The Events Group (TEG) is a dedicated business group for professionals across the events industry, designed to bring together expertise from all event types under one roof. As the first organization of its kind, TEG unifies professionals from diverse sectors, including live events such as concerts, festivals, and sporting events, as well as conferences, exhibitions, incentives, weddings, and corporate gatherings. With a focus on fostering business networking, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, TEG provides a platform for members to connect, grow, and contribute to the evolving landscape of the events industry.

In an exclusive interview with EVENTFAQS Media, Ajay Bhojwani, President, The Events Group (TEG) and Regional Managing Director – Middle East and Africa, MCI Group discusses the organization’s mission to unite event professionals, promote collaboration, and create networking opportunities. He highlights TEG’s role in supporting talent development, sustainability, and inclusivity within the events industry.

What inspired the creation of TEG, and what gap in the events industry does it aim to fill?

The UAE has been leading the region’s events industry for several years now, and the post-COVID era since 2021 has further seen a tremendous growth of several large industry players expanding in the region and the birth of several SME agencies led by industry leaders. Whilst there are several representative offices or chapters of global industry organisations and associations, there has never been a local voice for the industry that focuses on local issues and development of the talent within the local community, as well as fostering further collaborations and partnerships.

TEG was built on these pillars and commonly agreed within the industry leaders to support the growth of the industry with a key focus on collaboration and partnerships for business opportunities, talent development and attracting new talents to the industry, and finally being the voice of the industry and advocating change for better deployment of events.

How does TEG foster collaboration and networking among members from different sectors of the events industry?

One of the key pillars for TEG is to foster collaboration and partnership opportunities amongst its members, leading to business opportunities and working together. This is promoted through various monthly networking and business exchange events, as well as allowing new members to showcase their products or services virtually or in person at an event.

The post-COVID era has seen a lot of event organizers and suppliers catering to multiple event formats – from weddings to corporate events or from events to exhibitions – and platforms like these allow them to stretch and push their limits to deliver memorable events and experiences.

What initiatives does TEG have in place to attract and support young or emerging event professionals?

Another key pillar for TEG is around attracting new talents as well as supporting the development of existing talent in the industry. The work around talents is achieved in three formats- First, through virtual and in-person education programs, bringing forward case studies and addressing current requirements or challenges put forward by individuals and organizations. The second action is working with educational institutions in supporting them with content through industry experts.Finally, encouraging our members to bring in young talents as interns or temporary support staff so they get the right experience and exposure to the industry and take a positive decision to become part of it.

How does TEG promote inclusivity and sustainability across different event types, from weddings to major live concerts?

Both inclusivity and sustainability remain top priorities, not just for TEG but for every member of TEG as well, as they look at growing and expanding their business in the region. From an inclusivity perspective, being in the UAE already makes this a lot easier for every one of us as organisations. With a diverse workforce and talents coming in from various parts of the world, the workforce is already a great mix. Adding to that, government initiatives around people of determination make it easy to implement these practices, both for organizations and events organized by industry players in collaboration with venues.

Sustainability, on the other hand, is a growing subject, and more and more events are now getting serious about this and how it is integrated across all areas of the event. We, as TEG, had organized a virtual event in 2024 focusing on this and brought in experts from around the world and locally to explore the current trends, challenges, and initiatives organizations can implement by learning from these experts and best practices already implemented at events in the region and beyond. We will continue to focus on this to further enhance the implementation of the same as we move forward as well.

Does TEG collaborate with other organizations, venues, or governmental bodies to influence the events industry?

TEG is a holistic, member-driven organization wherein the members include event agencies and event suppliers spread across service areas of technology, design, audio-visuals, entertainment, and many more facets of the industry, as well as venues, including hotels, convention centres, arenas, and offsite locations.

We are currently working with various government agencies in the country to collaborate with them to create win-win synergies, leading to an overall growth of events that will support attracting more visitors to the country and putting forward memorable experiences for all audiences.

What is your long-term vision for TEG, and how do you see the group evolving in the next five years?

TEG was formed around three core pillars – Business Networking, Talent Development, and Advocacy as the primary focus areas. Continuing this journey, the vision is to ensure we have more members joining in from different segments of the industry to ensure TEG is the local voice for the entire events industry and can collaborate and work with government institutions and global organizations for bringing in best practices, improving regulations, and making the industry more recognized.

In addition, the focus on collaboration between members and working towards talent recruitment for the industry and the development of current talent with the changes happening will remain a priority. And of course, the industry is all about experience and human connections, so that remains at the core – to keep bringing the industry together for meaningful connections, having fun, and designing the future together.

Are there plans to expand TEG’s influence beyond your current geographic or industry focus?

TEG is a UAE-based organization and incorporated under the Dubai Chamber of Commerce to facilitate collaboration and growth for the events industry in the UAE. Currently, the remit and focus for TEG remains within the UAE market.

Having said that, as TEG, we do realize that a lot of our members operate in multiple markets in the region beyond the UAE, and we aim to facilitate some of these interactions and opportunities through collaborations and partnerships. TEG is the first organization of its kind in the region to be formed and represent the events industry, and we would like to champion this initiative and work with various country representatives and government entities to form similar organisations, eventually leading to a regional collaborative voice and the betterment of the industry through collaboration within the region.