Hanging out with your friends is one thing. But getting your friends together for a calendar of structured activities takes fun to a different level. Meet Mike Hajj, one of the guys behind Abu Dhabi Circle, to learn about the fun-loving bunch that’s expanding their circle of friends…
Tempo: So what is Abu Dhabi Circle?
Mike: When we first started four years ago, we were just a small group of acquaintances looking to do something fun in the UAE capital. We have now become a platform of over 2000 people from more than 20 nationalities, involved in large-scale events that cater to all ages and interests. Through it all, we have remained a fun group!
We have made new friends and expanded our events calendar with many activities. Over the years we have learned a lot about people’s preferences. Initially we had created a calendar that was yearly or monthly. Then we focused on the activities that drew most interest. We assigned responsibility to individuals for the smaller events and we cancelled activities that did not attract friends of the Circle. We learned when to focus on social media, and when word of mouth played a huge role. In short, while our friendships expanded, our focus on personalization also increased.
Tempo: Who manages Abu Dhabi circle? Is it a person, or a group of people?
Mike: The Circle is comprised of a group of friends and therefore we have no governing bodies. However, we opted to create subcommittees for individual activities and roles as we still need to carefully manage our events. For example, we have a subcommittee that manages our Facebook page, another our Annual Christmas Dinner, a third oversees the monthly bowling nights, and another the Ramadan Bowling Tournament… and so the list goes on. Subcommittee members can participate in an unlimited number of events as long as they have the time and can make the commitment to them.
On the other hand, our Dragon Boat Team “Al Bandar” has it’s own hierarchy, with the presence of a captain, a coach and an admin person.
Tempo: What was your biggest accomplishment so far?
Mike: Definitely being able to keep going for the past four years and keep growing without losing our main vision.
Tempo: What’s the Circle’s best event?
Mike: I would say the Christmas Dinner is one of the best events we hold all year round. It brings people together and is a genuine celebration of Christmas that is like no other in Abu Dhabi. We play tug-of-war, we have a crafts competition, light the tree and enjoy Christmas food while Santa drops in to distribute awesome gifts.
The second best, I would say is our Al Bandar Dragon Boat team’s participation in the dragon boat regattas that take place across the UAE. It is the fruit of lots of practice and team dedication.
Tempo: What is the biggest challenge that you have had to overcome?
Mike: Every activity has its own challenges and that’s part of what makes planning exciting. However our biggest challenge is to try to keep all activities fun and exciting yet within a budget that is suitable for all the group members.
Every activity has its own challenges and that’s part of what makes planning exciting
Tempo: So how does the Circle want to grow?
Mike: The aim is to reach everyone in the city. All the demographic groups we’ve reached were done by individual group members; if you feel like doing an activity and think people would be interested in attending and participating, Abu Dhabi Circle is the forum for it! That’s how it started and that’s how we roll! The sky is the limit!
Tempo: How can people reach the Circle?
Mike: Social Media and Facebook have always been the best way to reach us. What’s great about the Abu Dhabi Circle is that it was never about one particular person – we got popular through word of mouth and people bringing friends along.
Tempo: Any new plans Abu Dhabi Circle in 2015?
Mike: The coming year will be full of activities, from bowling nights and specifically the Ramadan bowling tournament, to cycling Tuesdays, the reading club, baking with kids, and Easter egg hunts, and lots of other stuff. Stay tuned to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/adcircle) for a full schedule of activities and join in the fun!
Tempo: Does Abu Dhabi Circle have a New Year’s Resolution?
Mike: It is difficult to summarize the wishes and hopes of more than 2000 members. But I would say our common New Year’s resolution would be to move forward with the same spirit…after all what is a community worth if we do not all, in essence, stand on the same ground.
By Neil Bie
