IAM Entertainment Founder Sonal Vara-Parmar on The Lessons She’s Learned From Mariah Carey
The entrepreneur shares how she built an entertainment empire bringing celebrities to the Middle East, and divulges how she’s consolidating and further expanding her A-list reach
It’s the question talk show hosts love to ask: Who is the most famous person you have in your contact list? Sonal Vara-Parmer would struggle to answer this, being on speed dial with instantly-recognisable names like Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Kevin Hart, The Hemsworth brothers, Priyanka Chopra, AP Dhillon… the list is endless. And yes, she was the one who convinced Beyoncé to headline the grand opening of Atlantis The Royal. If there’s a celebrity in the region, be it in sport, music or film, chances are you’ll spot Sonal in their immediate vicinity.
Bazaar Arabia sat down with the savvy businesswoman and founder and CEO of IAM Entertainment who has secured a career in bringing top-tier talent to the Middle East, to talk.
Harper’s Bazaar Arabia (HBA): This is not the kind of job that career counsellors usually put forward to students; how did you fall into this? And how exactly do you define what you do?
Sonal Vara-Parmar (SV): I think first and foremost, I’m an entrepreneur. My company is always growing and changing, which is the best part. How did I fall into it? I think this business is all about your network. There’s a huge trust factor. Who’s in your network? How can you grow that business?
It all started when I was in London and realised quite quickly into my degree that I wasn’t going to practise law. My family was in hospitality and I got introduced to this incredibly powerful, inspiring woman called Mrs. Bhatia. She was 78-years-old and had just refurbed the Hilton Paddington Station, I think it was a US$100 million project. She was looking for someone to put that hotel back on the map. So long story short, I started as a wedding planner, and very quickly started doing a lot of Bollywood weddings there. That got me a lot of attention because, within a year, we had done a lot of high-profile nuptials. It was the first time I’d met Abhishek Bachchan!
HBA: And you used that first opportunity as a springboard, right?
SV: The Hempel Hotel was opening at the time, just around the corner, in Notting Hill. It was London’s first minimalist hotel – they had this beautiful canvas, a white space which you could do anything you wanted with. It also had the only privately owned garden in London at the time. So they said “Listen, can you come over and head the events division at the Hempel Hotel, free reign, we want to grow this division of the hotel”, because there were only 42 rooms, and all of this other space.
That was exciting; I had a lot of ownership, I loved it. So my first foray into music was when I launched 50 Cents’ Reebok collection there. I launched Amy Winehouse’s first-ever public showcase – she had collaborated with Elton John – and we grew that partnership to where she launched her collection with MAC’s Viva Glam. I shot with Victoria Beckham three times. And of course, the wedding scene was pretty prolific; Coldplay’s drummer Will Champion held his nuptials there.
HBA: During this time did you ever have a ‘eureka’ moment when you realised what kind of career you were forging?
SV: I think the ultimate achievement was when I was just leaving — we secured Michael Jackson to stay. That was my first real interaction I think with a celebrity; how to engage with them, how to build a rapport. I had become very close to Venus Brown, the manager of the Black Eyed Peas. The Peas used to record at Notting Hill down the road and so every time they were in town, they would stay, and do private showcases at the hotel. Years later, that manager became my mentor in the music industry and invited me to come and work for Sony BMG when he became its President. That led me to then go to New York where I was for three years with the company.
HBA: So what brought you to Dubai?
SV: I wanted to stay in New York. I love New York, I love the energy and the vibe. But that point, there was a lot of contention with British people working there; there were very few visas available. By the time Sony said, “Okay, here’s a full-time contract”, I had missed that window. So a friend of mine had come to Dubai and told me, “Listen, this is uncharted territory. I think entertainment is going to pop, come over”.
Within three months I was here opening the Madinat Jumeirah event space. I did my first concert after just two months; I brought over everyone I knew from London for a Vision Africa charity concert. Juggy D, Jay Sean, Mos Def, and Raghav… That was my first live show in the region and it just went from there. I’ve now been here for 18 years.
HBA: Is what you do still called celebrity wrangling?
SV: I think in some formats, it is. Celebrity wrangling tends to be when you have a large event, and you pull certain talent to come and visit and highlight it. Our business now is a lot more evolved. I never really got into celebrity wrangling because there’s no future in it. There’s no growth. We are a fully-fledged event entertainment company.
HBA: The live shows are perhaps what you are best known for; do you decide what talent comes or does talent approach you to capitalise on what the region can offer?
SV: The live shows are our bread and butter. It’s gotten to a stage now where the talent approaches us. And when that happens, it’s great because the talent has ideas, the talent is aware of the region, they don’t have preconceived ideas of what the Middle East is. And it’s a lot more of a collaboration. So that’s fun because you can build projects. But it’s both — we do a lot of government contracts, which mandates were given. We’re building concepts together. So it depends on the scope of work.
HBA: And your work revolves around the Middle East?
SV: It’s GCC-centric. But you know, we’ll get requests to do a lot of private events globally, that I don’t promote or advertise for discretion, whether it’s on a boat or a private island.
