Yalla! December '22/January '23 - The magazine for Arabian Gulf business owners and entrepreneurs

Achieve your marketing goals

DECEMBER 2022

The Big 5 Abu Dhabi International Food Exhibition Arab International Cybersecurity Summit

How to craft an inspiring Elevator Pitch

HOW TO ATTRACT VISITORS TO YOUR EXHIBITION STAND DETACH FROM WORK OVER THE HOLIDAYS | UNDERSTAND CUSTOMER PAIN POINTS

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE BRITISH BUSINESS GROUP DUBAI AND NORTHERN EMIRATES! The British Business Group Dubai and Northern Emirates is a membership organisation that supports companies and individuals from the UK with existing business interests in the region and those new to the UAE. Our membership consists of British-owned, Dubai-based companies, UK registered organisations, UK passport holders and brands that support British business.

Through a considered and strategic calendar of events, the BBG ensures high quality networking opportunities, market knowledge sharing, valuable engagement opportunities and exclusive experiences for our members.

The BBG provides an ecosystem that goes beyond Dubai, to the wider GCC and through the British Chambers of Commerce’s Global Business Network reaching and providing international exposure and opportunity for our members and stakeholders.

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HELLO Welcome to the December issue of Yalla! magazine. After a busy few months, the events calendar is a little lighter as we head toward the festive season and national holidays in the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar. But there is still a wealth of opportunity, particularly in construction and engineering. The Big 5 exhibition begins at Dubai World Trade Centre, with nearly $4 trillion worth of unawarded projects across the MEASA region.

We run through an array of tactics that can help attract throngs of visitors to your exhibition stand. You’re sure to find a few ideas that get your imagination going.

We also look at how to find and understand customer pain points, and some of the best ways to craft an elevator pitch that resonates with people. Both are vital to communicating value in any setting or medium.

Corina Goetz brings you a news roundup from around the Gulf, plus facts and figures on the new Red Sea International Airport planned in Saudi. And we finish with tips to help you fully detach from work during the holidays. Whatever your plans are for this festive season, we hope you enjoy it and look forward to bringing you more news and insights in January/February. Until then, we wish you a restful vacation and a happy new year.

email: hello@mecs.design Website: www.mecs.design/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ mecsdesign Facebook: www.facebook.com/ mecsdubai Instagram: www.instagram.com/ mecs.design/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/mecsdesign

CONTENTS

Events

Features

Work

4

10

46

18

52

December Upcoming TRADE SHOWS

6

Profile: THE BIG 5 FACTS + STATS

News

34 GULF NEWS ROUND-UP from Corina Goetz

HOW TO ATTRACT VISITORS TO YOUR EXHIBITION STAND

HOW TO FIND AND UNDERSTAND CUSTOMER PAIN POINTS

OUR WORK Inflight Magazines/ Airshop Elite Jets

IN THE STUDIO

26

THE BEST WAY TO WRITE AN ELEVATOR PITCH THAT RESONATES

36

FULLY DETACH FROM WORK OVER THE HOLIDAYS

Yalla! newsletter is produced by Middle East Creative Services (www.mecs.design), a trading name of Global Printhub Ltd. Company Number 12766881.

Registered in England & Wales. 20-22 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU.

TRADE CONFERENCE ON EMPIRICAL METHODS IN NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING 7th December/ adnec.ae

THE BIG 5 5th December/ thebig5.ae

WORLD FINTECH SHOW 5th December/ worldfintechshow.com

JEDDAH INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE & FOOD EXHIBITION, AGEX 5 th December/ agex.show

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED PROFESSIONS - IACAPAP 5th December/ iacapap2022.com

OMAN AGRO 11th Decemb omanagrofoo

ABU DHABI INTERNATIONAL FOOD EXHIBITION 6th December/ adife.com

12 / 22 ABU DHABI DATE PALM EXHIBITION 6th December/ abudhabidatepalm.com

ARAB INTERNATIONAL CYBERSECURITY SUMMIT 6th December/ arab-cybersecurity.com

STEP SAUDI 2022 12th December/ saudi.stepconferen

MENA INDUSTRIAL GASES CONFERENCE 12th December/ gasworldconferences.com

START 6

OFOOD ber/ od.com

nce.com

SHOW DECEMBER SCHEDULE

WORLD CONGRESS OF GASTROENTEROLOGY 12th December/ wcog2022.org

SAUDI ARABIA SMART GRID CONFERENCE 12th December/ saudi-sg.com

HEYA ARABIAN FASHION EXHIBITION 12th December/ visitqatar.com/intl-en/eventscalendar/heya

ABU DHABI SPORT & FITNESS EXPO 17th December/ universalmusclefitness.com

AUTUMN FAIR 22nd December/ theautumnfair.com

MIDDLE EAST NATURAL AND ORGANIC PRODUCTS EXPO 13th December/ organicandnatural.com

DATES 7

TRADE

PROFILE: THE BIG 5

THE BIG 5 construction industry / 5 - 8th December / thebig5.ae The Big 5 provides an unmatched platform for the global construction industry to network, share knowledge and do meaningful business. The Construction Market in GCC Countries market is projected to register a CAGR of approximately 6.5% during the forecast period (2022-2027).

