We are the new era of live events

The brief

• In 2023, Dubai Chambers, the engine of Dubai’s economic development and business growth, sought to further elevate their status by hosting a world-leading, must-attend Dubai Business Forum that would attract international audiences, secure new investment and place Dubai at the epicentre of global business.​
• Identity was asked to create this flagship business networking summit as part of our wider partnership with the membership organisation to reimagine their business vision and brand. ​
• The event needed to be an immersive experience that would create ‘wow’ moments, brand recognition and lasting memories for both new and existing audiences, cementing Dubai’s position as a leading global hub for business, trade and investment.

Identity partnered with Mubadala one of the highest profile and respected sovereign wealth funds of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to deliver their pavilion located in the Decarbonisation area of the Green Zone at COP28.  Mubadala’s significant presence at COP28 was pivotal to their continued support of a sustainable future. With the opportunity to showcase their successes across multiple platforms, they requested a highly creative solution to their COP28 offering – memorable, meaningful, impactful & sustainable. 

The challenge  

The client brief outline the requirement to deliver a sustainable event Pavilion design & Activations complimented by immersive interactive showcases using natural materials, ensuring the showcase venues are sustainable with reusable assets post event. All installations and furniture must be repurposed and re-used after the event – either through installation in Mubadala offices or donation to charity, schools, universities, or repurposed for other events – rental of existing structures was considered key for sustainability purposes 

The sustainability footprint extended to the all-digital creations which were required to be re-usable at Mubadala offices and future events. Our brief was to ensure all interior design, art and technology elements within the Mubadala showcase spaces were re-usable and repurposed either for donation or for permanent installation in Mubadala offices. Also included as part of our response were details of the sustainable materials proposed, sustainable best practices Identity follow, sustainable supply and value chain, and the Identity methodology for creating a net zero experiential showcase space.  

A key element of the pavilion design was the requirement to showcase Mubadala portfolio company brands CEPSA, Yahsat, Strata, Tabreed, Tata renewables, Masdar City to showcase the decarbonisation, energy transition, and innovative climate solutions themes 

The solution 

Identity’s Future Forest response ensured we oversaw all operational aspects of the Mubadala sectors in both the green (and blue) zone for the duration of COP28. The 450sqm pavilion showcase spaces featured interactive and engaging display for Mubadala Foundation partners (Emirates Nature WWF, MBZ Nature Fund & Khalifa University climate research) alongside shared meeting rooms and cross functional areas for shared activations.  

Identity conceived and designed an immersive, engaging journey through a stunning physical environment, a real living rainforest, rich with growth which then evolves into a breath-taking digital forest containing twelve zones full of content and surprising experiential moments. Attendees and delegates could select a journey to navigate, whilst using the dwell spaces to pause, listen and make connections. Our creative and environmental designs highlighted socio-economic growth and Mubadala’s focus on fostering and contributing to Abu Dhabi’s transformation into a globally recognised and diversified economy. 

The shared common / reception space catered for open events/ and gatherings and welcomed schools and university competitions, Mubadala Youth activations in the middle of all the portfolio company showcase spaces and adjacent to the Mubadala Foundation showcase space to educate the generation in the importance of pledging a commitment to climate change and the initiatives that support them.  

Facts 

• 967 Plants used for the stand 100% re-housed 
• 450sqm Sustainable pavilion build in the Green Zone of COP28 
• 3 LED Screens 
• 4 Interactive tables 
• 3 LED Screens 
• 1 Meeting room  
• 1 Majlis 
• 7 Portfolio Company Pods (with screen and content) 
• 4 Digital experiences (cultural hub, forest of dreams, area c, interactive tables) 

Established by the president of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed, Reaching the Last Mile (RLM) is a philanthropic initiative, pioneering the fight against infectious diseases that threaten the world’s most vulnerable.  

In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, RLM worked with Identity to deliver the RLM forum during COP28’s ‘Health Day’, at Expo City. 

The forum sought to raise support for the initiative while simultaneously drawing attention to the ‘final push’ required to end the spread of infectious diseases in developing countries.

The challenge  

The RLM forum saw attendance from high-profile guests and representatives, at Expo City which was divided into two distinct zones, the highly secure and restricted Blue zone (BZ), and the regulated Green zone (GZ) that was open to the public. The RLM forum spanned both zones, which presented challenge when balancing security measures with the seamless flow of the event for the 400-500 people attending throughout the day so focus on accreditation/passes/people movement was a factor that had to be planned and flawlessly executed on the day.  

Creating content for the different spaces used during the event required us to create different styles of narrative to nurture a focus on high impact moments for the afternoon, using large scale 180-degree projection and performances, whilst the mornings sessions were presented using more traditional conference content and panel discussions.  

