Dubai lighting business has laser sharp focus for growth

Lorraine Ludman never had a grand plan to move to Dubai and start a business. When her company, DLC in the UK, was approached to provide laser lighting displays for the ‘Britain in the Gulf’ exhibition in the early 90s, she took the project on primarily to tick the city off her exotic travel list.
But it didn’t take her long to realise that, even in those comparatively early days, Dubai was a city on a steep growth trajectory, and that there were plenty of opportunities for those who were willing to take a risk and set up shop in the Emirate.
"We came out to Dubai just to see what it was like. It was quite a novel place to come in those days," she told The National, 24 years later.
"But the reaction to the service we provided was so good that we decided to set up a company locally. We definitely didn’t have that intention when we came out for the exhibition!"
Ms Ludman had over ten years experience of laser lighting systems before that first trip to Dubai, having provided lighting for a series of big international events, including worldwide tours by Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd.
But she was already savvy enough to know that laser lighting wasn’t enough on its own to sustain a business in Dubai at that time.
So when she established DLC in 1993 in Dubai, it was set up to provide a full range of lighting and laser solutions, offering both equipment and technical support.
"Before we came out there were lots of events being organized but very few people thought about lighting them properly, they would just go to a hardware store and rent a couple of spotlights," says Ms Ludman.
"We came in with lighting designers and gave a seminar to local architects to demonstrate what a difference quality lighting could provide."
The company initially offered permanent lighting solutions, including the equipment that still illuminates the outside of the Burj Al Arab hotel, but eventually changed focus to concentrate on the events market, providing lighting and sound equipment on a rental basis.
The ability to pivot in the face of changing market conditions is perhaps the key to DLC’s ability to endure and thrive for as long as it has.
Around 10 years ago, and amid increasing competition from a growing number of lighting and sound companies, the company made a decisive move into the simultaneous translation and conference microphone space.
"We were approached by a translation company to do a partnership and it evolved from there. It was a case of adjusting to market realities, going from being the only lighting company in town to being one of 100," says Ms Ludman.
"You constantly have to think about how to stay ahead of the market, find a new niche and evolve, while all the while keeping your standards high and your reputation intact."
Its success in the conference and translation space has enabled it to expand its capacity, acquiring the translation and conference equipments assets of a former competitor last year to become a large provider of such equipment.
Having such a large capacity has enabled DLC to offer equipment for the first time to large events outside the GCC, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) conference in Johannesburg last September, as well as events in Kenya and the Seychelles.
"We’re particularly good at last minute jobs as we’ve got a lot experience and know how to make things happen quickly," said Ms Ludman. "We have a very good working arrangement with all of the main freight agents, so we can give them a ring in the morning and the equipment will be there the next day."
Simultaneous translation equipment rental is now DLC’s largest money maker, accounting for around 60 per cent of annual revenues.
And while its lighting business is now more geared at medium-sized events, it still has the capacity to pull off larger events, providing lighting services for the Burj Khalifa’s New Years Eve extravagaza for the past two years.
DLC has so far been able to weather the chillier economic climate in the UAE and wider GCC region, having its best ever year in 2016, with the local conference market continuing to grow ahead of Expo 2020.
The economic climate has impacted a number of its customers however, raising the need for better legal mechanisms to chase down small debts.
"The main thing that would be helpful is a straightforward and cost effective small claims mechanism, as there exists in the UK," says Ms Ludman.
"Right now it can be a very long and expensive process here to chase down someone who chooses not to pay you."
DLC has so far been able to fund its expansion from its own internal cash pile, having shunned taking on external debt.
However Ms Ludman says she’s open to working with a strategic partner to expand the business if and when the opportunity arises.
"We’re open to options, never say no!" she laughs.

Source: The National