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UNFORGETTABLE RAMADAN NIGHTS
BY REHAB EL-BAKRY
So it’s Ramadan, a season for worship, family and friends
and let’s not forget special events. Now that the first week
of family commitments is over, it’s time for companies to
shift their focus to iftars and sohours for their valued clients,
staff and, of course, the press. It might seem too late to find
a suitable venue for your event since companies that do proper planning
have already snagged all the nice locations. But for those with
creativity, and in some cases deep pocketbooks, there are a number
of unconventional locations that are guaranteed to leave a lasting
impression on your guests.
One option that is particularly good when you have a small group
of select contacts is the revolving restaurant atop the Grand Hyatt
Cairo Hotel. Whether for an iftar or a sohour, your guests will
be treated to excellent cuisine and a breathtaking 360-degree view
of the entire city. For iftar, your guests will see the city’s
historic sites painted red by the setting sun. For sohour, they’ll
be impressed by the rare bird’s eye view of Cairo’s
glittering city lights.
Booking arrangements need to be made in advance to reserve space
according to your preferred seating arrangement. Bear in mind that
the tables along the window generally only seat four people. That
said, this is a relatively hassle-free event to pull together given
its wow factor.
But if watching the Nile from above just seems too voyeuristic,
you can join the action below by booking one of the many yachts
that cruise the river. A cruise on a private yacht, or one operated
by Cairo’s hotels, is an ideal way to spend the evening with
your staff or clients. Above all, it gives your guests the opportunity
to mingle both before and after the meal.
Private yachts are ideal for small groups, while hotel yachts tend
to be larger – some able to accommodate groups of up to 100.
These luxurious vessels are usually in pristine condition and can,
upon request, be catered by the hotel’s staff. Alternatively,
you will need to find a private catering company and, perhaps, entertainment,
for the evening. The only drawback is that your guests must actually
show up on time. Latecomers will simply be left behind.
If you love the Nile, but think a yacht is just too stuffy for your
guests, then you might consider booking a felucca. Better still,
a fleet of feluccas. These traditional sailing boats rarely see
iftar action, but with some creative thinking you could make it
a truly memorable event.
Mind you, it won’t be easy. First you’ll need to make
arrangements with the felucca owners, who congregate on the riverbank
in Garden City and Maadi. Explain to them how many people will attend
and exactly what you need. You’ll also want to select which
feluccas will be sailed. Choose carefully, as not all feluccas are
the same. Some are able to hold a dozen comfortably, while others
will squeeze in only eight. And some are in rougher shape than others
– an iftar in a sinking sailboat will definitely be remembered,
but not in a good way.
A little investment here could go a long way. You might discuss
with the felucca owner the possibility of “redecorating”
the fleet to better reflect your brand by putting in new cushion
covers and tablecloths in your corporate colors. In any case, make
sure the seats where your guests will be seated are clean, comfortable
and, above all, nail-free.
The second part of the challenge is the food, which is an exercise
in logistics. To begin with, you must fully explain to the caterer
the nature of the venue, as there is no way to warm food once it’s
aboard the felucca. Be sure to check if the caterer is able to supply
the waiters for the event. It’s also a good idea to bring
your own music or you might end up listening to the felucca captain’s
collection of Shaaban Abdel Rehim albums.
When your guests arrive, you’ll need to divide them into smaller
groups of six or eight for each felucca. One scenario would be to
have the feluccas sail in a row up the Nile at sunset just minutes
before iftar then break the fast on board with a shockingly delicious
meal catered by waiters in tuxedos. For maximum effect, have small
battery-powered lanterns placed throughout the boats. Pull this
off and your guests will sing your praises.
The cost for putting together such an event is probably less than
you’d think. Bear in mind you’re booking an entire fleet,
so expect to pay a bit more than you would if you were simply going
on a felucca ride with your friends. A single felucca could cost
anywhere from LE 150 to LE 300 (one hour sailing and one hour preparation
time) depending on your negotiation skills. You will also carry
the cost of decorating the feluccas, though you can opt to keep
the decoration after the event, which should reduce your outlay.
Finally, you’ll need to pay for the food and catering.
Not bad, but if money is not an issue and you truly want to shock
and awe your guests, you might try to wrangle the permits and hold
your event in one of Cairo’s historic monuments. Situated
right in the heart of Islamic Cairo, Beit Al Seheimi and Beit Al
Harawy reek of Ramadan spirit and are ideal venues for evening gatherings.
But holding an evening event in one of these beautiful Islamic buildings
will take a lot of perseverance.
First, you’ll have to convince the Ministry of Culture that
your event is not just a run-of-the-mill company get-together or
press junket. No, it is an important cultural event. Next, you’ll
have to assure antiquities officials that your event will not in
any way damage the ancient buildings or their contents. Indeed,
your event will actually highlight and enhance the historic importance
of the antiquities.
Given the challenges, it’s no wonder that so few private events
are held in these historic buildings. Yet it has been known to happen.
The key is to design an event that goes well beyond the conventional
– you need something that revives some aspect of Egyptian
culture such as Ramadan story-telling, classical poetry reading
or a performance by whirling dervishes.
It might be a good idea to contract an event-organizing company
to secure the necessary permits, as people working in this field
are usually accustomed to dealing with government bodies and can
more effectively negotiate the hurdles. Once your permits are approved,
you’ll need to organize catering, though this should be relatively
easy to arrange.
But what if a historic house just won’t cut it? Maybe you
need a palace? The Baron’s Palace in Heliopolis and Al Manasterly
Palace on Roda Island are just two options that can – with
the right connections – be booked for events. Securing these
historic sites requires a slew of permits that seems to grow the
minute you think you’ve obtained the last one. There’s
the antiquities authority, culture ministry, locality and municipality
offices and let’s not forget the local electricity and water
utilities – all of which can swoop in at any time and threaten
to cancel your event for myriad reasons.
Only a handful of companies, including Procter & Gamble and
Hewlett-Packard, have managed to pull off events in these stunning
locations, but who will ever forget them? In case you’re still
interested, permits are more easily granted for events held outside
in the courtyards of these structures. No complaints there –
the Baron’s Palace is far more impressive when viewed from
the front terrace at night, its Indian-style sculpted tower bathed
in soft light. Likewise, Al Manasterly Palace’s exotic gardens
are simply breathtaking when illuminated by candlelight.
Finally, for those willing to make an impression at any cost, consider
Cairo’s most dominant Islamic landmark, the Citadel. Perched
on high ground and surrounded by ancient stone walls, it offers
a panoramic view of the city below. As the monument is open to tourists
during the day, only evening events are possible – but that’s
arguably the best time anyway. There’s plenty of space in
the courtyard of Salaheddin Palace for large groups. One idea, carried
out by Vodafone Egypt a few years back, is to recreate a traditional
Fatimid Cairo neighborhood replete with waiters dressed in medieval
costumes and street vendors offering erqsous (licorice drink) and
hummos al-sham (spicy chickpeas) to guests.
Needless to say, you will need dozens of permits and run the risk
of getting shut down by various authorities or disgruntled parties.
Better to hire a well-connected event planner able to anticipate
problems and deal with them swiftly and professionally should they
occur. Catering should present no serious issue and the site has
plenty of room to set up a kitchen, but you will have to make arrangements
for portable WCs, as there are none to be found.
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