• How Sri Lanka’s event industry took shape

The Sri Lankan event industry has roots that go back far deeper than most people realise. For veteran event producer, Event Productions Ltd. Founder, and former President of the Event Management Association of Sri Lanka Roshan Wijeyaratne, this history deserves to be remembered. 

With over 40 years in the industry, Roshan has not only built some of its most iconic productions but also witnessed its transformation from the 1940s to today’s high-tech spectacles.

“Lots of people claim that they were the ones who initiated this industry in Sri Lanka, but the truth is that it started in the ’40s,” Roshan said. “Back in the day, Sri Lanka already had international events happening. Many do not know his name, but Donovan Andree was the true pioneer.” 

Andree’s contributions included Miss Ceylon beauty pageants, bringing down magicians and circuses, and staging the famous Holiday on Ice in 1959. “I even went to see one of his shows again in the ’80s at the Viharamahadevi Amphitheatre where they had built a proper ice rink. Imagine the technical elements they had to manage back then,” Roshan said. 

Andree also introduced young local singers and dance bands into Colombo’s clubs, laying the groundwork for generations of performers.

Roshan also noted that credit must be given to those who came after Andre. “It is important to mention that in the late ’70s, Koluu and Ranil de Silva started their company Celebrations. They were responsible for very high-end fashion and hair shows, for example, Ramani Fernando’s shows. It doesn’t get talked about often enough, but they played an incredibly important role in furthering the industry.”

By the 1970s, Colombo’s nightlife blossomed with clubs and discos. “That’s when nightclubs like Cloud 7 and the club at the Oberoi came up,” he recalled. “DJs such as Sunil Situnayake, Raju Chandiram, and Gerry Jayasinghe were the stars. Gerry has always maintained his standard, he was the go-to guy for lights and sound. Back then, the terms ‘event producer’ and ‘event manager’ didn’t exist, but these were the people doing the promoting, managing, and producing.”

A deeply personal journey 

Roshan’s own journey into the industry was deeply personal. “When we joined the industry, it wasn’t for business. We did it because we loved it,” he said. 

His father was a music enthusiast who had built a massive entertainment console at home, complete with turntables, a wire recorder, spool tapes, and voltage control. Surrounded by records of Earth, Wind, & Fire; Pink Floyd; Michael Jackson; George Benson; and Average White Band, Roshan grew up steeped in music and sound. 

Not particularly studious, he failed his O/Level exams and went to hotel school, where he met Harpo Gooneratne. Harpo was DJing with Gabo Pieris of Club 52, who had started the Colombo mobile DJ scene in 1980. “One day they had a double booking and needed to borrow some of my records. That was my start in the part-time entertainment industry in the ’80s.”

He soon joined Gabo’s DJ team alongside Harpo, Tissa Wimalasekara, Toni Wilson, and a few others. “We mostly did house parties, but also big events at the Taprobane Hotel, Women’s International Club, and the Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya. We did all the work ourselves, fixing equipment, setting up sound, and even operating lights with a switchboard to the beat. All of this was technically event management and production, even if we didn’t call it that at the time.”

The 1990s saw Roshan take on international entertainment full-time. “The first events I did were bringing down Richard Clayderman, The Wailers, and theatre groups from India, along with fashion shows like Moods of India with Miss India and India’s regional beauty queens.” 

The challenges were immense. “For the Clayderman concert, we had to bring five tonnes of equipment from India. Some were brought from France by his management. At the time, my office was just me and one assistant. I drove, set up rooms, and handled hospitality, meet-and-greets, autograph sessions, and the entire concert management. 

“Their rider was 30–50 pages long, specifying the brand of water, the food, and security. It was very prim and proper.” The Wailers, however, were the opposite. “They were a wild group, they wanted to party and drink. We took them around the city.”

Although exciting, the international shows were not financially sustainable, prompting Roshan to turn to corporate productions. “My first big break was the Pepsi launch in Sri Lanka, a massive concert at Henry Pedris Grounds and the Intercontinental. That was my entry into large-scale corporate event production.”

A career of passion 

Roshan emphasised that the profession could not be pursued purely for profit. “You cannot do events if you’re in it for the money. Ethics are 100% important. And it doesn’t matter how senior you are; I may have 45 years in the industry, but someone 20 years younger can be more creative than me and produce a better event. It’s not about seniority, it’s about passion.” 

He draws a clear distinction: “The event producer is like a movie director, the ideas guy who conceptualises the event. The event manager is the one who handles the logistics, the sound, lights, staging, and site coordination. In Sri Lanka, because of a lack of knowledge, many who call themselves managers are actually producers.”

