Maddy Spicer
General Manager
MENA Live Events
MENA Live Events successfully executed the ‘Dare to Change Conference’, a three-day immersive leadership programme designed for the Rotana hotel’s 80+ senior leadership team from across the Middle East, Turkiye and Eastern Europe.
The main conference sessions were hosted within a custom-built environment, featuring a purpose-designed stage, large-format LED wall and lounge-style seating that encouraged dialogue over formality. Beyond the plenary programme, Al Ain became an active part of the event narrative. Delegates were welcomed at Trader Vic’s for a Polynesian-themed opening night, followed by an Arabian Nights–inspired outdoor dinner at Min Zaman Terrace, seamlessly blending regional storytelling with relaxed networking.
The agenda featured a mix of AI and innovation panels, Coffee Lab networking sessions, and Speed Dating with Sponsors, creating fast-paced, high-energy touchpoints between content and connection.
The experience culminated in a standout finale: a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party–themed immersive dinner, transforming the same venue into a theatrical, multisensory environment that blurred the lines between dining, performance and storytelling.
According to Maddy Spicer, General Manager and spokesperson for MENA Live Events, one of the most rewarding challenges was the rapid transformation of spaces.
“We were reimagining the same rooms multiple times within a matter of hours, from formal conference settings to fully immersive themed experiences, while maintaining creative integrity, technical precision and strong guest engagement.”
The team employed dual-purpose stage design, repurposed lounge setups across multiple moments, and managed tight turnaround windows through detailed pre-planning and bold creative decisions, demonstrating how smart design thinking can maximise both budget and impact.
With hospitality brands increasingly investing in internal culture and leadership alignment, Dare to Change stands out as a case study in how experiential design can elevate internal conferences to the level of brand-defining moments.
