buying Time Out at the newsstand (who buys it anyway?)? After all you can pretty much get anything useful off the website anyway....
I do believe this is all the work of Time Out's new 'publisher' Zoe Clark.... maybe she should be added to the list of 'heroes'...
Has anyone seen the Alan Partridge episode where he goes to a similar event in Norwich? Very funny...
what a pathetic thread
While this has the potential to be awful (I'd be willing to bet there'll be a special humanitarian of the year award to whichever sheikh is most likely to be able to give ITP a newspaper licence), lots of publishers do this around the world, and sell sponsorships.
The Mirror does some sort of Heroes event, while, Cosmo does something for inspirational women, for instance.
But it all depends how they present it to the market, and whether it appears to be an embarrasing money grab or not.
From the posting and early comments, I get the impression that just because it's ITP there's some kneejerk hostility.
Why not celebrate good things that have been done..? Dubai rarely has time for this - but what about engendering a bit of community in this soulless city. It can hardly be a bad thing...
Why the fuss? Do we really think it is pathetic when a community based magazine wants to do its bit for the community?
That said, ITP should not make money out of this. If this is truly something for the community, it should announce how it plans to make this non-profit and the causes it plans to support.
If it does that, I think it is a truly admirable venture. What has your company done for its community?
I'm sure there's cynicism about the awards because it's ITP. But there's a reason that cynicism exists! I would happily applaud ITP for the initiative if I thought a sizeable amount of money was going to charity.
i would give all awards to sheikh momammed, Dubai's greatest living person ever.
"Why the fuss? Do we really think it is pathetic when a community based magazine wants to do its bit for the community?"
Ha ha hahahahah.
Clearly the person who wrote this has NO idea whatsoever about what a community-based magazine actually is. Time Out Dubai is a vehicle to sell advertising so that Serafin and his gang of lackeys can drive big cars. End of. The idea that it is somehow published to engender a community in Dubai is ridiculous.
This should be greeted with the same cynicism that is ITP's modus operandi.
The very notion that ITP, Serafin et al have suddenly come over all touchy-feely is almost surreal. The only reason they are doing this - the only reason ITP do anything - is the bottom line. Nothing at all to do with building community.
Well I hope someone at ITP reads this and proves you wrong.
Nothing at all wrong with being commercial - in fact it is to be applauded that ITP has grown despite not being government resourced.
Most community elements - from local shops to clubs make money, and they rely on their community to help them do so. Nothing wrong with that. By being a commercial success ITP is able to produce something that makes our lives a bit better.
However, if ITP does do an award like this, it needs to be seen to be doing it for the right reasons. This should not be money making.
I think we are all interested in this angle... If it is non-profit, I think we should all shut up and support something good for once.
Anyone know anyone who knows...
I for one would be delighted to eat my words when ITP donates the profits to charity.
Nothing wrong with operating a commercial business at all.
But ITP is full of sharks and spivs.
Nothing wrong with that either - most sentient people like to keep those sorts at arms length (though the sharks and spivs are now queuing up at the doors of governments around the world begging for handouts).
But the idea that these sharks and spivs have suddenly turned into charidee giving, community caring touchy feely liberals is a complete joke.
It is a cynical move by a cynical company.
They would not be doing this if they felt there wasn't a buck to make. The whole purpose is to extend the brand, develop the portfolio etc etc.
If they really meant something like this why not set up some kind of independent trust, properly financed and supported, that could make a sustained difference for years to come? To build communities you need a civil society built on institutions.
Many big, powerful companies and individuals do stuff like this (Gates, Buffet etc etc) but the moral pygmies at ITP can only think of sales sales sales and dressing it up in the most incredibly hackneyed version of charidee possible.
Anyone seen the truly appaling "Time Out Dubai Blog"?
They have almost zero comments and probably zero readers as well. On the comments page they state "Please keep your responses appropraite (sic) and on topic."
Another high-quality comedy moment from ITP.
What does appaling mean?
20:18 - or Dave, just what did ITP do to you!?
Good, if it’s going to charity, bad if it’s not (can anyone from ITP clarify this issue?).
The Mirror holds the Pride of Britain Awards which, while good, are cringing to watch. However it’s hugely popular and they lots of celebs involved (cynical minds suggest they do it in the hope that the Mirror keeps its dogs on a leash).
Anyway, let’s not hang about, let’s get nominating…..
Nakheel, for ‘inspiring humanity’ with their off-shore environmental holocaust.
anon 20.18 Do you seriously think anyone at ITP gives a fuck what a cunt like you thinks?
Ah, the old ITP lackey tactic of attacking anyone who dares to criticise... Nice.
I heard that the 'target' is around $200k, which will go to charity, minus expenses for the event, but the actual target that sales have been given is around $500k, so ITP keeps the difference without telling the sponsors/advertisers.
Either way, even if 'only' $150k actually makes it to whatever charity it's destined for then that's a positive step I think.
And to follow what someone posted earlier; there are reasons that ITP does attract this negative attention. And, yes, proudly hiring known crims is probably one of them.
anon 13.14 - were you born a cunt or did you just grow into one?
re: anon at 2034 - I think the toadying pillock who keeps posting 'you're a cunt' etc might work for ITP - JL, ND or RC?
anon 2034. you do ITP proud. such eloquence. think before you ejaculate. and no that isnt a rude word, but i guess you wont know that.
I am newish to the region, but already I can see that ITP is by far the best media company in the region - it is just so evident when you look at its magazines. They are just good, and I came from old EMAP and Hearst, so give me some credibility.
I work for a rival, and while we're trying hard and making serious strides, the unofficial line, never to be said in public (except by me!) is that we want to be ITP.
The ITP moron calling people cunts should have more confidence and less insecurity - people are knocking the company precisely because it holds the top spot.
This is not a Dubai disease - it's everywhere...
Shrug it off.
The Inspire Dubai Awards is one of the most exciting projects Time Out has ever been a part of.
Our annual restaurant awards set the benchmark for dining quality every year and it is a pleasure to work on them.
But the Inspire Dubai Awards are an honour to work on.
These are awards that recognise the bravery, dedication and commitment of individuals in the emirate.
These are the awards for the unsung heroes of Dubai.
If you know an inspiring person who is going above and beyond the call of duty to help other people and inspire Dubai we want to know about it.
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