venue profiles: unusual venues: Venues on the agenda
Venues on the agenda
From tents and teepees to mega stadia and arenas, the region’s burgeoning live and corporate event industries are driving a surge in demand for temporary venues of all shapes and sizes
From tents and teepees to mega stadia and arenas, the region’s burgeoning live and corporate event industries are driving a surge in demand for temporary venues of all shapes and sizesTake a glance at the region’s action-packed live events calendar and it doesn’t take a genius to work out why the demand for temporary venues has rocketed over the past few years. In the UAE alone, the events diary is now booked-up year-round with crowd-pleasers ranging from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi and Dubai Film Festivals, Race to Dubai golf tournament, to numerous music events and festivals – which this month includes the Volvo Ocean Race taking place in the UAE capital.
Many of these occasions now have permanent homes in the country and utilise a wide range of temporary structures for at least part of the event. The Volvo Ocean Race (December 31, 2011 to January 14, 2012) for example, requires the construction of a specially-designed, 55,000-square-metre ‘Destination Village’ – around the size of eight football pitches – on the Abu Dhabi Corniche, demanding a wide range of temporary venues to cater to around 100,000 visitors the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) expects to welcome for the event.
Eclipse Staging Services’ general manager, Darren Hodge, confirms that “with the growth of the events business across the UAE, clients are demanding more and new venue options. There is a shortage of larger venues across the region and therefore clients are sometimes forced to look at temporary structure options,” he says.
“This is not a deterrent however as our clients like the flexibility that comes with temporary structures in terms of set-up, creativity, installation and timings.” Hodge also stresses that clients, whether large public event organisers or private corporate enterprises, are looking for out-of-the-box options. “They want a change from a hotel ballroom or convention centre,” he explains. “They also want to use a new venue or destination, but typically only outdoor areas are large enough to cater to the group, so a structure is necessary.
He adds: “Clients are looking for more interesting shapes and sizes where what they can create inside can be reflected outside; Wicked Tents’ Zen Domes are a prime example.” The beauty of a temporary venue is that group size doesn’t necessarily matter: “Eclipse has produced events inside temporary structures for Bulgari for 30 people, through to the opening of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia for 3,000 people.”
From temporary to permanent
As you’d expect, those who manage, own or build temporary structures, as well as production companies specialising in kitting out these venues, claim that the events market is evolving in such a way that traditional or fixed venues are not only considered too small and inflexible, but dull and somewhat passе.
This is the view of Kate Campbell, the sales and marketing director at Flash Forum (managed by Global Spectrum), a purpose-built indoor live entertainment venue on Yas Island that from January, due to significant demand for venues of this size, will be available for private/third-party hire.
“The market is maturing, meaning that interest in the established hotel and exhibition centre venues is waning,” she claims. “Such permanent venues also offer spaces that are set in both their decor and layout, while a temporary venue will give the organiser the opportunity to create a design of their own.” She explains that temporary venues offer “greater flexibility in size, filling a gap in the UAE market for mid- to large-size venues”.
“Venues such as the Flash Forum can accommodate more than 2,500 in theatre style and more than 1,500 banquet style, making them attractive for international conferences looking for cultural and entertainment add-ons to their programmes, or for Emirati and Asian weddings where guest numbers tend to be high,” Campbell continues.
She also notes that temporary venues allow organisers more control over all aspects of the event or production: “Fixed venues will often have their services tied up with contracted suppliers, which must be used for catering, audio visual, security etc, but managing an event in a temporary structure would normally not come with such restrictions,” she explains. To date, the Flash Forum has hosted live events such as rock concerts, DJ events and family shows, with each event being unique in terms of how the space – 2,500 square metres with a 15.6-metre-high roof – was used.
A boom in demand for this type of large-scale event versus a significant shortage in venues capable of staging them, meant the decision to open Flash Forum to private hire by owner, events firm Flash Entertainment, was a no brainer.
“As a result, Flash Forum will be hosting a greater variety of events over the next 12 months,” says Campbell. “While live entertainment will continue to be at our core, the venue will be opened up for conferences, weddings and sporting events.”
Flash Forum, which has a lifespan of up to 10 years, is an example of how temporary structures are increasingly becoming permanent fixtures in a bid to provide large blank canvasses for an events-hungry market. Another example of this is the UAE Pavilion, which was originally built for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai but has now been reconstructed in Abu Dhabi under the direction of the Abu Dhabi Government’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC).