HBA: What kind of budget do people have for that kind of special, bespoke event?
SV: It depends on the talent. We are known to deal with AAA talent. So that would be anything from a million and a half dollars upwards – that would be the very, very, very minimum.
HBA: What have been some of the highlights of your career? Both professionally, what’s put you on the map, and personally, you’ve enjoyed working on?
SV: I’ve enjoyed the campaigns with Kevin Hart. We brought Kevin into the region about four years ago, to do a philanthropic initiative with the Government of Dubai, the Prime Minister’s Office, called Mars Shot, and it was at the height of COVID when we wanted to inspire people. Kevin is a talent, and now a very good friend that is so available, relatable and very grateful for what he has. And when you come across people like that, who are true visionaries, and entrepreneurs, the sky’s the limit. So working with talent like him has been incredible, and a learning curve for me as well, of how you grow to that level and sustain yourself.
Working with Mariah Carey, who’s also become a very good friend now, is always special….
HBA: You brought her to Saudi Arabia and Dubai…
SV: Yes, we’ve done three shows with her, we opened with EXPO 2020 here. Mariah is incredible because she is a legend and a diva in the best possible way. She’s taught me that no matter what, you have to be true to yourself, you have to know your value, and don’t compromise on that. Mariah is one of the only artists out there that owns 100 per cent of her publishing from the age of 16. When she first had the opportunity to sell her songs, she refused. She refused because she knew who she was. And she sustained that through her career; to be a woman in this industry is, I think one of the hardest challenges because it’s very, very male-centric, very male-dominated.
HBA: Is that true for you as well?
SV: Absolutely. I think it’s changing. I think the Middle East allows you to challenge those norms. I’m very grateful for that. I think they want to see women in power and leadership positions. It’s not really till I go to the west, I feel it’s more prevalent. It may sound cliché, but some of the biggest challenges I have faced are that I’m a woman in the industry. There are very, very few executives at the top.
HBA: Surely one of the biggest moments in your career must have been when Beyoncé headlined the opening celebration for Atlantis The Royal?
SV: That for me was incredible; working on that show, working with her and her team, which are all women. I’ve known her team for a good five years. The remit was, “I want the very, very, very best, and I know it’s likely not to happen. And there’s only one name.” They were afraid about how we were going to get her. But I think that’s also another misconception with talent when you’re working on a project like this, it has to be a win-win for both. It cannot be about money at that level of the game. It can’t be about the client wanting X and the talent wanting X. You have to come together in a partnership. And that is where I think our strength was and, honestly speaking, it was one of the easiest deals and partnerships we’ve ever done.
It didn’t take long because I think Beyoncé also understood what she wanted to give back to the region. We used an all-female band, we used all women for the [Firdaus] orchestra, and she used designers from the region. She was here for 10 days on the ground. The work ethic of this woman is parallel, and that is what it takes to be at the top. And I don’t think new artists have it. I just don’t.
HBA: Who would you love to work with?
SV: Oprah. Her team is incredible. And I’m sure when the time is right, that’ll happen.
HBA: What do you think are the biggest misconceptions people have about what you do?
SV: It’s easy, it’s glamorous. I think those are the two main misconceptions.
HBA: What’s the biggest mistake you see other people in your position make?
SV: That’s a very good question. Not protecting the talent. They are people at the end of the day who have families, they have feelings, and I think because there’s so much out there for public consumption, you forget. You forget sometimes that you have to protect them in this business. It is a very dog-eat-dog world.
I think discretion is key because there’s trust. These aren’t one-off bookings. The talent I’ve worked with, I’ve known for years. And that’s the other misconception: When we did the Beyoncé show everyone was like, “How did you do that?” Well, I’ve been doing this for 25 years! There is graft behind it. There’s a business that I’ve built, where I’m now able to call someone like her directly. There are no agents involved.
Every talent my company works with has a direct relationship with the manager or the talent; there is no one in between. And that’s something I will not compromise on. If I don’t know them, I won’t work with them.
HBA: There’s also an influencer side of your agency.
SV: It’s called the curator division. This region is in many ways more advanced than the rest of the world. They recognise the trends and what’s next. We don’t have a conventional celebrity market here. You know, we don’t have Hollywood as such. But I think influence is now prevalent. They are the ones who are the voices of the region, promoting the region, locally and abroad. I was inspired to open this division because I want to take influencers from this market globally.
HBA: A lot of talent comes here and is paid a lot of money to come here. Do you envisage having talent originating from here, becoming household names overseas?
SV: Yes, absolutely. That is the vision of the department. And we’re very, very careful to select, who we work with for that reason, because there’s a great responsibility with managing someone; fostering their careers, nurturing their goals and their ambitions. And for me, to take them to global heights — that’s important.
HBA: Who have you got on your books right now?
SV: It’s a new department. Its four months old. I have seen the work ethic of Farhana Bodi and that’s very important to me, first and foremost, the work ethic. I’ve seen her grow from being a make-up artist to then becoming a mother to then becoming an influencer to now being very successful on Dubai Bling, shooting her third season. Her ambition and her goals align with the company. We have an international celebrity artist, Vimi Joshi. She managed all of Beyoncé’s backstage crew, dancers, orchestra and her team. So these are women that I’m inspired by and that’s important as we nurture and capitalise on the special qualities of these people.
