The events industry was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic. In fact, it won’t be an understatement to say that the industry faced an existential crisis as the world grappled with the fallout of the biggest health crisis in recent memory.
But after a two-year hiatus – Dubai’s events and entertainment industry is finally getting back on its feet. It is experiencing a rapid revival that came earlier and faster compared with the rest of the world.
The transition was made easier thanks to one of the world’s fastest inoculation programmes and also received a great confidence boost because of Expo 2020’s mega success – an event which welcomed 22 million visitors in six months.
When the pandemic started, like many others, I assumed that it would be short-lived. I thought things would go back to normal in under two months. In my naivete, I believed that the world was just ‘over-reacting’.
In early 2020 I remember spending countless nights hoping and dreaming of that magical day when things would go back to the way they were.
Over the ensuing 24 months, the events and entertainment industry has had to fight for its survival and has worked hard to come back stronger.
There is no one defining moment. But rather many small wins that have accumulated to show the world that Dubai’s events and entertainment industry is back, and its bigger and stronger than ever before. It is also perfectly poised to help the Emirate host 400 global events per year by 2025.
It goes without saying that the future is very bright. A lot of credit should be given to the event industry stalwarts who did not bow down to the challenge. But instead showed the world what was possible with Expo 2020 the crowning jewel of this year.
After the pandemic, people are now craving for human connection that is tangible, social, creative, engaging, and authentic.
With digital and zoom fatigue having truly kicked in, there is a dire need to experience life once again up close and personal. People want to create and immerse in unforgettable magic moments in time that the events and entertainment industry is known to offer.
Also, the UAE’s ingenuous and rapid handling of the pandemic and quick economic transition and recovery has made the city the perfect place for events of all sizes and varieties. This presents live events and entertainment industry within the country a plethora of incredible opportunities.
The highly successful conclusion of Expo 2020 showcased that the local events industry doesn’t just put on events for the sake of it, it creates experiences that have an emotional human connection and feeling that the digital realm can never replace.
For me personally, it took going to the depths of the unknown to realise that this industry produces moments that make life worth living.
Beautiful events can leave a positive social, creative, and economic impact on the world. As we look back and evaluate what we went through, it is easy to see that the pandemic posed to be one of the biggest challenge many of us will ever face. And we survived. We can hopefully leave all that behind and look towards an exciting new future.
This is a future where events and entertainment will drive human interaction and connection and in the process help revive industries such as travel, tourism, and many others.
Event organisers will find themselves in a unique position to help promote the country’s soft power as cities use mega events to propel their brands on to a global stage. And this industry will continue to stay at the helm when driving those positive changes.
Above all, the industry offers a unique opportunity to embrace the next generation of creative event and entertainment professionals who can redefine the world in which we wish to live and operate.
Dan Bolton, owner and director of Dan Bolton Creative Management Agency and Be Experiential.
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