Before the pandemic we were the go-to events agency who delivered breath-taking live conferences, award ceremonies and product launches for brands such as HSBC, Microsoft and Sephora in the UAE, GCC, North Africa and Europe.
In early 2020, as the world imploded, the events industry was decimated. We were deeply saddened to see previously thriving businesses across the region disappear. It was clear that this was a sink or swim moment.
We had to rapidly figure out how to produce stunning events in a locked down world. In true TEC style, we were averse to ‘making do’. We wanted to launch market-leading services and be the very best at the new style of corporate events we were imagining.
With our determination and talented team we have grown and developed the business to become an events agency which now also supports our global clients to connect and converse with their employees and customers via hybrid events, virtual events and engaging online content.
As the pandemic hit, we had already had live events in UAE countries confirmed and were determined to still deliver the exceptional TEC experience that those clients deserved.
Our existing in-house team stepped up in spectacular fashion, we reskilled and retrained to adapt and embrace new technologies and developed creative, engaging events and content.
The worldwide lockdowns hit at a time when we were already readying ourselves for change. The plan had been to move offices, but we decided to re-invent the space and facilities we already enjoyed.
The in-house studio we built was transformational and is the foundation of our success. The ability to fully re-brand the space to suit each client and the skills of our in-house super-talented videographers, photographers and production team are invaluable in delivering engaging virtual events within weeks of the pandemic hitting.
When planning future ways of working, we focused on bringing a live production approach to virtual events. Ours is an agile and bespoke service rather than an unimaginative ‘standard virtual package’.
One great example of this could be seen with Total’s first Virtual Annual Conference which we hosted in 2020. We master-minded a be-spoke, fully branded digital platform, exciting competitions, absorbing entertainment and surprise gifts delivered to every attendee’s home – It was an event to remember and received praise from all attendees across the globe!
Hybrid events will be a permanent fixture in the events industry. A beautifully planned combination of live and virtual is a clever way for brands to reach an entirely new audiences in a cost-effective, sustainable way. Done well, no guest will feel disconnected or left out.
Our first large scale hybrid event was delivered earlier this year with Sephora, of a seamless live event for 150 guests in Dubai with all the government protocols being carefully met, yet still delivering lots of fun virtual content and pop-up networking pods in hotels in Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. We ensured that all guests felt included and enjoyed the same immersive brand experience from branding to delicious food, which were still able to deliver to our guests homes via our partnerships with Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Talabat.
We understand the importance creating great digital content to support all events, be it virtual, hybrid or live, which is why we have our team of digital content creators to connect our clients with the people that matter to them. From the moment the invitations are sent our conversations begin with content that builds excitement, engagement and a post-event buzz.
In the early days of the pandemic we delivered and amazing content project for HSBC to celebrate UN Future Cities Day. ‘Visions of Our City’ empowered influential local artists from Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Riyadh, Dubai and Istanbul to create outdoor art that explored their city’s history, energy and future. HSBC’s commitment to sustainability was honoured with the use of unique air purifying paints. The amplification of the content through social media and media allowed HSBC to reach millions of their target audiences through creative content activation.
Fully live events in middle east countries are now beginning to re-emerge. Clients and attendees retain a thirst for vibrant and entertaining opportunities to share information, celebrate success and make meaningful, face to face connections. It is, after all, what TEC are renowned for.
The rules, regulations and guidelines for a Covid-safe event are different in each of the many countries we operate in, and they are constantly changing. Happily, we can negotiate these challenges by nurturing the strong relationships we have with all local municipalities.
This network of government contacts combined with extensive local knowledge have also been useful in the organic global growth that we are delighted to be rolling out.
The early and continued success of our virtual and live events has meant that the pandemic has been a blessing in disguise for us.
We are no longer an events company who only operate out of Dubai. Our first employees in London, New York and Australia have recently been appointed. These thrilling developments, new offices and expanding regional teams, will allow us to tackle time zone challenges, extend our reach across the globe and bring more cultural and local knowledge into the business.
And we have even more to celebrate! Potential clients seeking inspiration for their own events can now access our dynamic new website for ideas, the latest trends and industry news.
In the next 12 months we will be concentrating on evolving and fine-tuning TEC Hybrid and Digital Content Creation . The flexibility and reach of these events and the amplification and engagement that great content can achieve cannot be underestimated. Our ability to adapt is the key to the continued growth of TEC and we will continue to search for new, innovative ways to plan and deliver faultless and spectacular events across all mediums.
