Dubai, UAE
Event Management, Event Production, Delegate Management
70 Attendees
2 Live Days
100% Positive Feedback
My entire experience with MGN was fantastic from start to finish.
Marketing Manager, EMEA
Objective
Dubai Conference
A new client for MGN, MariaDB, a global open source database company, asked us to support them with their inaugural conference roadshow in the Middle East. Their technology sits at the heart of sectors such as finance, telecoms, travel, retail and digital services, where resilience and speed are critical.
Having already built strong momentum through their previous European roadshow programme, the company was ready to extend their reach into the Middle East, a region where cloud adoption, digital transformation and investment in modern data infrastructure are accelerating rapidly. For MariaDB, this Dubai conference represented a valuable opportunity to engage developers, engineering leaders, partners and potential enterprise customers who were actively seeking reliable open source database solutions.
The objective was clear: strengthen brand visibility in a high growth region, build new commercial relationships and deepen understanding of MariaDB’s technology among a market that would influence future adoption. This Dubai conference needed to deliver credibility, clarity and commercial impact.
The brief
MGN was appointed to deliver a polished, high impact Dubai conference that felt consistent with the successful European programme while elevating it for this new market. The focus was to translate MariaDB’s brand confidently into the Middle Eastern landscape, create an environment that supported complex technical content and ensure every moment of the experience felt credible and market ready.
What we did
The event took place at The Creekside Dubai Hotel, bringing seventy guests together for a focused programme of product insights, technical demos and relationship building. Our approach centred on presenting MariaDB’s capabilities in a way that resonated with a regional audience of developers, technical architects, decision makers and potential partners.
Brand and environment
We delivered a clean, confident corporate aesthetic aligned to the established roadshow identity. The staging, lighting and AV design were created to give the client a strong visual presence and reinforce their positioning as an established, enterprise-ready technology provider. Branded materials and touchpoints throughout the space elevated the experience and ensured the event felt cohesive and considered.
Technical delivery
Because the roadshow conference depended heavily on the clarity of technical storytelling, we designed the production around reliability. Our client operated their own live demos through our system, supported by robust connectivity, careful rehearsal and content management from our technical team. This allowed them to demonstrate the platform’s capabilities with confidence and without interruption, which was essential for building trust with a new audience.
Delegate engagement
MGN managed onsite check-in and guest flow, ensuring a smooth and professional experience from the moment attendees arrived. Branded gifts and practical stationery added a thoughtful layer to the guest journey, helping reinforce brand identity and creating a sense of value for delegates.
Networking experience
The after party on the rooftop at CUBA Bar provided the perfect setting for informal networking, allowing our client to build early relationships with prospective partners and customers while showcasing Dubai’s skyline. This element was an important part of the wider strategy to encourage deeper conversations outside the formal content.
Challenges
Supporting the client with local speaker permits was a key consideration, as was ensuring cultural alignment for the regional audience. Delivering uninterrupted connectivity for live demos was also a core focus, achieved through close collaboration with the venue and rigorous testing.
You really get a sense from them that they are there to help, and that they genuinely want to help you succeed.
Throughout the process, from planning to execution, I didn't feel like just another client, they treated this as if it was their event and their brand, and that they had the same responsibilities as I did to make it a success. When they tell you that their job is to make you look good, they really mean it.
The results
The Dubai conference and roadshow achieved what MariaDB needed: it introduced the brand to a strategically important market, strengthened commercial visibility and created the right environment for future growth in the region.
The client shared that this was the best event they had delivered as a company, noting the professionalism, support and confidence they felt throughout the process. Internal stakeholders echoed this, recognising the event as a significant step forward in their global engagement programme.
Key outcomes
• A high quality environment that strengthened MariaDB’s presence in a fast growing technology market
• A seamless technical delivery that supported credible, interruption free live demos
• Meaningful networking moments that encouraged new conversations with potential partners and enterprise prospects
• A consistent, professional extension of their European programme delivered successfully in a new global region
50%
Attendance / Show rate for a free in-person event
0
Technical issues during complex live demos
100%
Client stakeholders considered it the best event delivered
The MGN team made our event the best we have done as a company to date