After a six-year slowdown triggered by the crash in oil prices in 2014 and deepened by the impact of COVID-19, the GCC construction industry is set for a strong recovery in 2022. Projects worth USD 24.7 billion were announced across the GCC region during Q3 2021, with Saudi Arabia leading the way contributing half of the total announcements in Q3 and doubling the project completions when compared to Q2 2021.

2k

exhibitors

55K

attendees

FACTS 8

SHOW STATISTICS

200+ speakers

150

participating countries

90+ talks

STATS 9

How to attract visitors to your Exhibition Stand Exhibitions are a great way to build relationships with customers, but they can be difficult to compete in. After all, you’re not the only company trying to sell your wares.

Other exhibitors are vying for the attention of potential customers, and you have to make sure that your trade show booth stands out from the rest. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to attract attendees away from your competitors.

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Assign greeters to welcome people

People love trying to try things out

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By taking any of these simple steps, you can attract more visitors to your stand, and improve your chances of making valuable connections at an event.

Contact attendees before the event Reaching out to potential attendees is a great way to create excitement for an upcoming exhibition. You can do this

GIVE PEOPLE A CLEAR AND CONCISE

through social media, email, or even personal invitations.

Following up with friendly emails in the days leading up to the show will help ensure that people don’t forget about the event. Make sure to promote your exhibition stand or trade booth so that potential visitors know where to find you.

SHOULD

And don’t forget to invite your existing and past customers.

They may not have known about the exhibition otherwise, and they’ll appreciate the personal invite. Seeing familiar faces at your stand will also make new potential customers feel more comfortable approaching you.

VISIT YOUR

Give people an incentive to visit you

REASON WHY THEY

EXHIBITION STAND

Think about what would give them a strong incentive to do so. Make that message loud and clear in your invites.

What might appeal to people visiting the event and set your business apart? An exclusive product launch perhaps. Or a well-known guest speaker maybe.

Use compelling graphics on your stand When people are walking by your stand, you want to grab their attention and pull them in. One way to do this is to create powerful visuals. This means using high-quality graphics that are professionally designed and easy to understand.

The words and images you use should be clear and concise.

Use bold graphics and marketing messages that grab attention and encourage visitors into your event space.

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HOW TO ATTRACT VISITORS TO YOUR EXHIBITION STAND

Use multimedia to draw people in

Make sure your event signage and displays are well-lit You can also make your stand more appealing by making sure it is well-lit. This makes it easier for people to browse and see what you have on display. If you want to really attract attention, go all out with colourful lighting that uses your brand

Offer free wi-fi and charging ports for your visitors’ smartphones and electronic devices

colours. You could even try a moving light show.

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Give people a clear and concise reason why they should visit your exhibition stand

Create an interactive experience

Use multimedia to draw people in

People love trying to try things out. Think about providing a product demo, something that

You can count on a good multimedia presentation to draw visitors into your exhibition stand. Use

visitors can use and experience for themselves.

strategically placed big screens to display corporate videos with striking content. These could be about your products, services or company culture. Or, you could use them to show live footage of your stand, the factory production line or the shop floor. This is a great way to generate interest and excitement.

If a product demo isn’t practical (perhaps you’re a service provider), consider stand activities to give people an interactive learning experience.

You might use technologies such iPads or laptops for visitors to access multimedia content, such as video or quizzes. Digital games, augmented reality, social media and digital surveys are all great ways to make your stand more interactive. By using these technologies, you can give visitors a memorable experience that they’re sure to remember.

Host events at your stand Why not schedule special events at your stand? You might schedule a talk by an expert, for example. This will give potential customers a reason to visit your stand and learn more about what you have to offer.

If you’re not sure what kind of events to host, think about what would be most relevant and interesting to your target audience. Then, reach out to potential speakers or performers and get them on board.

Mini-events are a great way to make your stand more visible and attract attention.

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Make sure the volume is turned up so people passing by can hear what’s going on. You might even use audio alone to differentiate yourself from other stands. Choose a certain type of background music, or play a voice-over narration that introduces your business to passers-by.

Give away branded corporate gifts Who doesn’t love a free gift? Giving away promotional gifts is a great way to attract attention and generate interest in your business. But don’t just give away any old thing. Make sure the items you choose are relevant to your business and target audience. And make sure they’re high quality.

A cheap, flimsy pen with your company name on it isn’t really going to differentiate you from every other company exhibiting alongside you.

Some popular promotional items include: corporate t-shirts, branded caps, mugs, pens, notepads, USB drives, tote bags, and water bottles. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something that people will actually value and hopefully keep after the show ends.

HOW TO ATTRACT VISITORS TO YOUR EXHIBITION STAND

We made a corporate video presentation the centrepiece of an anniversary event that we organised on behalf of Al Kout Industrial Projects in Kuwait.

We hosted the event at Kuwait’s Scientific Centre, using the enormous IMAX screen for the video presentation and the aquarium as the perfect venue for our environmental theme.