The solution

Our background in delivering events for heads of state, influential representatives, and a-list celebrities, informed our approach to managing this logistically complex forum. Navigating a tight six-week deadline, multiple stakeholders, and rigorous security measures, Identity ensured the success of the event through our tried and tested processes.

The forum comprised four stages:

Plenary Session: Held in the C3 conference centre in the Green zone, 400 people were invited to hear from various thought leaders and industry experts on the subject of climate change and human health.

VIP Lunch: Held in the Blue zone, this networking opportunity saw likeminded individuals and industry luminaries connect over the shared interest of preventing the spread of infectious diseases in developing countries.
High-level Moment & Awards: 900 VVIP gathered in the Al Waha Theatre, situated in the Blue Zone, to reflect on the successful delivery of the event and honour those central to the initiative.

Evening Reception (VVIP): RLM, UN, and WHO convened at the Surreal Water Feature in the Green zone to discuss their common cause and outline their initiatives. The reception heard from speakers including Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus Dir. General of the WHO and Jason Carter, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Carter Centre, and grandson of the 39th US president, Jimmy Carter.

The human experience was paramount to the successful delivery of the RLM forum. Without centralising the very human element of the initiative, the significance of the event would be lost, along with audience engagement.

Audience engagement is crucial to any experience, but it is particularly important for fundraising. We conceptualised and created a full set of content for the event to bring the messaging to life and seamlessly sync with the different stages of the programme. This included poetry readings, an entirely unique music score, and several animations, to offer attendees a much-needed pause for thought.  These moments of reflection provided space for the information to resonate with the audience, amplifying the overall impact of the event.

The Results

We were humbled by the RLM’s decision to partner with us to support the successful delivery of their forum, which saw $777 million raised for the initiative.

It was incredible to be part of the journey for such a vital initiative and we were pleased to receive positive feedback regarding our role in the event. We believe the below testimony from Holly Wheeler, Principal at the Office of Developmental Affairs, summarises our experience in delivering this exceptional human experience, for an exceptional client:

“On behalf of the RLM team, please accept our sincere gratitude and congratulations for pulling off such an incredible event this past weekend. We have heard nothing but glowing feedback from our partners and leadership. Throughout this engagement, time and logistics have not always been on our side, but your team made it work beautifully. We are so appreciative of the team’s willingness to create with us, iterate (and iterate again…) and come up with creative solutions in a pinch to ensure that everything ran smoothly throughout the event.”

On behalf of Innovation Norway, the Norway Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, showcased how technology can address marine environmental challenges. We worked in close collaboration with brand accelerator, Gyro, as creative production partners for the pavilion. We were responsible for creating a seamless user journey, which we achieved through the application of branding across different mediums.

31^st October – 13^th November (plus Pre-Sessionals, 25^th – 30^th October) 

Engaging with the world whilst showcasing Glasgow on the global stage, COP26 brought together delegates for one shared goal, to tackle climate change, in the most well-attended COP in history, and the largest international summit to ever take place in the UK, broadcast on the world stage, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After 13 days of intense negotiations, COP26 concluded with every Party at COP26 – representing almost 200 countries – agreeing the Glasgow Climate Pact.

To ensure success, COP26 would need to engage with audiences in person and with participants across the world and across time zones, to build a sense of unity and amplify key themes; and every element of event design and delivery would need to support the coming together of this disparate audience of in-person attendees, virtual attendees, and people watching at home.

Identity’s role as sole production partner was to underpin the event with responsibility for creating a unified, inclusive and sustainable design and for flawless delivery on an unprecedented scale.

Deliverables

Identity took ownership of all infrastructure, facilities, overlay, production services and host broadcast/media services and virtual conference offering, working closely with FCDO, Cabinet Office and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to ensure the smooth delivery of this extremely important event.

With just under eight months to deliver, Identity convened a hand-picked and highly skilled team of event experts to plan and produce this event; our team comprising over 4000 event experts and experienced event delivery crew, plus 1000 volunteers.

The scope of our brief encompassed the design of every space at COP, and a key consideration was putting Glasgow on the map, for which we developed a treatment that would work expansively and tie COP26 into the city with a tonal range of events, vibrant and engaging where they needed to be, others calm and reflective, all cohesive and inclusive.

COP26 was vast, taking place across two separate zones, one for delegations, and one for public attendees, comprising the entire SEC campus in Glasgow and a public ticketed zone across the river Clyde at the Glasgow Science Centre. The footprint covered more than two square kilometres and saw the installation of 78,000 square metres of temporary structures – in effect designing and building a town within a town – to support over 30 meeting rooms, lounges, bilateral rooms, secure delegation offices, pavilions, a media centre and press conference rooms, stand uppers and broadcast platforms. All underpinned by exemplary project management, stakeholder engagement, supply chain resilience, and sound budget management for the public purse.