The Saudi Light and Sound (SLS) and Saudi Entertainment and Amusement (SEA) Expos have been postponed. Having already been moved to the end of August from their original May date, organisers have now announced that the events will not be taking place this year. The next edition will now take place on 1-3 June 2027, with the shows once again co-located at Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Centre. “This move allows us to strengthen the proposition for you, with a higher-quality audience, a strong international reach, and improved commercial opportunities,” stated Event Director, Mohammad Faisal. “The new dates also create…
Author: Peter Iantorno
Disguise has confirmed its commitment to the Middle East, announcing a range of new developments, including new business entities, strategic partnerships and key regional hires. The company is establishing a new business entity in Saudi Arabia later this year, with plans to open another in the United Arab Emirates in 2027. It is also partnering with advisory firm Tanmiya and production consultancy A Loud Minority, with the aim of better supporting customers and partners across the region. “The Middle East has been an important market for Disguise. For years, we have worked with some of the UAE’s most innovative venues,…
Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) was the sole technical supplier for G42 Supercharged, G42’s flagship event, held in the ADNEC ICC Halls in Abu Dhabi. The event brought together the very latest in technology from across the entire brand and delivered an inspiring a day of debate on an AI enabled future. With such pioneering technology being discussed and displayed, nothing less than DirectOut’s PRODIGY.MP could offer CTME the stability and reliability required to keep the event on track. G42 SuperCharged hosted over 2,400 guests and benefitted from over 150 meters of LED screens, plus the largest d&b Soundscape system…
Amid the catalogue of cancellations due to the regional conflict, the successful running of Dubai World Cup stood as a ray of light and a powerful demonstration of the resilience, teamwork and belief present among the UAE’s live events industry. Given just two weeks to completely overhaul the concept for the Opening Ceremony, the Alsayegh team created, planned and delivered the production in a revised format from the usual drone- and firework-filled celebration, utilising well-known Emirati songs played by the UAE Philharmonic Orchestra and sung by Amanda Maalouf, and including AR drones for broadcast, which was viewed by millions around…
Like many leaders in the live events industry, Al Woods is not someone who grew up with designs on climbing the corporate ladder and conquering the business world. However, through a career built on hard work, loyalty and dedication, this self-confessed failed musician turned audio engineer now finds himself in a position of seniority in a global organisation, leading the UAE location of Clair Global, and working very closely with its KSA team. “Back when I was loading my drum kit into my dad’s car for my first gigs all those years ago, I could never have imagined that I’d…
The live events industry can be volatile at the best of times, with any number of factors – from crew shortages and supply chain issues to geopolitical unrest and extreme weather – all having the potential to throw the sector into disarray at a moment’s notice. This volatility has been put into stark relief for those in the Middle East over the past few months since the onset of the Iran conflict, which has led to the widespread postponement or cancellation of events throughout the region – including our very own TPiMEA Awards, which will now take place on 10…
After nearly a decade away, Mediatech Africa is back and, according to Simon Robinson, it’s not simply a continuation of what came before. Instead, the 2026 edition represents something closer to a reset – a recalibration shaped by years spent working across distribution, production, and the wider technology ecosystem. During the long gap, driven largely by market shifts and the pandemic, fundamental changes have taken place not just at the event but throughout the industry. Where Mediatech once centred heavily on broadcast and film production, today’s show reflects a much broader landscape. Live events and AV integration have surged to…
In the Middle East’s rapidly expanding live events sector, expectations around power infrastructure are changing fast. From international sporting tournaments and music festivals to large-scale cultural celebrations and immersive entertainment experiences, organisers are under increasing pressure to deliver not only flawless production values, but also measurable sustainability outcomes. For Aggreko, that shift has prompted a renewed focus on intelligent event design. The company has recently strengthened its regional Events Design capabilities with the appointment of three highly experienced specialists: JP Botha as Renewable Energy Engineer, Neil Williams as Events Design Lead, Middle East, and Mark Diamond as Events Design Engineer…
Anyone who has spent time backstage in the Middle East knows that the energy can get incredibly chaotic, incredibly fast. For Stefano Milan, Founder of CasaMilan, establishing complete control the moment he steps into a venue starts long before the first cue is even muttered. “My number-one rule is simple: claim your territory,” Milan opened, emphasising the importance of spatial discipline backstage. “You cannot afford to be the person fighting for a corner of a flight case five minutes before doors open. Your workspace is your cockpit – if it’s cramped, your show will feel cramped.” To mitigate this, Milan…
There was a time when scale alone defined success in the events industry. Bigger stages, larger crowds and more elaborate productions were the goal. However, according to LINKVIVA Marketing Director Ayah Alrashdan, audiences have changed. “Audiences today expect events to stand for something beyond entertainment,” she commented. “Spectacle still attracts attention, but purpose is what creates emotional connection and long-term loyalty.” That shift is now influencing event design across the Middle East and globally. Increasingly, organisers are finding that audiences want to leave with more some merch and a few social media photos to remember the event by. They want…
It’s not often that you can live out your dreams in a professional capacity, but for Gareth Hadden, who has long harboured ambitions to hold a light art festival in Cape Town’s historic Company’s Garden, the inaugural LUMENOCITY, which took place over four days in early April, was the realisation of a long-held goal. “This is an idea that I have been holding on to for quite some time,” he commented. “To see it take shape in the way it did really is a dream come true.” For Hadden, whose background lies firmly in technical production and design, having produced…
For large-scale ceremonies, the challenge has long been how to make audiences feel connected to a narrative unfolding hundreds of metres away. At Al Nassr Stadium in Riyadh, creative studio Dreamed by Us attempted to answer that question by transforming the audience itself into part of the scenography. Commissioned by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties and delivered by ADD Enterprise, the graduation ceremony brought together approximately 8,000 graduates in a production that blended live opera, projection, drones, lasers, audience lighting and immersive multimedia storytelling. Rather than treating the crowd as passive spectators, the production team integrated them directly into…