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Assign greeters to welcome people Greeters can create a positive first impression and welcome people into your booth. Assign someone (or a few people) to stand at the entrance of your stand and greet visitors. This will make your

Greeters should be able to answer the most common basic questions (FAQs) about your company or products. But they might not know all the details. So, make sure they know who

company seem more welcoming and approachable.

And if you have a large stand, they can help direct visitors to the areas they’re most interested in.

They should be familiar with the layout of the stand, know where everything is, and be able to answer any basic questions people might have.

they can refer potential customers to for more information, and always know where to find them.

It’s also important that they’re friendly and approachable. People should feel welcome when they approach your stand.

As always, make sure that your print marketing collateral is top-notch!

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HOW TO ATTRACT VISITORS TO YOUR EXHIBITION STAND

Arm them with welcome flyers and leaflets Your greeters can hand out promotional materials, such as flyers, leaflets, or postcards. If you’re fortunate enough to have a really large stand, you might provide a helpful map to guide people around the various sections. If you have events organised, you could give them a schedule to let them know what’s on and when.

Design for clarity and print professionally, making sure it gives people a good first impression. You don’t want your event materials to look cheap or unprofessional.

Provide a space to stop and relax Exhibitions are a hectic place, not just for participants and organisers but for visitors too. People visiting a big exhibition hall can clock sizeable walking distances, often weighed down with corporate gifts and marketing material. You would be surprised at how grateful people are for a place to sit down briefly.

Making part of your exhibition stand a relaxing space where they can stop for a moment of respite can be a great visitor attraction. It doesn’t have to be anything too fancy. Just a few comfortable chairs, sofas, and a table or two stocked with your reading material will do the trick. Offer free wi-fi and charging ports for your visitors’ smartphones and electronic devices.

We made this a feature of an exhibition stand designed for Al-Ahleia Switchgear Co. in Kuwait. A specially-made bench sofa provided comfortable seating in the centre of the booth. This meeting area was a welcoming environment for visitors to relax in, with branded seating upholstery and carpeting.

Offer people visiting your stand refreshments It’s always nice to be offered a drink or something to eat, especially if you’ve been walking around for a while. Water, soft drinks, and coffee are always popular (and easy to keep stocked). But you could also offer some light snacks, such as biscuits or fruit to keep visitors going. And if you want to be really generous, you could offer a selection of hot foods. (We organised a hot buffet at the Al Kout Industrial Projects event too.)

Just make sure that whatever you offer is in keeping with your brand image and target audience. And make sure the refreshments area is well-staffed so people don’t have to wait too long for service.

Custom-labelled mineral water is always a popular choice with visitors at any Middle East exhibition.

It’s healthy and appreciated in the GCC climate.

With these strategies in place, you’re sure to see an increase in visitor numbers at your next exhibition. And more visitors to your stand, should mean more potential clients.

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How to find and understand CUSTOMER PAIN POINTS

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When you’re marketing any business., it’s important to understand your customer’s pain points. These are the places where they’re having trouble or frustration. By understanding these pain points, you can begin to address them and improve the customer experience.

There are a few ways to go about finding out what your customer’s pain points are. They all boil down to asking the right people the right questions. The people can be customers, customer-facing employees, or survey respondents. The questions need to hone in on any kind of dissatisfaction (pain point).

Having a variety of questions will serve as prompts, leading the person in directions that can help identify customer pain.

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First, you’ll need to know where to look, what customer pain types are most common, and how to identify the pain points in your customer experience.

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Before launching into your research, it’s good practice to get your mind attuned to your customer’s perspective.

One of the best ways we know of is called Jobs Theory, also known as Jobs To Be Done. This framework was created by Clayton Christensen, the renowned Harvard Business School professor, and it’s used by companies like Spotify, Intuit, and LinkedIn. Jobs Theory posits that customers don’t really buy a product or service to fulfil a basic need. They “hire” them to do a job. That job could be something as simple as making them feel more confident or organised.

Every product or service is hired to do a specific job for the customer. To use Christensen’s words, “A customer doesn’t buy a quarter-inch drill, they buy a quarter-inch hole.”

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In other words, your customers aren’t thinking about your product or service in the same way that you are.

They’re thinking about what your product or service can do for them.

This is an important distinction to make because it changes the way you think about your customer’s needs. Instead of thinking, “What does our product do?” You should be asking, “What job does our product do for the customer?”

To get started, Christensen recommends that you make a list of all the times someone has used your product or service. Then, for each instance, ask yourself what job they were trying to get done.

Your job, then, is to ask questions that will lead your customers to tell you about their pain points. Let’s start with where to look.

HOW TO FIND AND UNDERSTAND CUSTOMER PAIN POINTS

Henry Ford famously said, “If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.”

Ask your customers. Where better to get answers about customer pain points than from the customers themselves? There are a few ways to go about this.

One way is to simply reach out and ask them. This could be done via email, social media, by phone, or even in person. Another way to get feedback from customers is to use surveys. This could be something as simple as a Net Promoter Score survey. You might use an online tool like SurveyMonkey.

