Webinar Invite: Entrepreneur Middle East Live's Against All Odds To Host The Entertainer Founder Donna Benton For A Talk About The Art Of Reinvention Donna Benton, founder of The Entertainer and The Benton Group, on life after a successful exit, and why being passionate about your venture is crucial for success in entrepreneurship.
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The next edition of Against All Odds, the Entrepreneur Middle East Live series of conversations with enterprising women, will host Donna Benton, best known as the founder of The Entertainer which she fully exited in September 2020, for an inspirational talk on how entrepreneurs should transition to their next stage in business.
Staged in partnership with du, the webinar will be held at 12:00pm (UAE time) on Wednesday, December 9, 2020. To register and reserve your spot, please click here.
Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Benton was 26 when she launched The Entertainer as a "buy one get one free" voucher books provider in Dubai in 2001. Word of mouth from delighted customers drove strong book sales and Benton grew the business into different countries using the same model, while also expanding her product line to include spas, beauty and hotel accommodation.
In 2012, Benton sold a 50% stake in the company to a Dubai-based investment firm which marked the start of its "going international and going digital" agenda. The award-winning Entertainer App was launched in 2013, and the company transitioned from a print publication to a data-driven technology firm.
Then, in May 2018, she sold a 85% of her stake in the business to GFH Financial Group, a Bahrain-based financial group, but remained one of the key shareholders and executive management members. In September 2020, Benton announced that she was making a full exit from the business, deciding to focus on her new ventures. Under Benton's leadership, The Entertainer contributed US$1.3 billion to the economy and experienced 25% to 30% profit growth each year.
Today, Benton is the founder of Caha Capo, a Dubai-based international swimwear label, and The Benton Group (TBG), a holding company for her different business interests, ranging from hospitality and sports to fitness and fashion.
In an exclusive article for Entrepreneur Middle East, Benton highlighted that she remains "passionate about giving back to those just starting out, so part of The Benton Group's profits will go back into the startup community to give other entrepreneurs much-needed opportunities and a platform to launch themselves."
To learn more about Benton's views on what makes one successful in life and entrepreneurship, register and reserve your spot for the upcoming Entrepreneur Middle East Live's Against All Odds webinar here.
Related: Starting Afresh: Launching A New Enterprise (After Exiting The Business You Led To Success)
