Event management + brand activation
Event management in Dubai for brand launches, activations and major events
I manage events from the first concept to the night itself, including the budget, the timeline, the venue, sponsors and the agencies producing it. I led three Downtown Dubai New Year's Eve celebrations for Emaar and was Director of Events and Entertainment at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The role I take
Who manages the event above the production agency
A production agency builds the stage, the set, the lighting and the sound. Someone else has to own everything around it: the concept, the budget and profit and loss, the timeline and deliverables, the client relationship, the venue, the sponsors and every other party involved. On many events in Dubai that work is split between several people who each own part of it, and the gaps appear in the final weeks, when they are most expensive to fix.
More agencies in Dubai now take on events outside their usual work, and bring in an event director for a single project. Brands launching here often have an internal team that can handle operations on the day, but nobody who has managed an event of that size in this market. In both cases I lead the project from start to finish and work with the team already in place.
My experience runs from a single in-store activation to New Year's Eve in Downtown Dubai, with car launches, mall campaigns and fashion shows in between. Each one needs an agreed objective, a budget that one person owns, a timeline planned back from the date, and one person accountable for the result.
What I manage on an event
Concept development, from the first idea to the creative brief.
The budget and profit and loss, with every cost line owned and tracked.
The timeline and deliverables for every agency, supplier and internal team.
Venue selection, negotiation and site planning.
Sponsors, from building the packages to delivering what each one was promised.
Client approvals and reporting to senior management.
Government, venue and partner stakeholders.
Measurement, agreed before the event and reported afterwards.
When clients bring me in
A brand launching in Dubai needs its launch event managed from start to finish.
A new event is being established in Dubai, and the organiser wants an experienced view of the concept and budget before committing.
An agency has won an event and needs an event director for that project.
An internal team handles operational delivery and needs someone to lead the whole project.
A sponsorship programme needs selling, contracting and managing.
Track record
Events I have led in Dubai
For each New Year's Eve in Downtown Dubai, I was the accountable lead across a delivery organisation of more than 2,500 people. It covered production, pyrotechnics, broadcast, hospitality, crowd management, transport and government stakeholders.
New Year's Eve figures as published by Emaar Properties.
Selected work
Five events, from a fashion show to New Year's Eve
Each of these had a different owner, budget and audience. In every case I was responsible for the result as well as the delivery.
Emaar · Downtown Dubai
New Year's Eve, 2019 to 2021
Three editions led end to end, with more than a million people on the ground each year and two Guinness World Records in 2019. The celebration had no sponsorship income, so its value came from attendance, hospitality revenue across Downtown Dubai and broadcast reach.
Read the case studyThe Dubai Mall
10th anniversary, November 2018
A 25-day campaign I conceptualised and led, built around entertainment, fashion, shopping and giving. More than 100 brands and partners took part, which shared the marketing cost across the property.
Read the case studyDolce & Gabbana
First Middle East runway show
I led the destination side of the show on Fashion Avenue in The Dubai Mall, with more than 120 international models on an 80-metre runway that mall visitors could watch.
Read the case studyAl Tayer Motors · Ferrari
Dubai racing season activation
An activation timed to Dubai's racing season, putting Ferrari in front of the UAE's luxury car buyers while they were already following motorsport.
Read the case studyExpo 2020 Dubai
Programme for People and Planet
As Director of Events and Entertainment, I was part of the team behind Expo's premier events portfolio.
Read the case studyYour event
Launching in Dubai?
Tell me the date, the audience and the budget you have in mind, and I will tell you how I would approach it.
Tell me about your eventBudget + sponsorship
Event budgets, return on investment and sponsorship
Most event budgets I am asked to review list the costs and leave out the return. I agree what the event has to achieve before the budget is signed off, whether that is sales, qualified leads, footfall or media value, and work out what it needs to return to break even. Staff time is the cost most often left out.
A conference, a pop-up and a sponsorship each make money in a different way, so each needs its own measure. My free event ROI calculator sets out the formula for each type and shows what an event needed to break even.
Sponsorship can cover part of the cost and widen the audience when the packages are built around what sponsors want to reach. I manage the process from start to finish: defining the packages, approaching and negotiating with partners, the contracts, and making sure each sponsor receives what was promised. For The Dubai Mall's 10th anniversary, more than 100 brands and partners took part, so the cost was shared across the property. New Year's Eve had no sponsorship income, so every element was planned against attendance, hospitality revenue and broadcast reach.
How I work
Ways to work with me on an event
Every event differs in size and scope, so I agree the fee for each project once I have seen the brief.
Event director
From concept to delivery
I manage the whole event, from the concept and budget to the night itself and the report afterwards.
Discuss an eventConcept + budget review
An experienced view before you commit
For a new event planned for Dubai, I review the concept, the audience, the budget and the sponsorship plan, and tell you what I would change.
Ask for a reviewSponsorship
Selling and managing sponsors
Packages, partner approaches, contracts and delivery, run as a project or alongside your team.
Discuss sponsorshipFractional CMO
Events within a wider role
Events planned and measured as part of the marketing plan, within an ongoing fractional CMO engagement.
Fractional CMORelated thinking
Planning and measuring events
Common questions
Questions about event management in Dubai
- What does an event management consultant do?
- An event management consultant leads an event on the client's side. I set the objective and the concept, own the budget and profit and loss, plan the timeline, manage the venue, agencies and suppliers, look after sponsors, and report the results. The production agency builds and runs the technical production under that direction.
- Do you produce the event yourself?
- No. I own the concept, the budget, the timeline and the commercial result, and I lead the production agencies and suppliers who build it. Where you already have an agency, I work with it.
- What types of event do you manage?
- Brand and product launches, car launches, mall activations, fashion shows, corporate events, anniversaries and large public events. My experience runs from a single in-store activation to New Year's Eve in Downtown Dubai, across more than 5,000 events and activations.
- How much does event management cost in Dubai?
- It depends on the size and scope of the event, so I agree a fee for each project once I have seen the brief. A concept and budget review for a new event is a short project. Managing an event from concept to delivery is priced on the time it needs.
- How do you measure the return on an event?
- The measure is agreed before the budget is set: sales, qualified leads, footfall, media value or a named brand measure. Each type of event needs its own formula. My event ROI calculator sets out the formulas, and my article on event ROI explains why one formula cannot cover four types of event.
- Do you work with agencies?
- Yes. Agencies that have won an event outside their usual work often need an event director for that project. I lead the project, work with the agency's team and report to the agency and its client.
- Do you manage sponsorship?
- Yes. I build the sponsorship packages, approach and negotiate with partners, manage the contracts and make sure each sponsor receives what was agreed.
Adam was instrumental to the success of Expo 2020’s premier events portfolio, the Programme for People and Planet.
Kevin Brown
Vice President, Master Calendar, Expo 2020 Dubai
Next step
Planning an event in Dubai?
Send a short note about the event, the date, the audience and the budget you have in mind. I will reply personally and tell you whether I can help.
Tell me about your event