Norwood Productions recently bolstered its audio capabilities with the acquisition of a d&b audiotechnik V-Series PA from the manufacturer’s South Africa distributor, Stage Audio Works. Norwood Productions now owns both V-Series line array systems and V-Series point source loudspeakers, enabling the company to serve the growing number of live events alongside its existing client base within the corporate market. “The point sources are awesome because it gives us the ability to really scale down when we need to work on a small event,” commented Chris Norwood, Founder and Director of Norwood Productions. “With these boxes, you can have them running…
Author: Peter Iantorno
When it comes to heritage, very few companies in the UAE come close to Oasis Enterprises (OE). The company’s history goes all the way back to 1971 and the humble beginnings of its parent group, Al Shirawi Group, which started as a small trading house and today comprises more than 40 companies spanning 18 sectors in the UAE. One of these companies is Oasis Enterprises, a systems integrator that started life in 1982 as the region’s exclusive distributor for consumer and professional electronics brand, JVC, catering to government tenders and public institutions. Recognising the growing demand for professional installation services,…
It’s easy to forget in today’s results-driven world that there’s a lot more to leadership than simply running a commercially successful company. This is an ethos that Niousha Ehsan, co-founder and Chief Energy Officer at LINKVIVA, has embraced from the start. After launching LINKVIVA at just 19 years old, Ehsan made the decision that personal development would be a central element of the company’s growth. “It took me a little while to figure out my ‘why’ in life, but through coaching and my own personal development, I realised that what really excites me is helping people become the best version…
It’s no secret that TAIT has ambitious plans for the Middle East, and if any proof was needed about how serious the company is about the region, industry veteran Soren West’s appointment as MENA Chief Executive at the end of 2024 and subsequent relocation to Riyadh is surely it. With more than 25 years of experience in global concert touring, live performance television, corporate and sporting events, award shows, ceremonies, and brand activations, West has a long history with TAIT as a client, vendor and close collaborator, and the opportunity to bring his knowledge to the Middle East with a…
The relationship between client and supplier is a symbiotic one that requires understanding on both sides to be successful. Having spent the best part of the past 15 years ensconced in the world of mega events before taking on the role of Director of JAM People in September 2024, few are better equipped than Nikki Kerr when it comes to discussing the transition between the two disciplines. From 2012 London Olympic Games to the 2015 European Games in Azerbaijan, the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, the Invictus Games Sydney 2018, as well as Expo 2020 and COP28 in Dubai, Australian-born…
There are so many worthy causes nowadays that picking the right one can be a challenge. However, when a team member shows a particular passion for a subject, that’s often a good place to start. This idea certainly applied to Showforce’s recent partnership with Project REEFrame – an initiative dedicated to restoring and preserving coral reef ecosystems in the UAE, which was brought to the company’s attention by International Crew Manager and eco-enthusiast, Ricky Holland. “I have been diving in Fujairah for the past 10 years and really hold it as a special place,” Holland began, explaining how he found…
South Africa remains one of the most unequal societies in the world, with stark disparities in employment and economic opportunity. According to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey, more than a third of the population struggles with unemployment and poverty, while the top 12% earn nearly half of the national income. In this challenging environment, the live events industry faces unique pressures, including the need for skilled professionals who can meet international technical and safety standards. The live events industry has traditionally been a hands-on learning environment, where experience often outweighs formal qualifications. This is particularly true in South…
“The brief sounded so simple in the initial meetings,” began Sarah Kent, Co-founder of boutique creative agency, Kent Gray, recalling a series of Squid Game ‘takeovers’ throughout Saudi Arabia, to promote the second series of the wildly popular Netflix programme. Under the creative direction of Dubai-based agency Science & Sunshine, the stunt was part of a global campaign of similar takeovers in other cities, and featured 20 of the show’s distinctive Pink Guards at seven high-profile locations throughout the Kingdom. “From their dramatic arrival at Jeddah airport, to their extensive tour across Saudi Arabia, every move was documented by multiple…
Celebrating outstanding achievements in the fields of music, television, and film, the Joy Awards has garnered a reputation as the Middle East’s answer to the Grammys, Emmys, and Oscars rolled into one. Now in its fourth year, the awards saw the very best in Arab talent joined by a packed roster of global A-listers – including Christina Aguilera, who performed a spectacular opening set – for a star-studded ceremony at Riyadh’s anb arena. With the show produced by MBC in collaboration with Done+Dusted, STUFISH Entertainment Architects was entrusted with a multifaceted role on the project. As well as overseeing the…
Having taken place in Diriyah for the past six years, the Saudi Arabian round of Formula E moved to Jeddah for the first time in 2025. Naturally, SELA and the Ministry of Sport (MOS) were keen to ensure that the event’s Jeddah debut made a big impression, and they tasked Groupe F with coming up with a spectacle befitting the occasion. “They were aiming very high, meaning that we needed to propose something that had never been seen before in Jeddah – or anywhere else for that matter,” recalled Groupe F’s Deputy Managing Director, Nicolas Chavance. The resulting show comprised…
Dubai is no stranger to tall towers nor glitzy opening ceremonies, but even by UAE standards, the launch party for the soon-to-be world’s second tallest tower, Burj Azizi, was quite the spectacle. Welcoming some 15,000 people to the Coca-Cola Arena, the event combined ceremonial storytelling with a headline performance from Jennifer Lopez, all backed by a cutting-edge technical production. Entrusted to bring Azizi Developments’ vision to life was Creative Factory, under the creative direction of Vibhore Khandelwal and Sabina Gulati and guided by Viraf Sarkari, alongside Wizcraft ME Global, led by Allister Mascarenhas. They in turn engaged mediaPro International to…
The UAE has hosted some outstanding concerts over the years, but from the moment that Coldplay announced that they would be bringing their Music of the Spheres World Tour to Abu Dhabi, there was never any doubt that the bar would be raised, and records would be smashed. With Coldplay fever sweeping through the UAE and beyond, what was initially billed as a one-off show soon grew into a four-night extravaganza with more than 200,000 fans descending on Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City Stadium for by far the largest concert series the country has ever seen. “As the largest concert…
