UK Event Programme Expo 2020 Dubai

Client: The Department for International Trade

For the Department for International Trade (DIT), Expo 2020 Dubai was an unprecedented opportunity to build new economic ties and uncover export opportunities in the Gulf states.

But the objective was grander. This six-month international extravaganza is a celebration of the values and qualities that define us all, and we would celebrate the UK as a prime destination for tourism, a cultural powerhouse of music and arts, a leader in education, creativity and innovation. For Bray Leino Events, the task was to conceive, design, produce, deliver, and manage an ambitious events programme that landed each of these objectives. To encapsulate a nation. For many of our people, this has been a career defining project – herculean in scope. Planning began in 2019, was delayed, then repeatedly disrupted, made exceptionally more complex by the pandemic and the masses of Covid mitigation planning required. This would be the largest in-person event since the onset of the pandemic and despite Covid complications, we delivered over 300 separate events over the six months of Expo 2020 Dubai. We engaged big business, small business, education establishments, industry associations, global sporting mega-stars, artists, musicians, celebrities, and royals. We delivered thought leadership summits, exhibitions, and music festivals. We showcased what is great about the UK. The success is measured in economic benefits to the UK, in new export trade deals for the UK business involved, and in the indelible cultural impression we left on Dubai.