We recently had the privilege of interviewing Nikos Migdalis, Co-founder and CEO at International Media Ideas (IMI). With specialties including marketing, strategy, general management, business development, etc. Nikos Migdalis, whose areas of expertise include business development, general management, marketing, consumer behavior, and strategy, has been instrumental in elevating the company in the face of today’s competitive landscape.
With IMI, Nikos Migdalis offers a range of extensive marketing solutions in key areas. The firm’s dedication to understanding and meeting clients’ objectives along with offering top-notch projects, reflects the CEO’s customer-centric approach. In this interview, Nikos Migdalis shares his career journey, factors that influenced him to venture into this industry, changing priorities, and challenges, while offering valuable suggestions for beginners.
The Beginning
We started the interview by asking, “Could you start by telling us about your career path?”
He responds, “I started my career back in Greece through work internships and straightaway I got an opportunity to jump into entrepreneurship out of my country and more specifically in Dubai back in 2007. Back at that time, Dubai was in the stage of a developing international business hub which was reflecting the whole dynamic of the region.
I established IMI which is a full-scale exhibition agency offering turnkey solutions to local and International exhibitors participating in various trade fairs. Gradually the company grew and today is a leading recognizable entity within its industry. I am very grateful to the country of the U.A.E which proudly I can call home, for offering such a unique business ecosystem, growth, safety, and sustainability.”
Spark Behind IMI
To find out more about the inspiration behind Nikos Migdalis’s firm launch, we asked, “What inspired you to develop the idea of your company?”
Nikos replied, “The first time I visited an International exhibition back in London where I studied I felt the dynamic of it. Combining the dynamic of this industry along with the global reflection that the U.A.E is offering, it was an inspiration for me to establish IMI, work hard, and continue to evolve it.”
Evolving Priorities
We were intrigued to learn if the priorities of Nikos Migdalis’ business have changed over the years of operating. So, we asked, “How have your priorities in business evolved since you first started?”
He responds, “Being an entrepreneur from a young age evolves your priorities both in business and life. You learn – most of the time – through mistakes and you evolve and grow through experience. Today if someone would ask me if I could change something I would say if there was a magic stick to take me back to Day 1 with the experience and the way of thinking I have as of today.”
Adaptability Amidst Adversities
While challenges are an inevitable part of every business journey, overcoming the same counts the most. We asked, “What are the most challenging situations that your company overcomes?”
“I would highlight the period of Covid when all the in-person events were shut down so the company was facing a dead-end. At that time, especially the time of the lockdowns, there was a very big uncertainty not only if our industry would reopen but how it would be formed. Many people at that time were talking about the digital era of events and that from now on people will be present only through online meetings etc. We didn’t know what to expect back then.” Nikos replied.
To learn more about how Nikos Migdalis and his organization overcame all these hurdles, we asked, “What’s the key strength to overcome it?”
He responds, “The key strength in IMI was (and is) the company culture. One of the things that makes me proud today is the quality of our people and how well we work together and we stand as one team along with our chemistry. What was impressive at that difficult and uncertain time was how close we were to each other no matter what. As you know, good players win the games but good teams win the championships.”
A Unique Approach
We further asked, “What makes your company stand out from other businesses in your industry?”
Nikos continued, “I believe the fact that we are one of the most customer-centric companies in our industry, flexible with a 24/7 approach towards the interest of our clients.”
Current Offerings
To learn more about the services currently offered by Nikos Migdalis and the projects he is working on, we asked, “Tell us something about your services. What are you working on currently?”
“As mentioned before, IMI is offering turnkey 360 solutions for companies within the exhibitions/events industry. Currently, we are working on various events both in the U.A.E and Saudi Arabia such as Arab Health and Gulfood in Dubai along with the World Defence Show outside of Riyadh.” Nikos shared.
Fostering a Healthy Work Environment
For businesses to succeed in the long run, it is paramount to promote a healthy work environment. We inquired, “How do you build trust with your employees and boost productivity without causing burnout?”
Nikos shared, “I believe that trust is being built through time, transparency, and good actions. When you do something good and you show consistency then good results will come and a bond will be created.
About the productivity aspect, I would say that if you lead by example then it’s a natural result of the people to follow that and boost their productivity. When you lead and you put yourself in action you test the limits also and you can avoid any burnout for yourself and your employees.”
Acing The Fresh Trends
As a business amidst today’s fast-paced digital transformation, it is crucial to keep track of all the latest trends and technologies. So, we asked Nikos Migdalis, “How do you stay on top of the latest technologies and trends in your industry?”
He replied, “You always need to study and read the news and try to apply as many new technology aspects as possible. Recently we had an educational session in my company about AI and it is impressive what the near future is bringing for all of us.”
Tips To Beginners, we asked Nikos Migdalis
Aspiring entrepreneurs starting in this similar field will find it inspiring and helpful to hear from an industry leader like Nikos Migdalis. So, we ended the interview by asking, “What advice would you give to starting entrepreneurs?”
“Believe in yourself, Be passionate, and go out to do it – in the end, there is no perfect plan. And most importantly, take action. Action leads to results.” Nikos concluded.
Follow Nikos Migdalis on LinkedIn.
Find International Media Ideas on LinkedIn and their website http://www.groupimi.com/.
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