A vintage affair
Tucked in amongst the many knick-knacks in Imran Saibo’s office there’s a book titled ‘Event Planning for Dummies’.
We’re amused, because Saibo is the last person you would imagine reading the book for tips – as the founder of Funtime, one of Sri Lanka’s oldest event production companies, he’s an experienced hand when it comes to this business.
Quite a collection: Imran Saibo and his records. Pix by Nilan Maligaspe
The book, however, is reflective of the producer’s attitude towards life and work in general – it’s never too late to learn new things-and the countless memorabilia packed into the two-storey building he calls work offers his clients (and us) a glimpse into his personality.
For example, there’s the VW van and the vintage scooter that greets us from the entrance. Saibo is passionate about all things vintage – the van, he plans to jazz up for his crew to use during events.
“Everyone else will arrive in their SUVs,” he says cheerfully. “We’ll be hanging out very comfortably at the back of this van.”
We’re actually here for a tour of his small (but fascinating) office in Walukarama Road but it’s impossible to resist the lure of a good story courtesy his colourful personal history.
Saibo identifies himself as an event producer, and his brainchild Funtime (created some 20 years ago-“the name sounded like a very good idea at the time,” he laughs) is one of Sri Lanka’s top event production companies.
How he got here is a tale that is best told by Saibo himself-which we let him do, once we’re settled comfortably inside.
Saibo grew up in Badulla in what he describes as a very unconventional Muslim family, later moving to Wesley College, Colombo for his education.
While he was in school his parents relocated to Tehran, settling Saibo in comfortable quarters in Colombo. Saibo was shortly “given the choice between a leaving certificate and expulsion from school” for getting in a brawl with a bully.
Unbeknown to his parents, he spent his mornings playing pool followed by lunch at the SSC, and organising discotheques with Harpo Gooneratne and Gerry Jayasinghe during the evenings. “We earned quite a tidy sum of money,” he recollects.
The travel bug: Old suitcases from Sydney and an old fashioned telephone
“So after every event we’d count our money and travel somewhere-one guy would keep track of the accounts and tell us when the money ran out, and then we came back.” The good times were not to last, however.
Having got wind of her son’s extracurricular activities, his mother packed him off to Aitchison College in Lahore to continue his education.
Here, he once again discovered a passion for exploring Lahore; settling a dummy on his bed Saibo would squeeze himself through a crack in the school walls and explore the cosmopolitan capital of Pakistan at night.
Despite his warden cottoning on to this eventually he managed to finish his schooling and chose to study Economics at university. Saibo also developed a passion for literature.
This abiding love for the written word is evident if you walk into his office-books everywhere, including on his table and on the shelves. “I’m always reading a couple of books on the go,” he tells us. At his home, you’ll find hundreds more.
After university Saibo moved to Tehran, first taking up a job as a sub editor and later-once again unbeknown to his parents-bartending in the nights “for fun but also for money”.
He was soon a somewhat wealthy, independent young man. In his mid-20s Saibo moved back to Sri Lanka to work at an advertising agency.
It was here that he realised Sri Lanka had a severe shortage of event production companies and reliable equipment. Thus a small side business was born and soon it evolved into a large enough operation that he left the agency to focus full time on the work.
Funtime has handled many high profile events (including concerts, parties and even weddings) over the years; their clients have included top local and international performers and events have taken place in cities around the world including in the UK, US, in Dubai, Bangkok, and once memorably at the Sydney Opera House.
In 2013, the company handled the CHOGM business conference at the request of the organizers from the UK. “We don’t advertise and we don’t pitch to strangers,” explains Saibo. “Word of mouth is largely how our business is done. There must be a level of trust between us and the client.”
For his work, and often for pleasure, Saibo finds himself travelling frequently. He also makes it a point to visit flea markets and jumble sales whenever he’s abroad.
The trick to finding unusual keepsakes and items is to shop where the locals do, he notes.
Thus his office is filled with mementos he has picked up over the decades-a couple of large vintage luggage cases that he picked up for 15 dollars each in a town off Sydney, typewriters he discovered at a polytechnic institute off Gampaha, and several old-school telephones he picked up from all over the world are just a few among many items that also moonlight as props at events.
In addition to this there are posters everywhere-pithy quotes, old advertisements and evocative prints collected over years of travel.
Perhaps one of the most impressive things about Saibo’s workplace is his ever expanding collection of vinyl-here you’ll find records made over several decades including many Sri Lankan ones (the Jetliners, Gypsies and Amaradeva for example).
He complements this enthusiasm for old school music with a passion for the talents of the younger artistes. “We have a huge pool of talent,” he says.
“The problem is a lack of exposure and opportunities. There are some younger musicians and dancers that I hire for my shows who blow me away with how talented they are – they have the potential of any international performer I’ve seen.”
He sees quite a few. Saibo makes it a point to indulge in music and theatre when he’s travelling and usually, “my eyes are trying to take in as much of the stage craft as possible”.
Coldplay throws the best concerts-“technically it’s incredible-confetti everywhere, and lights and pyrotechnics”-but it’s Paul Anka, whom he saw in Australia, who impressed him with his stage presence.
“It was just him, the orchestra, one small screen and the audience. He had the audience in the palm of his hand.” Similarly, Saibo aims to ensure that a performer onstage is never outperformed by the special effects.
“It’s all very well to have giant LED screens and lighting but the audience must leave feeling that their hearts have been touched,” he says.
Also impressive-his comic book collection. But don’t expect him to have your favourite Marvel or DC comics. Instead, Saibo has an eclectic assortment of comics.
For example ‘The Schoolgirls Picture Library’ comics (published from 1957-65) are a favourite – his friends would tease him about it, he laughs, but he loves the stories rendered in each frame.
Today, his collection lies at somewhere between 300 – 400 comics.
Saibo says that surrounding himself with his books, music and art and constantly being on the lookout for his next eclectic purchase keeps him inspired. After all, to be happy is “to surround yourself with the things you love,” he smiles.
“I love retro, I love vintage things. I do it for myself.”