LAHORE – The formal dinner of the LUMS Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs Summit (YLES) 2011 was held at old Hockey Field LUMS on Friday. With the pirate theme created with a laboriously made large ship, complete with the ship’s wheel and wooden accents at the front of the tent, with lanterns casting flickering shadows over each round table assembled for the audience, the ship-wrecking ride on YLES 11 began.
The pirates (delegates), dressed in their finest treasures, made their way to the plains of the Old Hockey Field. The organising team had clearly worked their magic – the pavilion stood proudly against the almost full moon, a testament to the relentless efforts that had been put into making this night a memorable one. A freshly-polished wooden walkway illuminated by glowing lanterns led to an assortment of ebony tables housed under a shimmering velvet ceiling.
Meanwhile, the glitterati glided in, dressed in their finest treasures – their eyes wide open as they took a moment to absorb their surroundings, their gazes lingering on the massive ship at the center. Settling into their seats, they chattered animatedly, pausing every couple of minutes to pose for yet another picture – as they patiently waited for the festivities to begin.
And soon enough, the ship was taken over by Captain Nabeel Siraj and Lady Durre Jehan, who invited LES founder Hassan Sherwani to share a few words of wisdom with the aspiring entrepreneurs. The guests were then serenaded by Michelle and Emaad from LGS, who launched into an instrumental rendition of Pirates of the Caribbean and Beethoven’s Fur Elise.
These were later accompanied by a vocal performance of Hotel California by the same lady. Throughout this, the delegates were being given the VIP treatment they deserved after a grueling three days, smartly dressed waiters made their way around the tables serving the guests steaming bowls of hot and sour soup. Head of Enspire Magazine, Ahsan Khawar shared his views on how entrepreneurship was more important than ever before to sustain Pakistan’s floundering post-flood economy.
While brooding over these profound ideas, the delegates witnessed Asad Alam, the Patron of LES, and Maha Rehman, the Vice President, cutting the ribbon to officially mark the launch of the latest issue of Enspire magazine. The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly Sami Shah’s immensely entertaining performance. His self-effacing brand of humor and his views on everything ranging from Pakistani cultural stereotypes on topics such as being fickle, fair skin and fat people, won him instant approval from the audience. And then it was time for Rabia Ahmad, the Head of Host Team, to step up on the ship and announce the Lord and Lady of the evening.
Ahmad Humayun, smartly dressed in a suit and Yumna who looked stunning in a dark teal dress walked away with the coveted awards. And with that, the entertainment plan for the night came to a flawless end as the delegates shuffled towards the dimly lit perimeter of the marquee, where an array of scrumptious food awaited them. Not the food of pirates; no fish, no gin and no rum, but delicious nonetheless.
And the feasting continued late into the night as everyone gossiped, shared a joke and socialized over a plate. The adventurous day was followed by a round of activities. Delegates shuffling around the corridors of LUMS beleaguered about the results. Their 3-day grueling diligence finally came to an end, marked by the climactic rounds of Business Idea Competition, Social Entrepreneurial Challenge, Business Case Study and Play it.
This flurry of activities was concluded by a closing ceremony.
