It’s been 18 months since we last spoke to Coca-Cola Arena’s General Manager, Mark Jan Kar, and it’s fair to say that the industry has changed significantly for the better since then. Back in mid-2021, the then newly installed GM told TPMEA – over Zoom, of course – about his plans to reconnect with the industry and lay the foundations for the return of live events following the COVID-19 pandemic. Skip to the present day, and as we’re led through the bowels of the Coca-Cola Arena and up into one of the venue’s plush corporate boxes for our scheduled interview,…
Author: Peter Iantorno
Fresh from an extensive UK arena tour in support of his latest album, Gold Rush Kid, George Ezra headed east for the Australia and New Zealand leg of his tour, squeezing in a one-night-only performance at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena on the way. Accompanied by a seven-piece band and backed as ever by his loyal touring crew, Ezra put on a typically slick, upbeat performance – much to the delight of the adoring UAE audience, who last saw the artist at his sell-out 2019 show at Dubai World Trade Centre. With the touring party spending just over 24 hours in Dubai…
Since it began lighting up Central Park’s Great Lawn in 2012, Global Citizen Festival has become the world’s longest-running global campaign calling for an end to extreme poverty that unites millions of voices, amplified by some of the world’s biggest artists, demanding world leaders take immediate action. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the iconic festival once again put on two stages in international cultural capitals of New York City and Accra, Ghana, with both shows broadcast and streamed live across the globe. While the New York production is an ever-present fixture on the Global Citizen calendar, this year was the…
Nestled on Turkey’s Aegean coast, the historic city of Izmir is Turkey’s third largest behind Istanbul and the capital, Ankara. The city celebrates the end of the Greco-Turkish war on 9 September every year, and with 2022 marking the 100th anniversary, the Izmir Municipality wanted to make a major splash. “The main goal for the municipality was to create the biggest and most sensational celebration ever made in Turkey,” began Işıl Evgin Gündüz of Imagina Productions, which was entrusted with the ambitious project by AB Kolektif. “This was a goal repeatedly stated by the mayor in his interviews during the…
WWE returned to Saudi Arabia with its Crown Jewel event taking over Riyadh’s 25,000-capacity Mrsool Park stadium once again. Creative Technology was engaged by Screenworks to supply ringside and entrance screens for the ground-breaking show. The company used the opportunity to deploy a massive 800 sq m of its brand-new INFiLED 4.6mm LED, as well as 300 sq m of ROE Visual Vanish V8T across the ring side and entrance screens, all controlled via a centralised NovaStar H15 video splicing and processing suite. Screenworks’ creative brief included a huge crown-shaped main screen measuring 22.5m high by 39m long. The impressive over-ring design consisted of four large…
TECS Event Services has invested in a variety of automation technology and increased its stock of truss. The rigging and automation specialist has taken delivery of a Movecat I-MOTION-SYSTEM EXPERT-T III console, an I-MOTION-SYSTEM NMB-14 network master distribution box, two Alfa System SKY-1 winches, as well as 20 Movecat ECOlite 320-4 DC chain hoists. “The automation and performer flying winch purchases increase our inventory and capacity to facilitate the ever-growing needs and technical aspects of events regionally,” commented Shane Manning, Managing Director at TECS. “Many events are now wanting that proverbial third dimension, which quite often requires automation.” Manning sees…
ES:ME Entertainment Services has purchased the first L-Acoustics K3 system sold in the Middle East through regional distributor, Edge Electronics. The purchase comprises 24 K3, eight KS28, two LA-RAK AVB II, a P1 Processor, and two extra LS10 Milan AVB switchers on top of the existing four in the LA-RAK AVB II to give it the capability of running a fully redundant system digitally through AVB Milan Protocol. “We’re incredibly excited to have ES:ME Entertainment Services joining the K3 Rental Partner network,” said Chris Mead, Regional Sales Manager for the Middle East at L-Acoustics. “Their expertise in the local market…
MDLBEAST has announced the headline performers for this year’s SOUNDSTORM. Featuring the likes of Bruno Mars, DJ Khaled, Post Malone and Wizkid, the lineup has expanded to include some of the world’s bestselling artists from a range of genres. Held from 1-3 December, the three-day event will see a wide array of international names including Marshmello, Carl Cox, Solomun, DJ Snake and David Guetta, as well as several Saudi women DJs such as Biirdperson, DJ Cosmicat, Dorar, Kayan, and Solskin alongside their peers, Dish Dash, Vinylmode and regional star DJ Aseel. “Saudi Arabia’s music scene has been thriving for the past two…
Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) has appointed Mike Walker as Sales Director. Walkers career began at CT in London, where he joined as the company’s first Business Development Manager, moving on to run the presentation and 3D graphic facility in Soho, then leading the combined Screenco and CT Sales team as Sales Director during 14 years with the company. “Joining the CT team in Dubai at such an exciting time in the company’s development is hugely exciting and it’s also a coming home to the company where my career began,” he commented. “I have maintained contact over the years and…
Adamson Systems Engineering has appointed Procom Middle East as its distributor in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. As part of this agreement, Procom takes responsibility of marketing, sales, and support of Adamson’s products in the region. In its inventory, Procom will carry the complete range of products, including all line array, subwoofer, and point source cabinets, as well as Adamson’s I/O Distribution units. Procom will have multiple demo systems in Dubai, including an immersive audio installation featuring the new Adamson Fletcher Machine. “Adamson has strong brand recognition among audio professionals in the region,” commented Rami Harfouch, Business Development Manager at…
Encore Middle East has relaunched its internship programme, welcoming two new team members to spend six months with the company from October 2022 to March 2023. Canadian Caroline Frost has joined the company’s lighting department, while Brian Els from South Africa has joined the audio team. “We are delighted to welcome our two interns, who will be joining us in the Middle East from October to March as part of this year’s six-month internship programme,” said HR Manager, Shiella Manzano. “For obvious reasons, we have paused the programme in the past two years, but we are now ready to resume and…
Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) has appointed Jemma Joy as its Head of Operations, as well as two new Project Managers, Croft Clinton and Bhans Sheomangal. An accomplished Production and Operations Manager with over 20 years of experience in the events industry, Joy has been involved in some of the region’s biggest projects, including Expo 2020 Dubai, Qasr Al Hosn, Laureus World Sports Awards, Dubai World Cup, and Volvo Ocean Race to name a few. “I have worked alongside CT on some of the region’s biggest and most technically advanced shows in the past and I am delighted to now be…