HBA: What are some of the things in the pipeline?
SV: I’m proud to be bringing AP Dhillon to the region. He is now the first South Asian singer to have the honour of being projected onto the Burj Khalifa. We don’t typically do Indian or Bollywood shows, you know, our forte is Western international shows. But with AP, it was something so special. He’s created a different genre of music, a different sound. The USP of IAM Entertainment is to be different, to break boundaries. I’m not in the business of replicating or being another promoter in the market. That is not our game. I think about what we do. It’s not about bringing ten shows. It’s about bringing three shows a year that’ll make an impact.
HBA: What are some of the most outrageous rider requests you’ve had?
SV: In all my time doing this, I haven’t been dumbfounded by any. I cannot understand how I see all of these ridiculous requests in the press of this person wanting this, this person wanting that. Some of the biggest stars in the world want gummy bears, Coca-Cola, a good bottle of water, potato chips and ginger tea. I’ve never had a request for outrageous flowers. It just hasn’t happened so I can’t say.
HBA: Who is the person that you always kind of wanted to meet, and did you get star-struck?
SV: I don’t think it’s star-struck, it’s realising the specialness of the moment. A pinch-me moment I had was when I saw Beyoncé in the dress rehearsal [at Atlantis The Royal]. I saw her go 60 feet up into the air, and then she walked over and said, “How was that?” I started bawling because I realised at that moment, what an epic moment this was about to become, but how utterly humble and down to earth she was.
Priyanka Jonas literally smashed boundaries and was the first Bollywood star to break Hollywood. Talking to her and listening to her — her grace and confidence, her vision… That to me was a pinch-me moment because I’m like: okay, you really can create your dreams, you can create and carve out whatever your lane is. She was very inspiring.
HBA: You’ve also gone into producing.
SV: We have a show in development right now; we’re shooting in London. My husband runs the film and TV division of IAM. To conceptualise, create, and put out creatively something that is going to highlight this region is really exciting for us. That’s our next trajectory; growing our film and TV division.
The first ever production we were involved in from the script to producing was a Hollywood production with stars called North of the Ten. We sold it to Paramount and BET in the States and that was taking celebrities from our side to another level. It gave us the impetus to own that space. We also worked with Boris Becker on a documentary called Boom Boom, which got sold to Apple TV Plus; the director was Oscar-winning Alex Gibney, and the producer was John Battsek. Working with people in this industry at that level, not just talent with directors and producers is a privilege. I’m very, very honoured to be in that space and we don’t take it lightly.
HBA: What motivates you? Money? Fame?
SV: No, we are very much behind the scenes. It’s not the fame, it’s the creative process. An artist gets an incredible high from going out on stage and performing. For me, and I think for the company as a whole, it’s about making projects that not only make a difference but are one-off projects time and time again. The challenge of making that happen is my high. And that is what drives me.
With AP Dhillon it wasn’t just to bring him to Dubai, it was putting him on the Burj Khalifa and making that moment for our community to stand out and it was taking that artist to another level and doing a show in the round at Coca-Cola Arena which had never been done before. It was bringing Beyoncé here with an all-female-led team. It’s doing a campaign with Kevin Hart, or being instrumental and moving Steve Harvey to the Middle East and making this his home. I think the day I stop crying when we deliver a show is the day I’ll stop.
HBA: And lastly, you bring all these people to the Middle East, not just Dubai, where do you show them? How can you wow people who have seen everything?
SV: There always has to be a dinner because food is love and love is food, and that is my love language. I think Dubai and the region right now are the focus and the attention of the world. So we are not short in showing people things and they are very naturally fascinated by how far this place has come; it is only 50 years old.
It’s exciting because when you are in the thick of it and you also take things for granted; I just discovered the Al Qudra Lakes, The Love Lake with the flamingos, the Mangroves. I love that side of it because it does take me away from what we do daily and I get to discover different parts of this country and region with the talent. And we are privileged to get a lot of that access. I remember going to AlUla for the first time, it’s incredible, untouched, and magical so that was special. With Chris Hemsworth we went to Abu Dhabi Surf, which is the biggest artificial wave pool in the world. Chris is an avid surfer so he took Ash for surfing lessons and we got to do things like that. You don’t get bored of it. I think you are sometimes taken aback by how much we have here, which is good, and it’s exciting.
HBA: When you’ve had a big show, how do you treat yourself? Do you mark every milestone?
SV: Because of the level of the shows we do I think now just preserve the highs and the lows of this business, if I can will jet out. I will jet out for a few days, rest, eat really well, and just decompress because you can lose sight of reality if you don’t, and get caught up in the moment. The talent I’m very close to has taught me the importance of staying grounded.
Photography: Efraim Evidor. Stylist: Imogene Legrand.Make-Up: Vimi Joshi. Hair: Dani Hiswani.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s March 2024 issue.