Event Manager
The Qode
Total years of experience :16 years, 6 Months
• The role is dedicated to planning and executing innovative and creative events for both regional and international luxury brands. Over exceeded my targets by 275% on the first year of joining the company. Helped the department grow to a bigger team now handling events at a much larger scale then when we started.
• Concept Development: Putting together creative concepts, ideas and events as per the brand guidelines
• Pitching: Pitching & Presenting concept to brands efficiently while ensuring a high rate of successful pitches.
• Execution: Development, production and timely delivery of projects on the ground from proposal right up to the delivery within the brand guidelines.
• Client Management: Communicating, maintaining and developing client relationships. Ensuring excellent customer service and quality delivery
• Supplier Management: Managing supplier relationships and managing quality of delivery
• Project Management: Travelling to on-site inspections, scouting and project managing events from A to Z.
• Budgeting: Being responsible for all project related finances from start to finish to remain within the client’s budget.
• The role is dedicated to planning and executing innovative and creative events for both regional and international luxury brands. Over exceeded my targets by 275% on the first year of joining the company. Helped the department grow to a bigger team now handling events at a much larger scale then when we started.
• Concept Development: Putting together creative concepts, ideas and events as per the brand guidelines
• Pitching: Pitching & Presenting concept to brands efficiently while ensuring a high rate of successful pitches.
• Execution: Development, production and timely delivery of projects on the ground from proposal right up to the delivery within the brand guidelines.
• Client Management: Communicating, maintaining and developing client relationships. Ensuring excellent customer service and quality delivery
• Supplier Management: Managing supplier relationships and managing quality of delivery
• Project Management: Travelling to on-site inspections, scouting and project managing events from A to Z.
• Budgeting: Being responsible for all project related finances from start to finish to remain within the client’s budget.
Marketing: Overseeing all marketing activities. Responsible for developing and implementing monthly marketing plans, and targeted campaigns across all relevant platforms, including e-mailers, digital marketing, collaborations, and events. Managing the brand’s identity and development, and constantly exploring ways of improving existing services.
• Communications: Establishing and maintaining good relationships with press and influencers. In addition to sending out regular press releases in line with our marketing activities.
• Market penetration: Increasing brand presence in retail locations locally, regionally, and internationally. Developing relationships with retailers, overseeing product merchandising and ensuring alignment with brand guidelines. In addition to implementing staff training if needed, and monitoring sales results.
• Digital Marketing: Planning and implementing monthly digital campaigns (SEOs, GDNs, carousel adverts, etc.)
• Social Media Management: Managing social media activity (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat), scheduling posts and handling content development to maximize customer engagement and increase followers (16k followers to date on Instagram).
• Trade Shows: Coordinating and participating in trade shows such as Maison et Objects (Paris) and NY Now (New York), to promote the brand and develop business opportunities in new markets whilst following up on leads. Observing customer behaviour and buying trends, to inform future collections.
• Events: Handling participation in events such as Dubai Design Week, Meet d3 and RiseDCH, as well as collection launches and press previews. Creating immersive and innovative retail experiences. Responsible for co-ordinating guest lists, invites, event management, product mix, and merchandising.
• Managing budgets: Creating a yearly marketing plan and setting monthly budgets in terms of spend and ROI.
Brand Positioning and Store Launch: Developed the concept, defined the brand identity, and worked closely with the s*uce Marketing & PR team to coordinate the launch and the ongoing communication strategy of the concept store.
• Social Media management: Managing the store’s social media activity (on Instagram, twitter, Facebook and Snapchat), through scheduled posts and content development to maximize customer engagement and following (i.e. 22k followers to date on Instagram)
• Buying and Sourcing: Attended trade shows such as Maison et Objects (Paris), the NY gift show (New York), HOMI (Milan) and
Salone Del Mobile (Milan) to select new collections. Also monitored buying trends, price points, and analysed slow and fast-
moving items in order to evaluated and plan future curations.
• Collaborations and Business Development: Identified and approached designers to feature and create limited collections to be
sold in store or at s*uce related events.
Researched and attended all kinds of art and fashion-based events, and community initiatives to understand peer landscape and scout for potential partners, and event, collaboration and campaign ideas.
• Events: Handled participation in events such as Downtown Design and Dubai Design Week. Curated and put together the product mix, artist collaborations, and merchandising of the space.
Also involved in theme development, preparation and execution of events across all s*uce stores.
• Product Development: involved in the creation and execution of new products to be sold in store (i.e. the Dubai Chessboard which was a major commercial success - over 50 pieces sold within a month and featured in various magazines)
• In-Store management: Manage the day-to-day activity of the store both from a customer and sales perspective.
Involved in the interview, recruitment process and management of the staff.
for the Zayan pop up store (clothing and accessories store that opened in Beirut souks for 4 months)
• Store merchandising, hiring and managing staff. Generating sales and managing accounting such as payroll, expenses, etc.
• Organized and coordinated the launch event, part of the Beirut Design week - which was a successful event in terms of meeting
deadlines, attendance, impact and sales (30% of the total monthly sales were reached on that day
Company involved in the international sourcing and trading of foodstuffs
• Category Manager - Canned food department: Sourcing product from suppliers worldwide, selling to the Middle East and Africa,
and building brands for all canned items in each market. Increased sales of the Canned Food department by a steady 20% from
2006-2007 and maintained over 2008.
• Setting up of the Beirut office branch in 2009: locating and setting up the Widriss SAL regional office, hiring staff, etc.
• Human Resources: Interviewing and recruiting staff, team building and staff development.
• Exhibitions and Trade shows: (Gulfood, Sial, Anuga) Attended and exhibited in international trade shows. Involved in stand
handling, building and coordinating with organizers and advertising companies for marketing material, met with clients and
suppliers, created new business opportunities, followed up and concluded business.
• Advertising: Set up a new graphic design department. Briefed and guided graphic designers for Widriss S.A., and IDRISS
Supermarket projects in regards to labels, corporate identity, advertisements, brochures, promotions, etc.
• Undertook phone interviews using CATI.
included sourcing products on the basis of field visits and undertaking market research covering consumer’s
tastes testing and brand loyalty along with supervision of shops’ audits.
• Was also appointed the marketing and sales responsibilities for the frozen vegetables and French Fries line of products wherein I
developed new brands and packaging.
• Finally was also appointed as a leading officer on account of the company for the participation in the Anuga 2003 fair in
Germany, whereby created the concept and the image in presenting the company.