Customer-facing employees. Another great source of information about customer pain points is your own team; customer-facing employees. These are the people who interact with customers on a daily basis, such as salespeople and customer service reps. They have their finger on the pulse of what’s going on and can give you some great insights.

To get this information, you can hold regular meetings with your customer-facing employees. You could also create an anonymous survey for them to fill out. This is a great way to get honest feedback without anyone feeling like they might get in trouble for speaking up.

Social listening tools. Social media can be a useful place to learn about your customers. Listening tools can constantly monitor social media platforms for mentions of your brand, as well as key phrases and competitor brands. This can give you a good idea of what people are saying about you and your industry.

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There are many social listening tools available, such as Hootsuite Insights, Google Alerts, and Mention.

Many of these tools have free and paid plans.

Why not use social media to identify customer pain points? You might uncover customer frustrations or even complaints that you might never have known about. Plus it’s a discreet and easy way to understand customer pain points in your business. It requires relatively little effort versus other methods.

Conduct market research. If you have the budget and resources, you might consider doing some broader market research. That might make sense if you’re a startup or fledgling, early-stage business with too few customers. This could give you some great insights into your target market.

There are many different ways to conduct market research. You might use focus groups, interviews, or online surveys. There are also companies that specialise in conducting market research. Although this process can be costly, it will allow you to pinpoint your customers’ pain points. If your competitor’s customers are unsatisfied with a specific facet of their service, see if there’s a way for you to do better.

That’s where to look. Next, let’s cover the types of customer pain you’re looking for.

Types of customer pain points. Understanding common types of customer pain will help you recognise them quickly. Here are some broad categories of customer pain points:

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Product quality. This could be anything from a physical product that’s defective to a software bug. If your customers are constantly having problems with the quality of your product, that’s a huge pain point.

Quality issues can damage your reputation and cost you a lot of money in returns and replacements.

Customer service. If your customer service is poor, that’s definitely a pain point. This could be anything from long wait times to unhelpful or rude employees.

If your customers are constantly having problems with your customer service, you need to take action.

If you offer some sort of support service, customer pain points can arise there as well. This could be anything from long wait times to unhelpful or unqualified employees. If your customers are constantly having problems with your support service, you need to take action. You might introduce a warranty or satisfaction guarantee to alleviate this pain point.

HOW TO FIND AND UNDERSTAND CUSTOMER PAIN POINTS

Financial pain. This could manifest in a few different ways. It could be hidden fees, unexpected costs, or anything else that causes your customers to spend more money than they expected. Financial pain points can be a major problem for businesses, as it can damage your reputation and cause customers to take their business elsewhere. Perhaps your customers feel like they’re paying too much for your product or service. Or maybe they need a payment plan or some other type of financing.

Financial pain points can be a real barrier to entry for potential customers too. If they feel like your product or service is too expensive, they might not even bother considering it. This is why it’s important to understand any pricing pain points and offer financing options if possible.

Process pain. This could be anything from a complicated checkout process to a lengthy and confusing returns policy. If your customers are constantly running into problems with your process, that’s a pain point.

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Ask the right questions to find customer pain:

•

What is the biggest business challenge you currently face?

•

What are you not happy with?

What isn’t working for you, regarding the product or service?

What do you wish was different?

What would you change and how?

•

• •

What do you think is missing?

• •

What are your overall priorities?

What’s the biggest thing we could do to improve your experience?

What would help your perfect solution be?

What would a successful outcome look like?

These questions will help you get to the root of your customers’ pain points.

Every business is different and the question you ask will probably be unique to your situation. But you can see that they all relate to the same goal, and the variations are really a way to coax answers from people and get them thinking. Posing the question from different angles will give you a better understanding of what the pain points are.

Once you’ve identified your customers’ pain points, it’s time to start solving them. In some cases, you might be able to resolve the issue quickly and easily. But in other cases, it might take some time and effort. The most important thing is to listen to your customers and take their pain points seriously. Only then can you start working on solutions that will make a difference for them. If you can make your customers’ lives easier, you’ll be rewarded with their loyalty and business.

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The best way to write an

ELEVATOR PITCH that resonates

Effective marketing is all about communicating brilliantly. And great copywriting is a major component in just about any project. A well-written elevator pitch is one of the most important tools you can use to market your business. But what is an elevator pitch, and how do you write one that will resonate?

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An elevator pitch is a short, sharp, attention-grabbing statement that tells your audience who you are, what you do, and why they should care. The best way to write an elevator pitch that resonates is to focus on three key elements: what you do, how you do it differently than everyone else, and what benefits people can expect as a result.

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Why is it called an elevator pitch?

When is an elevator pitch important?

The elevator pitch, or elevator speech, is a very short, persuasive presentation about your business, product, or project. It’s called an elevator pitch because it should be able to fit into the time it takes to ride in an elevator from the ground floor to the top floor of a building.

Any time a new opportunity arises, what could be more important than good communication? Every time that somebody asks, “What do you do?” an elevator pitch is your chance to make a great first impression and capture their interest in just a few seconds.

How long is an elevator pitch?

