Agenda - Middle East Event Show - Seminar Agenda - Day One

Showing 2 of 2 Streams

Industry Horizons Stage

Events Excellence Stage

11:30 - 12:15Panel Discussion

Catalysts of Change: Transforming the Middle East’s Live Events Industry

Dan Harris - Associate Director, Venue Services, DXB Live
Gokul Bajaj - Country Head & AVP of Sales, Cvent
Jon Noonan - Managing Director, -45dB
Annabel Mathew - Strategic Creative Lead, xNDigitize
Kashif Din - CEO & Founder, One World Rental

12:45 - 13:30Panel Discussion

The Legacy Blueprint – How Mega Events Shape the Future of Cities and Regions

Lili Khanbashi - Founder & CEO, Unicorn Jack
Anil Kumar - Event Manager, WPP Media
Mark Jan Kar - General Manager, Coca-Cola Arena
David Powell - Chief Strategy & Business Development Officer, Ethara

13:40 - 14:10Keynote

Experience as the New Currency – Unlocking Event Success Through Experiential Marketing

Antony Parham - Executive Creative Director, LINKVIVA

14:25 - 15:10Panel Discussion

Innovative Spaces – How New Trends in Venue Design are Shaping Event Delivery in the Middle East

Catherine Broad - Director, Venue Matchmaker
Dan Harris - Associate Director, Venue Services, DXB Live
Harsha Khubchandani - Co-Founder & CEO, Find My Venue
Iain Campbell - President, OVG MENA & Asia
Paul Finch - Director of Strategic Partnerships, VenueWise

15:15 - 16:00Panel Discussion

Unified Vision: Collaborating for the Growth of the UAE's Events Sector

Nadim Jamal - Managing Director & Co-Founder, Eventlab
Karina Lance - Associate Vice President - Dubai Business Events, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism
Ajay Bhojwani - Regional Managing Director, MCI Middle East
Iyad Rasbey - Vice President, Destination Tourism Development, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority

16:15 - 17:00Panel Discussion

From Within – How UAE’s Local Talent is Fueling the Future of Events

Lili Khanbashi - Founder & CEO, Unicorn Jack
Mike Smith - Director of Business Operations, LINKVIVA
Shoba Hari - CEO, Eventlab
Shams Moloo - Director of Strategy and Business Development, THA

17:05 - 17:35Panel Discussion

Local, Loud & Unfiltered

Jimi Elgohary - Executive Producer & Co-Founder, Mistika
Reem Kassem - Head of Performing Arts & Co-Founder, Department of Culture & Tourism and Basita.live
Ratish Chadha - Touring Musician/Event Curator, The Temple
Assaadd Lakkis - Record Producer, Bull Funk Studio / Bull Funk Jams
Jayesh Veralkar - Co-Founder, Vinyl Souk

17:40 - 18:25Panel Discussion

Smart Cities & Event Tech: Leveraging Innovation to Redefine the Events Landscape

Dawn Dennis - Executive Director, Pico International
Ben McDonald - Managing Director, PurpleGlo
Sujoy Cherian - Founder & CEO Option 1 Events • Creative Technologist • Serial Entrepreneur • Technology • Content, Option 1 Events
Hassan Abdulhamid - Founder & CEO, No1Events
Abdul Aleem Thahir Ali - Chief Engineer, The Hanging House

18:40 - 19:40Panel Discussion

Middle East & Europe: Festival Market Exchange – Presented by Future of Festivals

Roman Heinrichs - Manager Growth – Group Businesses, IFZA
Tudor Dragonici - Head of Partnerships, Untold Festival
Sven Schuster - Head of Client Success, BeWunder
Amitabh Shahani - Founder, RISE Wellness Festival

11:30 - 12:15Keynote

Mastering Event Timelines –Tools and Techniques for Seamless Planning and Execution

Mukhles Odeh - CEO, Pyxis

12:45 - 13:30Keynote

Next-Level Engagement: Leveraging Interactive Technologies to Captivate Event Audiences

Sujoy Cherian - Founder & CEO Option 1 Events • Creative Technologist • Serial Entrepreneur • Technology • Content, Option 1 Events

13:40 - 14:10Panel Discussion

Empowering Event Professionals – Navigating the Future through Training and Upskilling

Tricia Jimenea - Managing Director & Co-Founder, Comco Middle East & Africa
Ajay Bhojwani - Regional Managing Director, MCI Middle East
Luca Baracchi - Founder & CEO, LBSE Consulting
Claire Derrick - Founding Director & Principal, The Event Academy
Julien Saade - Training Manager, JAM Event Services – JAM Training
Lili Khanbashi - Founder & CEO, Unicorn Jack

14:25 - 15:10Keynote

Data-Driven Personalization: Enhancing Attendee Engagement at Events

Hans Ibrahim - Executive Creative Director, Pico Group

15:15 - 16:00Keynote

Staying Ahead of the Curve –Mastering Risk Management and Contingency Planning for Events

Bruno Marx - CEO, EventKnowHow

16:15 - 17:00Panel Discussion

Scaling Success – Managing Large-Scale Events with Efficiency and Impact

Sara Essa - Presenter, Commentator * Voice Over, Sara Essa
Lawrence Harradine - Head of Content - Projects, Coca-Cola Arena
Steve Theivendrarajah - Group Portfolio Director, Event Production Show
Romone McCrae - Sales Director, International Confex
Antoine Gholmieh - Event Programs Executive Director, Ethara

17:05 - 17:35Keynote

How To Set Boundaries In An Industry Without Boundaries—Without Compromising Your Job Or Reputation

Flora Castillon - Certified Therapist & Coach | Leadership Mentor | Motivational Speaker, -

17:40 - 19:10Workshop

Breaking the Mold - How GenZ’s/Millenials Revolutionize Engagement & Networking at Shows

Naomi DSouza - Founder & CEO, xNDigitize
Eman Nasir - Social Media Executive, xNDigitize

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Middle East Event Show - Seminar Agenda - Day OneTuesday, 17 June 2025 - GT (Gulf Time, GMT+04:00)

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