With 500 attendees and 26 awards up for grabs, the TPiMEA Awards returned for its seventh edition, once again celebrating excellence in the Middle East events industry. The preparation for the Awards often begins long before we are able to celebrate the esteemed winners, with arrangements for this year starting with the selection of a new venue for this edition – Soho Garden, Palm Jumeirah.
Winners on the night included Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour – the mammoth stadium run that has been touring worldwide for three years – for achieving the feat of being Abu Dhabi’s largest concert series ever. Aggreko and Ethara were jointly awarded the Green Award, following Aggreko’s work as Ethara’s Sustainability Partner for several events including the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024. And industry veteran, Michael ‘Curly’ Jobson took home the coveted TPiMEA Industry Recognition Award for his work in the industry that spans over four decades, including his outstanding contribution to the region in his current role at MDLBEAST.
“This year marked a big year for the awards,” stated TPiMEA Commercial Director, Fran Begaj. “With a new venue, there is always a worry that the attendance may drop or that things may not run smoothly, and while this year didn’t come without its challenges, I think we can look at the TPiMEA Awards 2025 as a huge success, with everyone having a great time.”
Taking place on Thursday 24 April 2025, the event featured SLS Production as headline sponsor, with the SLS team also providing the majority of technical supply, including an installation of screens for the awards, and a Robe lighting floor package.
Aiding the event’s visuals was 3 Monkeys, which returned for a second year to curate the content. “The 3 Monkeys team are a dream to work with; they are so welcoming, open to ideas and have such incredible, creative minds,” the Commercial Director added.
Also onboard was GES, which ensured that the new venue was decked out with everything TPiMEA; as well as CasaMilan, which supported the event with an array of show callers, stage managers and a compact camera package to bring attendees closer to the action.
“Every year, we work with an amazing team, and 2025 was no exception. I can honestly say we work in the best industry with some of the greatest people in the world,” she continued. “Our suppliers are often our clients, and yet on that night, we are their clients, which is an interesting dynamic, but one that wouldn’t work without mutual respect and communication.”
A plethora of sponsors and supporters backed the event including: Headline Sponsor, SLS Production; Bar Sponsor, Unusual Rigging; Category Sponsors, 10K Used Gear, Adamson Systems Engineering, Al Laith, Barco, BeWunder, Coca-Cola Arena, d&b audiotechnik, GCC Events, Live Nation, MA Lighting, Martin Professional Middle East, Oasis Enterprises, Robe, Rock-it Cargo, SLS Expo, Sennhesier, SES, Solas, TAG, and THE Production TEAM; as well as supporters, NMK Electronics, Shure and EINO.
“This wouldn’t be possible without our incredible sponsors, who we are extremely grateful to. When we look at how we want to improve the awards year on year, a lot of that is led by wanting to make an event that people are proud to sponsor and support,” she stated.
“My personal highlight is seeing everyone get together and celebrate themselves, and their peers,” she concluded, reflecting on the event and looking ahead to next year. “We love being the event that people bookmark in their diaries as a ‘must-attend’, and it shows on the night with how happy everyone is. As for the TPiMEA Awards 2026, you’ll have to wait and see…”
Photos: Raymond Ramos
