Capital Campus caught up with the founder of Blem Entertainment, George Chege.
A young entrepreneur, he shares his trials and triumphs in his quest to revolutionalize the entertainment industry with a new approach to Nairobi’s lively party life.
CC: What is Blem Entertainment?
GC: Blem comes from Blends of music which what we basically do (blend/mix music). Blem Entertainment is an entertainment platform that gets you nothing but the best entertainers in your budget all over the country.
CC: How did you start Blem Entertainment?
GC: Being a Deejay one of the challenges we face is to get gigs that pay enough and are convenient. Mind you there are so many people out there looking for entertainers who are affordable and within one’s location for convenience. After telling people am a Dj they would tell me how they struggled to get one for an event they had about a week ago or they would complain of how they got wack services or either the Dj they had was so unprofessional or did not deliver as promised.
After all this I thought of how we would get a platform that when one wants to get professional, affordable and most convenient entertainers it will be easier, and on the Deejay side they will get more gigs which are highly convenient in terms of location and pay.
Imagine you are a Deejay located in Eldoret and charge KShs 20,000 for a gig, you get an event in Zanzibar and the client is not willing to cater for transport and accommodation as estimated, you might end up making less than KShs 10,000. I don’t think you would love that.
CC: Why did you decide to integrate on- ground events with a digital platform?
GC: According to Internet world Statistics Kenya’s population has 89.4% internet penetration as at June 2017 which is the highest in Africa, this is a clear sign that most Kenyans spend their time online, the internet is very accessible mainly because all you need is a smartphone and data bundles. That is one of the major reason to why we opted for online presence.
CC: Which personality trait do you think has been useful while entering this venture?
GC: I am inquisitive this has helped me so much in getting to know and understand the industry better. I also think am patient this has been of aid in this whole journey. I love reading articles on entertainment and business, I get to know trends in the business world and in Entertainment this keeps me at par.
CC: With deejays being locked up by NEMA, what are your thoughts?
GC: I think NEMA should work hand in hand with the county government on issuing of licenses in the “noise zones.” It doesn’t make sense for the county government to license a club to operate in silent zones or residential areas without instructing them of the number of decibels required. NEMA should also educate entertainers about their legal requirements and level of decibels to be adhered to in silent zones, residential and commercial areas respectively.They should make it a legal requirement to have dosimeter to own or operate in recreation facilities that might cause noise pollution. This will keep deejays informed, keeping them from breaking the law.
The ongoing operation will affect the Industry by giving off a negative vibe that will shun young talent or anyone with an aspiration to be a deejay. With the level of unemployment in Kenya, I think deejaying is one of the most affordable ways to earn a living, with the use of our platform we have made it even easier for the deejay to get jobs and potential clients to get convenient skilled and affordable entertainers
When we provide a Deejay with a Gig we have scouts on site to help in verifying quality service delivery and appropriate conduct during work with this we guarantee value for your money. We do the legal for both parties (client & Deejay), we have a legal team which will work hand in hand with the client and authorities to keep the entertainer safe while on duty.
CC: Where do you see your business in 5 years?
GC: I see Blem Entertainment as the largest platform to find live entertainers all across East Africa, we plan to revolutionize the events and entertainment industry, We can also have live performances just like abroad, it’s about time we deliver quality entertainment experience for our events.
CC: What has been the biggest lesson learned from the experience of starting a business as a youth?
GC: I have learned that there is a gradual path to success, it’s a journey, you don’t just wake up one morning and bam you made it. Most of us youth give up upon facing maybe the 2nd or 3rd obstacle luckily am not that kind of person. I give up never, turbulent times make the best leaders, I believe in every bad thing there is something good. Get a challenge flip it and look for that opportunity in it and work with that.
I have also learned to work with what you have and the rest will come with time.
CC: How can one book a deejay from Blem Entertainment?
GC: We have made it easy for everyone by visiting our website. Fill-in the details of your event and we will get back to you with the most suitable, skilled deejay with your budget.
CC: How can a deejay join Blem Entertainment?
GC: For a deejay looking to get jobs via our website, one must create a personal email account via the site just filling the question on this portal and just like that you are on board.