Originally designed by the awardwinning Foster + Partners, and commissioned by the National Media Council, the demountable structure is the only national pavilion from the event to be relocated for future use. Now permanently situated next to Manarat Al Saadiyat, the pavilion is designed to be a landmark exhibition and event venue hosting some of the UAE’s most important cultural functions including Abu Dhabi Art, its first event, which took place from November 16-19.
It is envisioned that the venue, which covers 3,600 square metres, will form an integral part of the unique institutions that comprise the Saadiyat Cultural District.
From public to private
But it’s not just large-scale public events that are creating unparalleled demand for temporary venues. Electra Events & Exhibitions claims it has witnessed an “incredible increase” in demand for tents required for medium-sized events because hotel ballrooms are often comparatively more expensive, too small and inflexible in terms of creativity.
“More clients than ever want to stage their event in an unusual venue or relocate an event to somewhere such as in a garden, the desert, the beach or even a stable,” says managing partner Jean Charles Durand.
“The most requested temporary structure shape is the traditional ‘two slopes’ but we have an increasing number of requests to create a temporary venue in a space that does not look like a basic tent.” Electra Events & Exhibitions provides customised tent solutions and interiors for events such as cocktail receptions and gala dinners, private beach parties, conferences, exhibitions and sporting occasions. It owns a unique tent shape called the ‘polygonal’ with either silver or clear PVC roofing available. “We often transform our tents into a changing room or a kitchen depending on the type of the event and sometimes our clients require us to install the temporary structure in an unusual venue such as the Royal Stable of Abu Dhabi,” adds Durand.
Temporary venues that Electra worked on in 2011 included a 3,000-square-metre Ramadan tent at Emirates Palace, 7,000 square metres worth of tents at the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby 7s and 3,000 square metres worth of structures, including a hospitality village, at The Global Champions Tour at Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi.
With tent-mania so widespread, it’s no wonder event specialists are jumping on the bandwagon and establishing tent hire services. Once such company is Canvas & Wood – Unique Tent Rentals, which is the brainchild of Aron Bentley & Natalie Crampton who recently decided to carve out a niche in this lucrative market. “While there are new [permanent] venues and event spaces coming online, clients still want to create something unique and bespoke for their events,” says Crampton, explaining the rationale behind the business, which started trading in mid-November and has already started supplying its giant teepee tents to private customers.
“Clients are becoming more creative and demanding when it comes to spending their budgets and increasingly a ballroom in a five-star hotel falls short of their requirements.”
Established mobile hall and tent provider, Albaddad International, agrees that demand for such all-weather covered venues that can vary in size and location, is definitely on the up.
“People always seek convenience, flexibility, practicality, safety and like to be unique when choosing the design and decor,” notes Fares Albaddad, chairman for the board of directors at holding firm Albaddad Capital. “Some clients prefer to build mobile halls next to their homes; others choose different locations depending on the type of event, which varies greatly from weddings and Ramadan events to sporting events, exhibitions, tents for pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and structures on football fields in Qatar.”
Inflatable fun
It is for this very reason that Faisal Amir, managing director and CEO of Gemini Worldwide, is offering inflatable venues to an innovationdriven events sector. “Clients are looking for immersive entertainment and environments and diverse and artistic design solutions,” he says. “Therefore, our 360-degree Inflatable Projection Dome Venues are a revolutionary and unique structure-less system designed to give clients an immersive and interactive experience that is unforgettable.”
Gemini’s inflatable domes are capable of housing between 350 and 5,000 people. “They can be taken anywhere, used anywhere, and set up on any terrain anywhere in the world - on land, grass fields, concrete lots, beaches, shopping centres and even on floating barges in a harbour,” Amir explains.
“Due to the flexibility and modular design of the systems – limitless configurations to suit the size of location or client theme – interchangeable parts can be mobilised and made available to clients for their events in any part of the world within a few days.
“These features of versatility, short timelines for set-up and execution, along with modular design – not to mention expense – have helped increase the demand for our 360-degree Inflatable Projection Dome. Clients want to think out of the box and get away from four walls and a ceiling and temporary venues allow them to unleash their creativity.”
Amir says increased demand locally for “mega structures” has meant that Gemini’s Projection Dome Venue, also known as the Super Dome, given that it measures a massive 3,033 square metres, has been immensely popular.
With the capacity to hold a 4,000 standing party, the dome was recently used by an international car brand that wanted to showcase its vehicles in a “spectacular immersive environment”.