That’s so important if you’re going to make the most of your opportunities. A good elevator pitch can get your message across quickly and clearly. And by making every second count, you’re showing that you respect the person’s time and attention.

While elevator pitches can vary in length, the best examples are typically around 30 seconds to 2 minutes long. This is just enough time to introduce yourself, explain what you do, and leave your listener wanting more.

In terms of word count, an elevator pitch should be around 100 to 150 words long.

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THE THE BEST BESTWAY WAYTO TOWRITE WRITEAN ANELEVATOR ELEVATOR PITCH

Places you’re likely to need an elevator pitch There are countless everyday scenarios when having your elevator pitch scripted and rehearsed can pay dividends.

They might include:

•

• •

Networking events, trade shows • Marketing collateral, online and conferences profiles, email signatures, and Job interviews, careers fairs social media posts such as LinkedIn Sales calls and presentations

Every business, every individual, and every scenario presents a different set of circumstances. But each is an opportunity to use your elevator pitch to explain who you are and what you do to your audience.

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THE BEST WAY TO WRITE AN ELEVATOR PITCH

How to write an elevator pitch: Start by focusing on three key elements: what you do, how you do it differently than everyone else, and what benefits people can expect as a result. Write it down exactly as you would speak it. Then, practice your elevator pitch until it sounds natural and fluid. Your script will become more refined with every edit and every iteration. The more you practice, the better you’ll become at delivering your pitch clearly and concisely.

Here’s one of the best elevator pitch templates we’ve ever come across. It comes from Allan Dib, author of one of our favourite books, The One Page Marketing Plan. Alan is a serial entrepreneur from Australia who has successfully started, marketed, scaled, and exited multiple small businesses.

You know [problem]? Well, what we do is [solution]. In fact, [proof].

Allan gives this example for electrical engineering: “You know when there are power outages that bring down critical systems in large businesses? Well, what I do is install backup power systems for companies that rely on having a continuous supply of power for their operations. In fact, I installed the system at XYZ bank, which has resulted in them having 100% uptime since it was installed.”

Allan’s method is a brilliant way to keep yourself focused on what matters: the customer’s problem, and the solution you provide. But there are many ways to format your elevator pitch for your company.

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30-second elevator pitch examples Let’s examine how other businesses do this. Here are pitch examples used by reallife businesses.

AIR B N B ’ S ELEV A TOR P I TCH Most tourists booking online care about price - and hotels are one of the highest costs for when traveling.

On the other hand, platforms like Couchsurfing have proven that over half a million people are willing to lend their couches or spare bedrooms.

We have created a platform that connects travelers with locals, letting them rent our rooms, or even entire places. Travelers save money, and locals can monetize their empty rooms- we just take a 10% commission.

APPLE’S ELEVATOR PITCH FOR THE MAC Easy to learn. Astoundingly powerful. And designed to let you work, play, and create in ways you never imagined. It’s the computer that comes packed with apps that are ready to go right out of the box. Free, regular software updates keep things up to date and running smoothly. And if you already have an iPhone, it feels familiar from the moment you turn it on

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THE BEST WAY TO WRITE AN ELEVATOR PITCH

SLACK’S ELEVATOR PITCH We help businesses and organizations communicate with a simple chat interface.

The average office worker receives 304 emails per week. They also attend an average of 62 monthly meetings, half of which they consider ‘wasted time’. Slack was made to make work more efficient.

It organizes conversations by channels and drastically reduces the need for emails or meetings.

It’s integrated with 100s of productivity tools like Google Docs, Calendars, Email, Dropbox, Zoom… so you can receive automatic notifications and take action without leaving the interface.

WE WORK ELEVATOR PITCH There are 40M independent workers in the US: consultants, freelancers, and small business owners. Solving office space is tough and expensive, especially in cities like New York.

We created the concept of space as a service.

We have 20 locations in the city- where people can rent a desk or an office without any of the complications of a traditional lease, effectively saving at least 25% of the cost. They get access to a shared front desk, mailroom, and a community of like-minded people.

Ready to write a good elevator pitch?

Hopefully, we’ve inspired you to explain what your company does in an elevator speech. With the examples shown, you should be well on your way to writing an elevator pitch that resonates with everyone you meet.

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THE NEWS ROUND UP!

GULF NEWS ROUND UP  December is also  The World Cup in Doha

the month of the National Days, so many countries celebrating: 2nd December marks the 51st UAE National Day, then on 16th December the Kingdom of Bahrain marks their Independence Day and finally on 18th December Founders Day is marked in the State of Qatar.

Let’s also not forget that Riyadh Season is in full swing and they kicked it all off with an entry into the Guinness Book of Records for the most remote operated drones launching fireworks simultaneously, and they recorded 1 million visitors the first week Riyadh Boulevard opened.

In Al Ula the Winter at Tantora returns, running from 21st December for weeks until 21st January. The name comes from a sundial, which is culturally significant to the people of the region who relied on it to tell the time and celebrate the return of the planting season at the beginning of winter. It will bring experiences like immersive arts, outdoor theater and high fashion back to this heritage site.

which was so eagerly awaited is in full swing and how great is it to see the Gulf working together and showcasing the best of the region with daily flights from the other GCC countries to get as many visitors and fans to Doha daily.

