AI is transforming MICE planning, but destinations like Oman prove that local expertise remains irreplaceable. Mudi Devendra, General Manager of Oasis Incentives and Tours in Muscat, on managing a local DMC when procurement, detailed itineraries and AI are changing the job.
There’s a misconception I hear very often. A flexible DMC is one that agrees to everything. No. A flexible DMC is one that knows when to agree – and when to hold its ground. These are very different things.
Flexibility is not the same as a permanent “yes.” Flexibility is the ability to find a solution where one exists, and to honestly stop where it doesn’t – always in the interest of the client.
When a client says “I want to go to the UAE,” they almost always mean Dubai. That’s understandable: Dubai is loud, vivid, everywhere. Abu Dhabi operates differently – it doesn’t shout. It simply is the capital.
Dubai is one of the most overused destinations in MICE – in every sense of the word. And one of the most misunderstood. You hear it all: too expensive, too artificial, nothing but shopping malls, no soul, zero authenticity. And yet people keep booking it – corporate events, incentives, conferences, award ceremonies, year after year.
The industry is in limbo again. Confirmed projects are being cancelled or pushed to autumn. New requests are coming in, but decisions are stalling.
As Dubai’s event landscape continues to evolve, venues are increasingly expected to deliver more than just space. Clients today look for integrated solutions that combine accommodation, event infrastructure, catering, and operational coordination within a single environment.
This shift is particularly visible in corporate events involving regional and international participants, where efficiency and guest experience are directly tied to logistics.
At Arjaan by Rotana Dubai Media City, this demand has translated into a growing focus on flexible event formats supported by in-house hospitality infrastructure. One recent multi-day corporate gathering illustrates how this approach works in practice.
Delivering large-scale incentive programs today requires more than flawless hospitality – it demands operational precision, flexibility, and the ability to translate complexity into a seamless guest experience.
There is a moment in every large-scale event when the planning stops and the experience begins. The logistics disappear. The briefings, the vendor negotiations, the rehearsals, the protocol checklists, all of it recedes. What remains is the audience, the space, and the story being told through it.
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) has long moved beyond the format of a classic travel exhibition. Today, it functions as one of the most important strategic platforms for the MICE and business travel industry in the GCC. Its real value is not in presentation, but in how clearly it reflects where the regional market is heading.
ATM is not about inspiration or visual spectacle. It is about positioning, long-term partnerships, and the redistribution of business travel and events flows across the region.
