India’s Event Equipment Services Association (EESA) has always promoted initiatives that empower its members with knowledge and resources to raise the standards of not just individual businesses, but the entire events industry. Recognising the alarming increase in accidents at events due to negligence and a disregard for safety standards and protocols, the organisation decided to take action, planning and commissioning a comprehensive line-up of educational endeavours aiming to raise the safety standards of across the disciplines of rigging and trussing in the country. The starting point was the organisation of India’s first ever internationally recognised rigging certification masterclass, aiming to…
Author: Peter Iantorno
While the summer usually provides some much-needed respite and an opportunity for most people working in the Middle East’s live events industry to take a holiday, for Ginger Owl Productions’ Founders Julie Chennells and Nancy Skipper, that couldn’t be further from the truth. When TPiMEA caught up with the duo in July, the company was coming off the back of one of its busiest ever weekends, supplying its services to some of the UK’s biggest shows and festivals. “It seems like every park in London has had a show this weekend!” Chennells quipped. “Our previous record was seven events in…
Pre-match shows in football are a notoriously difficult nut to crack. With an extremely limited time slot, heavily restricted access to the pitch and an audience both in the stadium and watching the live broadcast that is focused firmly on the football, there’s no doubt that it is one of the more challenging gigs in the world of live events. The UEFA Champions League Final 2023 Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi faced all these challenges, yet through close collaboration and negotiation with multiple stakeholders, a resourceful event team pulled out all the stops to ensure a spectacular production in…
National days are big business in the Middle East, with GCC countries especially pulling out all the stops to celebrate their history and convey their national pride. Of course, with any major celebration, a large-scale production tends to follow – a fact that has seen the likes of the UAE and Saudi Arabia hosting some of the most eye-catching and innovative shows taking place anywhere in the world. Another country that is not afraid to push the envelope when it comes to its National Day celebrations is Kuwait, and with its 2023 event being the first full-scale celebration since the…
Taking place at Abu Dhabi’s Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium on 28 April, the President’s Cup Final saw holders Sharjah retain their title, winning a dramatic penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw with Al Ain. Preceding the match, an innovative opening ceremony set the scene, with projection mapping covering the entire field of play, an eye catching and innovative light show, and an uplifted PA system helping to get the crowd pumped up for the biggest match on the UAE football calendar. Heavily involved from the outset, People was charged with producing the opening ceremony, sports presentation, full stadium branding and…
Kuwait warmed up for its National Day and Liberation Day celebrations with a series of stunning drone shows taking place over eight evenings in the lead up to the big night. Zain Kuwait and the Touristic Enterprises Company invited AO Multimedia & Drones to provide the spectacular shows, which featured a fleet of 2,000 LED drones swarming above Green Island. “We have been a leading partner for innovative event technology all over the Middle East for many years. Our multimedia shows – including the world-famous FALCON searchlights – have made major impacts in illuminating many capitals since 2000,” commented AO…
Eilon Engineering has named Dubai-based iRIG as exclusive Middle East distributor for its Ron StageMaster load monitoring systems. Eilon Engineering, a renowned global manufacturer of advanced load monitoring systems, has been at the forefront of the industry for over 45 years. Their innovative load cell technology and commitment to exceptional quality have earned them a solid reputation among professionals worldwide. By partnering with iRIG, Eilon Engineering aims to leverage their expertise and strong regional presence to better serve customers in the Middle East. As the newly appointed Middle East partner, iRIG brings extensive knowledge and experience in providing comprehensive technical…
If you’re living and working in the Middle East, you might not have heard of Pop Up Global yet. However, according to the company’s Managing Director, Amy Morris, that won’t be the case for much longer. “We want to be the company that creates bespoke entertainment for a variety of sectors throughout the Middle East, from retail to awards, to cruise ships, hotels, and theatres,” she stated confidently. “There’s a huge gap in the market for what we do. We are aiming to develop an incredibly diverse portfolio and judging by what we’ve seen in our short time in Dubai…
Following PRG’s strongest performing year in the region, Peter McCann, CEO for PRG in the Middle East, recently announced a multimillion-dollar investment into people and assets at the company’s Saudi Arabian operation. Although the news will have come as no surprise to those who work in the region and regularly come across the company’s flight cases on some of the Kingdom’s largest and most prestigious projects, according to Managing Director for the KSA branch, Bruce Mac Lean, the timing of the announcement was significant. “Working diligently over the past two years, we felt it important to build the operation that…
The term ‘world tour’ is bandied around liberally nowadays, with the odd date in Asia or a Middle East stopover often considered enough to warrant its use, but in the case of Backstreet Boys’ latest tour, the worldwide credentials are well earned to say the least. Starting way back in May 2019, DNA World Tour saw the legendary boyband perform 218 shows split over 11 legs, taking in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Australasia, and Africa along the way. With the end to an epic journey in sight, TPiMEA caught up with the Backstreet Boys crew at Abu Dhabi’s…
The UAE’s live events calendar can be difficult to predict, with shows often springing up with very little notice. However, some dates are set in stone and always bring with them the kind of large-scale production that the country has become synonymous with. One such occasion is Dubai World Cup, which has been running annually at Meydan Racecourse since 1996 and has played host to some of Dubai’s most spectacular closing ceremonies over the years. With such a prestigious and historic event held at the same venue year after year, the main challenge for those tasked with producing it has…
Known globally for its innovative reinvention of theatrical live entertainment, Dragone’s imaginative creations play to sold-out venues the world over, receiving standing ovations night after night. For its latest ground-breaking project, the international cultural creation and experience design company debuted a world first in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Culture, TERHAL. The first production of its kind in the Kingdom, TERHAL is an original, live theatrical spectacular that celebrates the rich culture of Saudi Arabia, featuring acrobatics, stunts, aerial performance and dazzling special effects, and starring a combined cast of local Saudi artists and international collaborators from over 20…