 In Saudi Arabia we see

a lot of events throughout December: 1-3 December marks MDLBeast Soundstorm with great artists like Post Malone and Bruno Mars. The Red Sea Film Festival returns to Jeddah for its second edition on 1-10 December and if you have a tech start up you need to be in Riyadh 12-13 December for the Tech and Start Up Festival.



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 t c a F Fun

d s t fo o o u s fa m a f nt 5 , th e h a s se h a Al Baik d d e ha f r om J ur e D o s n e o chain ar t m ous to Qat orld fa w e tr uck s h t of ar t ou gh th e s t n r e o f s a n h ke d chic Cup! roaste World e h t f o

MIDDLE EAST BUSINESS AND CULTURE

SPOTLIGHT:



The new Red Sea International Airport Here is what we know so far:

•

it will be fully powered by 100% renewable energy.

•

it is designed by acclaimed architects Foster and Partners.

•

the airport is on track to welcome its first passengers in 2023 - yes that is next year!

• •

the main runway is 3.7 km long. it will be the only airport in the region with a dedicated runway for seaplanes.

 PIF the Saudi investment

fund of the Kingdom has just unveiled a partnership with Foxconn for his brand-new electric car made in Saudi called Ceer – we can expect the first cars in 2025.

 In November the Pope

visited Bahrain – this was actually only the second visit ever to the Gulf countries following on from a visit to the UAE in 2019.

 In the UAE, all tennis

fans are eagerly awaiting the Mubadala World Tennis Championship on 16-18 December. Dubai hosts the annual Shopping Festival from 26th December until 1st February and of course you cannot miss the spectacular fireworks display to welcome the New Year on 31st December.

Corina Goetz is the Founder of Star-CaT a 5 star Middle Eastern Consulting and Training company based in London, UK. She specialises in helping her clients wowing their Middle Eastern customers by understanding their culture.

Corina Goetz WWW.STAR-CAT.CO.UK

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Fully detach from work over the

holidays

The holidays are a time for family, friends, and relaxation. For many people, though, it can be difficult to disconnect from work - especially if you run your own business. The demands of the job can follow us home and keep us from enjoying the holidays to the fullest. But with a little determination and pre-planning, you can put work aside and ensure that when you’re home, you’re home.

Share your plans As much as we all love a holiday, it’s important to make sure that we’re not leaving our colleagues in the lurch when we take some time off. Let people know when you’ll be available and when you won’t. That way, they can adequately prepare for your absence and there won’t be any unwelcome surprises. In addition to management and clients, be sure to inform your teammates, HR, and anyone else who might be affected by your lack of availability. Sharing your plans early-on can help ensure vacations don’t overlap between teammates and your company isn’t left shorthanded.

Create a to-do list Make sure to check in with your contacts in the weeks ahead with everybody who might be affected by your absence. That might include clients and suppliers outside your organisation. Get their guidance on any tasks that need to be finished before you leave.

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Delegate responsibilities

Leave your work devices at work

Make sure that any projects you’re in the middle of are properly delegated and assignments are assigned to somebody who can handle them before you leave.

This will ensure that all your hard work doesn’t go to waste while you’re away and your business continues to function properly.

The best way to make sure you’re not tempted to check in on the job is to leave your work devices at the office. That means no laptop, smartphone or tablet.

It’ll be hard to resist the temptation if you’re carrying around your work gadgets with you.

Setup your out-of-office autoresponse email Your out-of-office autoresponder should let people know that you won’t be available for a certain period of time. Give them a timeline for when they can expect to hear from you and who else they should contact in your absence.

Sign-out of work-related apps If you use your personal phone or other devices for work, consider logging out of all those apps you use for business. Disconnect from Slack, email, and any other communication tools you use. Don’t forget to turn off push notifications while you’re at it.

Set ground rules for emergency contact How can colleagues reach you in an emergency, and what would qualify as an emergency? Make sure you and your team are clear on the ground rules for contacting you during vacation. That way, everyone knows what to expect and you can enjoy some welldeserved rest and relaxation.

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FULLY DETACH FROM WORK OVER THE HOLIDAYS

Keep busy The holidays are a great time to take up something creative. That might mean taking up a musical instrument, painting, learning photography, or woodwork. Doing something creative can help you step away from your everyday work routine and provide a relaxing distraction.

Get outdoors Make the most of temperatures dropping across the Arabian Gulf. (Dubai averages 21*C in December, while Kuwait can average 14*C) What better time to ditch the air conditioning and embrace the Norwegian concept of “friluftsliv”, which literally means “freeair-living”. That means venturing outdoors for some

David B. Posen, Medical Doctor and bestselling author of several stress management books, suggests that when you are deeply involved in what you are doing, you can lose track of time and forget about work. This is called flow state or “the zone.” According to Dr. Posen, flow state is the key to reducing stress and this single-minded focus can lead to remarkable achievements, joy, and satisfaction.

quality time with nature. Whether it’s hiking, camping in the desert, an afternoon of beach volleyball, or a picnic in the park - get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. There are few better ways to relieve stress, calm your mind, and put things into perspective.

