Inas Al-Amin, a talented 26-year-old Libyan engineer, endured many difficulties and challenges in her career to reach her dream. “I aim to transform traditional wedding décor into creative works of art,” this is how Inas Al-Amin expresses the secret of her excellence in this field. Her passion for art and innovation has made her a prominent figure in the world of event organising, as her designs and décor have become a role model for many women in her country. In recent years, the profession of preparing and organising events has emerged as one of the fields that Libyan women have boldly entered into, keeping pace with the social and economic changes that have taken place in Libyan society. The “party planner” has become an integral part of any event, mainly in weddings.

The beginning of the journey

Inas started her career seven years ago, driven by her desire to add an aesthetic and attractive touch to events. This passion was the main motivation that led her to enter the world of organisation and décor design.

“I really wanted to start my own project, so I thought about a field that is close to me, how I can serve it and create a business through it. I launched my first project when I was 17 years old, specialising in printing event material. In 2020, my project developed and officially became the Yaqoot company, a merger between my project and that of my partner Ilham Ben Taher through our participation in the EU-funded Expertise France Business Incubator.” Said Inas. 

She explains “The training we received from the EU contributed to our skills and knowledge development significantly as we received intensive training in project management, marketing and financial resource management, which was necessary to enhance our practical capabilities. After winning the grant, we invested money in purchasing the necessary assets, which led to the expansion of our scope of work and the improvement of the quality of our services.”

Beaming with pride, Inas states “This training and financial support were critical to the success of our project.” highlighting how the blend of hands-on training and financial backing provided by the EU played a crucial role. It wasn’t just about the money; it was about the invaluable skills and insights gained.

Yaqout was established in the city of Misurata with the aim of providing event preparation services, organising exhibitions and conferences, and design decors; it has succeeded in achieving a prominent position within this sector in Libya.

Yaqoot organises and equips various types of events, including private parties, large conferences, and trade shows, and ensures that every detail of the event is consistent and proportionate to the wishes of the customers. 

With the help of her team of seven, Inas seeks to provide the highest standards of quality and achieve customer satisfaction. The young woman in her twenties is inspired by a lot of her personal experience and other success stories in the same field, benefiting from field experiences and knowledge to achieve success. Inas has a renewed artistic sense and innovation, and follows everything new in this field.

What distinguishes Inas’ work is her outstanding artistic vision and continuous innovation, as she focuses on transforming every occasion into a unique event, starting from selecting the idea of the ceremony, to arranging accessories, and linking all these details to the invitation card and souvenirs for attendees.

Inas expanded her professional horizons and seriously engaged in the field of interior design. She did not give up her first love despite studying finance and investment, considered to be completely far from design and decoration. She developed her knowledge and experiences and worked to hone her talent to achieve success and engage in this field, where she has become one of the most prominent names on the local scene.

Inas added that she still needs training on management and marketing to improve the quality of her project. She also pointed to the increasing need to use modern technology and exploit it in an effective manner to develop the work and raise it to the highest levels.

Keys to success

Despite all the challenges she faced, Inas remains committed to her ambition and determination to progress and to apply her outstanding experiences in the field: “After all the arduous work, which requires me to think, search for the best, create and innovate, as well as master the work to achieve customer satisfaction, today I feel proud of what I have achieved.” 

“I am happy with what I have accomplished for myself and my family. But what makes me happiest is my great ability to withstand the difficulties I faced throughout my career, and my patience that helped me manage myself and withstand the pressure of work and some difficult moods of customers.” Inas adds. 

The Libyan engineer stresses that the profession of décor design and event planning and organising needs extreme accuracy in work. She likes to open the way first for customers to talk and express what they want in their events, and from there she starts the design process, where she reworks what customers choose in a distinctive way that would impress them.

Inas believes that Libyan women are able to excel in the field of decor design and event organisation, as they can present their designs and innovations in their society. Inas believes that success and creativity in this field require a full connection to work and a balance between innovation and creativity; this balance is what enables her to succeed. 

Huge challenges

Inas and her team face many difficulties related to the financial aspect, as the field of event preparation and the decoration industry requires continuous funding for development and innovation. These challenges directly affect the company’s ability to develop and deliver quality products, making it difficult to maintain the level of quality and continuous development to which the company is committed.

Today, the event planning market is very competitive, and competition has increased in recent years, as Inas continues to innovate and develop her company to maintain its position in the market, attract new customers and provide unique offers that distinguish the company from its competitors.

Yaqout aspires to expand its business in the near term, as it plans to expand its activity to more Libyan cities, with the aim of providing its distinguished services to more customers. The company is also exploring opportunities to expand to new markets in the Middle East and North Africa, with the aim of having a global presence and strengthening its position as a leader in the event and decoration sector.

On the other hand, the EU contributes significantly to helping Libyan women experience the labour market through funding, training, and counselling. These initiatives not only support women to start their own professional projects, as is the case with Inas project but also contribute to creating job opportunities for other women, thus enhancing the role of women in the economic and social development of the country.