Blowing up a sand storm

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Never under estimate the lure of the sands...the star-lit sky, silence of the dunes and sense of peace can make a lukewarm char-grilled kebab seem a feast and provide the gilding on the cake for a corporate event.

For some, it is the whole event; Dubai-based Incentive Productions, for instance, organised a 24-hour whistle stop itinerary for a 250-plus Belgian group that involved pick-up from the airport, transfer to a desert camp, dune-bashing, champagne pit-stop, barbecue, party and fireworks followed by overnight camping - with time for a spot of shopping before returning to the airport the next day.

For those based in the region, this might not suffice as a complete itinerary but there is still room on the agenda for a gala event under the stars, according to Arabian Adventures' senior vice president, Frederic Bardin.

"Most locally booked events are regional conferences with a social element. People coming from other countries are not so familiar with the desert as perhaps those from Dubai are, so the requests we get are not that different from international bookings," he says.

"What people are less familiar with is the luxurious upmarket desert product where we can do seminars in an air-conditioned tent in the dunes, for instance."

And while there are dozens of operators in the emirate that can promise a 4WD and a BBQ for a bargain AED 100 a head ($30), Bardin says the essence of success is in the detail coupled with careful orchestration of the whole event.

"A dinner is more spectacular when it is presented with fresh food - rather than an overcooked barbecue - perhaps with white-gloved silver service, or in an unusual setting such as the gazebos we set up in the dunes for a recent group."

Bardin stresses that a desert event could be a memorable experience but it should be approached with the same attention to key elements that are required for any event in a ballroom: "Build up the event, have movement, don't get people arriving en masse but coordinate transfers, and arrange diversions particularly if children are involved."

As to content of the desert experience, companies that dare to be different opt for one of two different options; over-the-top luxury or back-to-nature simplicity.

A few beanbag cushions thrown on a sand dune and chilled martinis is one example of the latter cited by ADA Events' Wendy Pettifer who says the traditional desert camp was overdone: "We have done more to bring in real Bedus for instance, or else put in an overnight option where you can add touches such as monogrammed bathrobes or chocolates on the pillow.

But where a ‘more is better' philosophy prevails, creativity is the key, with the desert providing the blank canvas on which experienced DMCs can paint any scenario given time and budget.

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