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FULLY DETACH FROM WORK OVER THE HOLIDAYS

Keep physically active

See family and friends

As much as you might want to enjoy a well-earned rest, research shows a few hours of moderate exercise each week can help you stay relaxed and boost your well-being. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce the levels of cortisol in our bodies - a hormone responsible for regulating metabolism, immune system response, and other important physiological processes. It’s also known to be beneficial for improving mental clarity and boosting moods, which should help you totally disconnect from work in your free time.

Spending time with family and friends is an excellent way to relax and unwind. The holidays are a great opportunity to reconnect with those you haven’t seen in a while, or simply take some time to enjoy the company of your nearest and dearest.

The key to making sure your holidays are relaxed and stress-free is to plan ahead. Do all these things and you’ll be able to fully disconnect from work, and enjoy a refreshing, restorative break.

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Still branding shirts with just a company logo?

Edge-to-edge designs can take your branding to another level Most businesses create a corporate Polo shirt with a logo embroidered on the chest and leave it at that.

We’ve pioneered the use of edge-to-edge fabric printing in the GCC, manufacturing custom shirts in the UAE since 2013.

We design and print every shirt from scratch using tailoring patterns, from which panels are cut and sewn.

That means we’re able to customise every square inch of material.

This results in a company shirt that is both stylish and unique, with zero limitations on your branding.

So if you’re looking for a way to stand out from the competition, edge-to-edge printing is the way to go.

Still not convinced? Here are 3 reasons why you should switch to edge-to-edge fabric printing for your next batch of corporate shirts: 1) There are no limits to your design With embroidery, you’re limited to a small area on the chest. With edge-to-edge printing, you can extend your design all the way to the seams. This gives you a lot more room to play with your branding and messaging, such as taglines/slogans or website URLs. 2) Dry-fit base material keeps employees cool The base material we use for our edge-to-edge printing is a Dry-Fit pique. This is a lightweight and breathable fabric that wicks away sweat, keeping employees cool and comfortable during long hours.

3) Colours are more vibrant and the print lasts longer We use a sublimation printing process that results in more vibrant colours that won’t fade with washing.

And because the ink is embedded into the fabric, the print cannot crack or peel over time the way that screen-prints do.

For corporate shirt design and printing, please contact us at: hello@mecs.design

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This sales tool works 24 hours, 7 days a week, and will keep you top-of-mind throughout all of 2023

Once a year you get the chance to present people with a custom corporate calendar, a piece of marketing collateral that works year-round.

Calendars give your company the opportunity to be in front of your clients every day, building brand awareness and keeping you top-of-mind. This is an investment that will keep on giving.

Your company logo and branding should be prominent on the calendar, and you should consider adding a call to action (CTA). Top tip: Make this unique to the calendar and you’ll be able to attribute leads that come in response to the calendar.

Choose images that reflect your company, culture, product, or service - images that represent your brand, or will resonate with your target market.

If you’re a travel company, for example, include beautiful photos of destinations around the world. If you’re in construction, images of completed projects will help people to see the quality of your work.

You can go way beyond marking the standard dates that every company includes (the usual National and religious holidays). Include any important events that you want to promote, such as product launch dates or industry events that you’ll be attending. This is a great way to generate interest and get people talking about your company.

Why not start the New Year off right with a bespoke company calendar?

We’re currently designing 2023 calendars in a range of formats; desktop and wall calendars.

Interested in creating a bespoke corporate calendar?

Please contact us at: hello@mecs.design 45

Inflight Magazines Duty Free shopping taken to new heights

Flemingo International are a global travel retail operator specialising in duty free sales. Our first project with the company was to transform the raw product listings they had in spreadsheets, into a glitzy Duty-Free catalogue.

Almost everything for this project had to be created from scratch. There was no brand and no existing style. We had the product listings, which included the title, description, price, SKU, and attached image. We had some full-page ads to include from major retail brands. And the client gave us complete freedom from there on, with a tight deadline.

Organisation came first. We started the design with a logical structure, creating a layout that would be easy to follow and easy on the eye. We then formatted all of the product listings and into this new 64-page design and added distinctive Middle Eastern brand elements.

GENTS FRAGRANCES

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LADIES FRAGRANCES

The main base for this retail operation was Bahrain International Airport. The Duty-Free catalogue would be aboard flights to 16 destinations in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

We branded the catalogue ‘Air Shop’, with a red and white colour pallette drawn from Bahrain’s national flag. Teamed with Islamic vector pattern designs, this gave the catalogue a distinctive identity.

Printed in Dubai at 300 LPI, we made sure the print standard did the content justice. The catalogue contained luxury perfumes, cosmetics, watches and jewellery. At 70% above industry-standard, the product images and graphics ‘popped’ from the pages. This catalogue won praise across the supply chain, from our retail operator client, to airline carrier.

COSMETICS

ACCESSORIES

OUR WORK

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OUR WORK

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ELITE JETS A foundation for growth

Gulfstream G2

80 - Mid Jet

No one

does it

better

...

