This past Monday, I had the chance to interview Arslan Khan, one of five panelists from South Asia who works as the CEO of an event planning organization called JJ Decorators and Event Managers in Pakistan. We discussed everything from what a typical day looks like for him, his favorite events that he had a hand in creating, and his innovative approach to this business. We even shared a laugh while briefly touching on the viral American woman who claims she will reconstruct the entire country of Pakistan.

To kick things off, Dr. Elanie Steyn asked all the panelists to describe innovation in one word. Khan was quick to answer: “Opportunity.” Intrigued, I pressed him for more information on his chosen word, asking “what made you say opportunity?”

Khan: “This event management industry is one of the industries in this country that is actually booming in terms of business. So this is an opportunity because people spend a lot of money on weddings, on events you have no idea about. People spend a lot of money here, so you just have to look and find that opportunity.”

Khan then shared details with me about a recent wedding organized in Pakistan with an eye-catching $25 million budget over three days. This example highlighted just how much potential there is within Pakistan’s event planning industry and how recognizing and seizing opportunities like these has been key to his success.

I think his perspective highlights an essential part of innovation: it often stems from identifying and capitalizing on emerging trends. Sometimes innovation isn’t just about who can be the most creative, it’s about recognizing the business potential in cultural traditions and consumer behavior. “We have two girls in our company whose job is to identify changing trends,” he told me. Whether it’s designing extravagant wedding experiences or adapting to new demands in the industry, he continuously looks for ways to push boundaries and elevate his business.

One of those ways, he explained, is in the specific type of chairs used in events.

Khan: “When I went to the United States, I worked with an event management company there. The chairs they were using were made of cedar wood, and people don’t do that here [in Pakistan] because they don’t know what that looks like. So what I did was I took a picture, took the dimensions, and came back. Then, we made 100 of those chairs to start with, and said ‘let’s just see how this one pans out.’ And that worked out really well.”

His approach shows how innovation can be as simple as introducing something interesting and new from another market. By observing and implementing successful ideas from the United States, Khan found a way to set his company apart. This willingness to experiment and take risks is what keeps his business ahead in a competitive industry.

Khan: “I looked at it and I was like, ‘wow, this is something different. I should do that.'”

But beyond physical changes, Khan made sure to point out that technology has become one of the most important drivers of innovation in his industry. Social media has transformed the event planning industry, and since people want what’s trending at the time, social media is making inspiration and trends more accessible than ever.

Khan: “I think if social media was not here in this era, my business or this industry would not have been as big as it is now. Because like I said, people are just looking at it everywhere [on social media]. There are companies who are actually making websites. Like if you go to a website, you can book everything on that website. You can choose a caterer, you can choose a florist, you can choose a venue. You can even set the themes for the type of drapes that are being used in the wedding center or even the cloth that we put on the chair to give it a proper theme.”

He explained that customers now expect seamless digital experiences. Instead of visiting these event planners in person, his clients want to plan their entire event from their phones.

Khan: “People don’t want to come to the office now. People just want to sit in their homes. They want to do everything from their phones because they want luxury rather than something that will make them go here and there.”

This has sort of reshaped how event planners operate, making digital presence and online convenience just as important (or more) as creativity and design. Khan recognizes that to stay competitive, businesses must adapt or innovate to these changing consumers, using technology to meet client expectations for ease of use.

Through both small details like chairs and larger scale technological behind-the-scenes work, Khan has built a company that embraces innovation in every part of itself. His story proves that innovation isn’t just about inventing something new, but it can also be about recognizing and seizing opportunities. That’s how he stays ahead.