Still, challenges persist. “Our industry has been overtaken by salesmen and they have ruined it,” Roshan said bluntly. “We worked tirelessly and earned sufficiently, but then suppliers began to think, ‘Why supply to him when we can do it ourselves?’ That gave way to undercutting. 

“I brought down the first 5-watt laser and charged Rs. 200,000 per show. Soon someone else brought a 2-watt laser, told clients it was 5 watts, and charged Rs. 50,000. Clients couldn’t tell the difference. Standards dropped. I packed mine away. It cheapened the industry.”

Despite this, Roshan is optimistic about the role of the Event Management Association. “Forming the association was the best thing that happened to the industry. We managed to gather competitors and work together for the greater good.” 

He added that technology had propelled the industry forward but with greater risks. “Back in the day, if I did a full-day conference with projectors, I kept two backups. If one failed, we switched cables seamlessly. Now we run 100 ft LED screens, but if the server crashes, everything stops. In events, there are no retakes. I always tell clients: ‘I’m using the best equipment and service, but you must allow room for error.’ That respect is necessary.”

He is also critical of the direction some productions take today. “Most people think event management is just hiring a stage, sound system, and dancers. That’s not it. There’s planning, back-up plans, concepts, and creativity. At product launches today, clients spend millions on entertainment, but the product itself is forgotten. I need people to go home thinking about the product’s features, not just the dance show. Achieving the event objective is most important.”

Roshan has also been a teacher, sharing his hard-earned lessons in diploma courses. “I showed my mistakes, even pictures of when my stages collapsed. Someone asked me, ‘Why give this knowledge away for free? They’ll compete with you.’ But I told him, ‘I won’t take this to the grave.’ 

“If my mistakes can help others, that’s my contribution. Unfortunately, some seniors sabotage young people, blocking artists from working with them. That’s not right. We should support the next generation.”

Facing challenges 

Business-wise, the industry has grown, with corporates outsourcing events and more companies emerging. But Roshan cautioned that not everyone succeeded. “Many DJs think they can run event companies, but only those who approach it professionally, with passion, succeed. Success comes from treating it as a profession, not just a business.”

He also highlighted corruption as a major challenge. “We talk about Government corruption, but private sector corruption is rampant. I’ve lost work because I refused to give commissions to marketing managers or ad agency staff. Those costs are added to the client, making the industry more expensive and unsustainable.”

Roshan believes successive governments have failed to understand the sector. “During the pandemic, the Tourist Board tried to restrict event companies unless they had specific qualifications, offices, and staff. When we objected, they told us we weren’t managers, only suppliers. I believe this is because the board is controlled by big groups that benefit from perks. 

“Look at Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism; contracts go to travel companies and hotels that keep massive commissions. A client may budget a million, but only Rs. 400,000 go to the event. They think Sri Lanka is expensive and go to Thailand instead. We lose out, even though we have the equipment and expertise to deliver world-class events.”

Infrastructure also falls short. “Look at Nelum Pokuna. A massive shell, but with only 1,200 seats inside. The BMICH has 1,600. We needed bigger venues, but they have gotten smaller. Outdoor events still lack toilet facilities. Politicians want their names on buildings but don’t address real gaps,” Roshan said.  

He noted that restrictive laws, like banning liquor sales on Poya days, also hurt international events. “If I’m spending money, I want a glass of wine with my meal. Here, getting a liquor licence requires a bribe. How can we attract events this way?”

The path ahead 

For newcomers, his advice is simple but firm. “Come into this industry only if you love it, and if you can stand for 10–15 hours straight, work for 24 hours, and your focus is not money. Start from the bottom, work with sound and light guys, learn the technical base. I told my son the same: ‘Only do it if you can do it better than me.’” 

Now, his son Rayush leads Event Productions with a fresh perspective. “They’re more tech-savvy, more energetic. I take a back seat, guiding with my experience. They have brilliant ideas and I support them.”

Looking back, Roshan said it’s important to remember the pioneers. “We have to give flowers to those who came before us. The current lot may believe they were the first, but we saw the true pioneers, they must be recognised.” 

After four decades, Roshan remains passionate about the craft. “This is not a 9-to-5 job. It’s exhausting but fantastic. I’ve had clients thank me with tears in their eyes, and I’ve cried too from that joy. The satisfaction of a job well done is why we do it. Ethics, respect, and quality – if you deliver those, you will always have a future.”