Elite Jets, a Dubai-based private jet charter company, approached us to design and print their Corporate Profile.

The company was facing intense competition from larger, more established, and well-funded rivals. They wanted a brochure that would deliver much-needed credibility. A high-quality presentation could help the company be taken seriously.

Here’s what we did to answer this need. We focused on several factors that were important to the executive air charter customer. Reliability. Privacy.

Safety. And of course, luxury aircraft and service.

We highlighted each of these priorities in turn. We took photographs on-location, aboard some of the aircraft in Dubai. These were supplemented with curated stock images.

There were competing priorities. The luxurious nature of the private jet charter business made us invest heavily in the print specification. But as always, we also wanted to spend the client’s budget very carefully. This was a small, independent charter company trying to expand quickly.

Our solution was to maximise the brochure’s shelflife. We made sure that the core content would remain current and valid well into the future. And we added a pocket to the inside back cover, which would form The Fleet section. The company had a substantial range of jets, which would change as the

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Gulfstream G280 - Mid Jet AT A GLANCE PASSENGERS

9

CRUISE SPEED

796 KM/H / 494 MPH

SPECIFICATION LUGGAGE SPACE

ENCLOSED LAVATORY

ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

FLIGHT ATTENDANT

PRESSURISED CABINT

7.44 M / 24’4”

2.18 M / 7’1”

1.91 M / 6’3”

4.25 M / 13’11”

Yes

company acquired new planes and dispensed with older models. We created matching cards for each jet in the fleet. These detailed the aircraft specifications and made it easy to update the brochure.

To set the brochure apart, we used Pantone 8004 sparingly as a background colour. A metallic gold/ bronze ink immediately broke the standard 4-colour mould. We then added Spot UV varnish to highlight all of the images. This gives a high-gloss finish and imparts a rich, vivid effect. Printing was overseen by mecs, at our 300LPI standard. You can think of this as printing in HD, compared to the industry-standard resolution of just 175 LPI. The result is a brochure that combines luxurious specifications and sensible design choices.

Impressive and discreetly thrifty, it gave the client a solid foundation for growth.

OUR WORK

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A LOOK INSIDE

THE STUDIO MARISA MANNS

What We’re Reading

Draplin Design Co. Pretty Much Everything Aaron James Draplin

Esquire. Ford Motors. Burton Snowboards. The Obama Administration. While all of these brands are vastly different, they share at least one thing in com­mon: a teeny, little bit of Aaron James Draplin. Pretty Much Everything is a mid-career survey of work, case studies, inspiration, road stories, lists, maps, how-tos, and advice. It includes examples of his work posters, record covers, logos and presents the process behind his design with projects like Field Notes and the “Things We Love” State Posters.

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What We’re Working On

2023 Calendars It’s that time of year already. We’re creating corporate calendars of all shapes and sizes.

Desk/wall and tent calendars.

Wall / desk planners

Shirt Designs for

Dunlop tyres Founded in 1889 in Birmingham in England by John Boyd Dunlop, Dunlop tyres are one of the best and most well-known tyre brands in the world. We’re currently designing a range of branded Polo shirts for the MENA operation. The shirts will be used by staff in around 18 countries in the Middle East & North Africa region, and will be given to key dealers in each market as a giveaway.

Our design team has come up with a range of edgy and modern designs with prominent Dunlop branding. We’ve used historic brand colours to make sure that the shirts stand out, and also feature the product logo for the SP Sport Maxx 060+ tyre.

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Some things have to be seen to be believed Our printing is one of them At a printing press, quality comes down to the

Every job we print is produced at approximately

people running the press. The latest machinery

2x the industry-standard resolution. In plain

and equipment are useless in the wrong hands.

English, that means twice as much detail. Think

A print company is only as good as it’s people.

of it as High-Definition.

This applies to just about any industry. Perhaps

That’s why our print quality has to be seen in-

your’s too. Human ability still determines the final

person. And that’s why our work can command

result.

the respect of your prospective clients and

At mecs, we call ourselves a graphic design and

partners.

print management agency. Because printing

Whatever business you’re in, we can help you

has always been part of our DNA. Our founders

impress with print that’s out of this world.

include a British Master Printer, trained at City & Guilds, London. We bring you more than 45 years of industry-experience and an obsession with quality, detail, and precision that is as strong as ever.

globalprinthub.com/dubai

Opportunity is won or lost on the strength of your marketing

For 25 years mecs has specialised in bilingual English / Arabic design and print. Starting out in Kuwait, our work quickly stood apart, and our services were soon sought by some of the most respected names in Arabian business. Reknowned for clear communication, elegant design, and outstanding production quality; clients turn to us for presentations that matter. We have worked across countless industries, with clients spanning the entire Arabian Gulf, the U.S., UK, and Europe.

middle east creative services Website: www.mecs.design Email: hello@mecs.design

Today we have a design studio located in Devon, South West England, while our customer base remains based in the GCC.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mecsdubai

We continue to welcome new clients across the Gulf region.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ mecs.design/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ mecsdesign

Twitter: www.twitter.com/mecsdesign