The first time TPiMEA met Amy Morris, the Pop Up Global Managing Director was fresh off the boat, having taken her successful UK-based company and expanded into the UAE. Back then, Morris talked about the importance of being selective and waiting for the right opportunities, and now two years on, her belief in that ethos is stronger than ever. “Saying ‘no’ to requests has been crucial in our development,” she reflected. “It’s resulted in Pop Up Global now being known for working on only the best projects. We’re now getting RFPs for projects that we would never have been considered for had we just taken everything that was thrown our way when we arrived.”
In the two years that Pop Up has been in the UAE, the company has worked with the likes of Miral, Majid Al Futtaim and Emaar to name just a few on some of the country’s most prestigious projects. “It’s been an incredible start, and we believe that it’s only going to get better, as now more companies and people are understanding exactly what we do and what we can offer,” she stated. “The opportunities that are coming to us now are a result of the hard work we’ve put in so far.”
On the subject of specifying exactly what Pop Up does, Morris is unequivocal. “People once thought that we were an entertainment agency that has a roster of acts to pick from, but now I think it’s being understood that we are not that at all,” she stated. “We are a production house. We create entertainment from scratch, working with clients to plan and produce entertainment that adds a genuine value. There are plenty of entertainment agencies here that do a great job, and we’re happy to work with them when an aspect of the brief falls outside our scope.”
Return on investment (ROI) is always demanded, and Morris explained how Pop Up’s offering can bring a major financial benefit in the long-term. “You’re never going to see a direct ROI immediately because that’s not how investing in anything works,” she outlined. “However, in the long term, the ROI is great, because entertainment creates emotions; emotions create memories; and memories make people return to a destination time and time again.
“If you have a strong entertainment product, inevitably footfall will start to see an uptick, dwell time will increase, the venue will gain more social media traction, and a better reputation,” she added. “The stronger the entertainment product, the more return you’ll see. Our key clients are starting to understand that.”
Of course, it hasn’t all been plane sailing for Pop Up, and the Managing Director wasn’t afraid of admitting the steep learning curve that she encountered when the company entered the Middle East market. “In some ways, it’s gone exactly as I had planned it, but in many others, it’s been completely unexpected,” she shared. “I came into Dubai quite naively thinking that it wouldn’t be very different to the UK, and it would be easy to replicate our successful UK business here, but there are some significant differences that must be considered.”
One major difference Morris encountered was the amount of stock placed in personal relationships within the business setting. “Relationships matter everywhere in the world, but they are even more important here,” she commented. “As a new company in the region, it was hard to earn people’s trust. However, the upside of that is that now we have built some strong relationships, we’re seeing the benefit.”
Pop Up’s progress was recognised recently as the company took home the ‘Best Employer of the Year <100 employees’ at the Middle East Event Awards. “I feel incredibly proud to win that award because Pop Up’s culture is the thing I’m proudest of. So, to be recognised for that within the first 18 months of us being here was massive,” Morris reflected, sharing some of the initiatives that she believes contributed to the win. “All of our staff get unlimited holidays. They all get access to a free anonymous therapist. We have a ‘fun fund’ where our staff get treated to activities and different things throughout the year. It’s not just something we talk about – it’s something that we live by every day.”
Alongside UAE projects, Saudi Arabia is a major focus for Morris and the Pop Up team. “What I love about Saudi Arabia is the country’s strategy for Vision 2030 is focussed heavily on sports and entertainment,” she commented. “The leadership is very knowledgeable, and they really value high-quality entertainment, which aligns perfectly with what we can deliver.”
While Morris remained tight-lipped on future work in the Kingdom – “I’m under three different NDAs, for three different projects,” she shared – it seems more likely than not that Pop Up Global will be playing a major role in Saudi’s entertainment offering. “Again, we’re being selective about who we work with in Saudi Arabia. Saying ‘no’ to so many things has led us on this path, and it has enabled us to come into contention for the really high-quality, large-scale projects that we’re now being considered for.”
Looking ahead, Morris shared international expansion plans for the popular festive activation, The Grotto, which it delivered in both the UK and the UAE as part of the Creative Events Collective alongside Encore Lifestyle. “We want to work with IPs and brands that genuinely care about entertainment,” she added. “That might only be a select number of clients, but the key is to keep quality high and continue to deliver the events that are rewarding, and we enjoy.
“We’re a small team of seven, and I don’t have any plans to grow much bigger,” she concluded. “I don’t have this overarching end goal because the world moves so fast, and everything can change in the space of a year. I have a plan for the journey, which is to remain small and continue working on projects that we love.”
Photos: Pop Up Global
