Buzz Fest excites future entrepreneurs

The Buzz Fest venue of the future entrepreneurs of Oman was abuzz with activities in Salalah on Tuesday. College students, academicians, young entrepreneurs, public finance bodies and private companies, took part in the multi-layered programme that took place in the Salalah College of Technology (SCT).

The Buzz Fest was organised under the theme ‘It is not about ideas, it is about making ideas happen’ by the Business Studies Department of the college. The event was inaugurated by Dr Hamdan bin Mohammed al Mantheri, College Dean. Students were seen enthusiastically participating in the event, which had programmes titled talent hunt, poster competition and quiz.

Dr Alya bint Ali al Nasseri, Head of Business Studies Department, summed up the purpose of organising the event as an effort to “provide a platform to the students who dream high and show the willingness to walk that extra mile. The idea is to motivate and inspire them to achieve their goals… Buzz Fest is the kind of event which would provide such a platform to the students where they get an opportunity to enhance their interpersonal skills along with getting a glimpse of their career prospects.

The event’s highlights were 13 stalls put by the business studies students and funding and project advisory establishments from public and private sectors. Specialisation corners, arranged by the department sections, were also there to promote different specialisations being offered in the college.

Other booths were put up by Al Madina Takaful, Riyada, Al Rafd Fund, SME Development Fund and Dhofar Cattlefeed. There was an Entrepreneurial Corner to provide information about the importance of startups in the current economic scenario. Al Rafd representative Salem Khasoob was happy over participation in the event and found this a good idea to connect with entrepreneurs of the future. “We are here to tell the students about Al Rafd Fund and its objectives. We want to hear ideas from the students, support them if the ideas are really good. We advise them how to get Al Rafd support and emerge as a successful entrepreneur.

Othba Abdullah al Harmali, Deputy Manager Training Department at SME Development Fund, appreciated the initiative of the students and staff members of the Business Studies Department and reiterated the Fund’s commitment to engage with the students.

“We engage with them through workshops, conferences and activities like this. Our engagement with the e-Clubs (Entrepreneur Club) of the colleges has proved to be very successful. We convince the students to set up campus companies. We monitor them and train the interested students who want to take up some enterprise as their career,” said Al Harmali.

The Buzz Fest organisers thanked the Omani entrepreneurs who came forward to share their experiences with the students.