“The dome hosted the main event where cars were driven on a specially-built track that was 2.2 metres high in sequence to 360-degree projection that unfolded around the inside of the dome perimeter, to the amazement of visitors who were seated in the centre of the dome,” he explains.
“This was all delivered and prepared in a record seven days and during the four-day event, cars were being driven on the track 20 times a day, entertaining around 35,000 people.”
Amir says the Middle East is one of the fastest-growing temporary venues market and as a result, Gemini is looking to introduce an even bigger inflatable venue than the Super Dome.
Mixing it up
The argument for temporary venues is compelling with their permanent counterparts being somewhat ridiculed for their rigidity. Yet Al Forsan International Sports Resort, which is not only Abu Dhabi’s newest and most elite sports facility, is fast gaining a reputation as one of Abu Dhabi’s top events and team-building venues, the combination of permanent and temporary structures is proving a winning formula.
The mega resort, which is located in Khalifa City and covers some 1.6 million square metres, boasts a shooting area, watersports area featuring the first cable ski lakes in the Middle East, equestrian centre, motor sports and themed indoor, air-conditioned paintball fields, as well as a full-size football pitch, tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts and several dining venues. There are also dedicated meeting and conference facilities including an amphitheatre.
Al Forsan’s deputy general manager David Beevers says during the design phase, the purpose-built facilities and spaces were planned in a way that would ensure temporary structures could be positioned around them when required, but complemented by the permanent infrastructure.
“We believe that this makes the process, logistics and associated costs much more efficient for any event organiser in the design, construction and fit out of any temporary structure,” he says.
During the resort’s first year of operation, the facility has been selected for public and private sporting events, corporate events, as well as team-building activities that have incorporated temporary and permanent venues.
“Our watersports lakes and surrounding areas have received a large amount of interest as a temporary venue and several private events are in the planning stages that will incorporate the use of our watersports and food and beverage facilities, while expanding around the two manmade lakes,” explains Beevers.
“Our amphitheatre has also been the selected venue for several events that entailed the construction of temporarythemed structures for up to 600 people, while during the Holy Month of Ramadan, an Iftar Tent was built and proved to be a popular venue for our local community.”
On a larger scale, as mentioned by Electra’s Durand, the resort recently played host to the Global Champions Tour – an equestrian event that involved the construction of stadia for 2,000 people plus spectators, as well as a commercial village servicing the 7,000-plus spectators over the three-day event. In addition, 200 temporary horse stables were built to complement the existing permanent 167 stables.
It is sporting occasions such as this that will further boost the temporary structures market in 2012 and beyond according to Paul Berger, the CEO at Harlequin, which provides structures, solutions and interiors for both shortterm events and semi-permanent venues.
“Constant initiatives are being launched by UAE governments who are increasingly investing in the events sector to provide even greater stimulus to the region’s economy and to provide year-round attractions. As a result, the large agencies we work with are bringing more international sporting and social events to the region,” he says.
Events Harlequin will provide venues and interior designs for in 2012 will include Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, The Mubadala Tennis Championships, The Al Ain Air Show and several concerts and festivals.
“Harlequin receives enquiries not only for different sizes and shapes of structures, but also for more varied designs,” says Berger. “Our interior design department can transform our structures to provide unusual, unexpected, creative spaces.”
“We expect our events calendar to remain packed throughout 2012 and we are constantly growing,” says Berger. “Our kit range has been expanded to offer larger structures up to 50 metres wide, as well as increasing the number of contemporary structures and canopies.”
Harlequin also recently joined forces with event services company the Arena Group, to provide it with even greater access to equipment.
Looking ahead, Berger says temporary venue trends will not necessarily relate to the size of structures, but the high quality of finish now expected by clients. Electra’s Durand concurs: “We are not expecting an increase in requests for temporary venues but rather an increase in quality demands.”
Hodge at Eclipse and Albaddad agree that clients will be looking for more unique venue solutions in the future.
“There will be an increase in the demand of camps, warehouses, storage tents and tents for private and public events,” says Albaddad. “New designs for mobile halls will invade the market such as the tents with a circular look and other new amazing shapes.”
Flash Forum’s Campbell anticipates the scope of temporary venue demand to extend beyond music and sporting events and into the serious business arena, particularly in Abu Dhabi, which has set out clear targets to become a meetings hub.
“As Abu Dhabi continues to build on its reputation for hosting world-class congresses, conferences and exhibitions, such events will generate further business,” she says. “The World Ophthalmology Congress and Routes 2012 are two such events taking place in 2012 that have explored temporary venues to host parts of their programme.”
