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event last
year, and I think
I succeeded! This all happened alongside a very
productive year at my main business, AEserver.com,
plus balancing countless other things. But now, none
of that matters because the outcome was simply
EPIC and phenomenal!"
"We
secured our most valuable sponsorships early in the
summer, and ticket sales remained strong. We had 272
registered attendees, with an impressive 92%
showing up and collecting their badges—the same
turnout rate as last year. I was thrilled to see
industry leaders, including some who rarely attend
events, make it to Dubai this time. Social media was
buzzing during and even after the event," Munir
noted.
"This year, we introduced exhibition booths
for the first time, adding tremendous value for
our sponsors and expanding our event space. Over 50%
of attendees stayed at the venue hotel, and many
last-minute participants struggled to find rooms as
the hotel was nearly sold out. This underscored the
importance of staying updated and heeding our
“almost sold out” warnings! Interestingly, even
those who were hesitant or decided last minute still
made it, showing that FOMO was real," Munir
added.
"In my opening speech, I referred to Domain
Days Dubai as a "social experience"
rather than a traditional "conference" or
"event." I think this captures the essence
of our vision—a modern, dynamic gathering.
Over two action-packed days, we had a purposefully
intense agenda, with panels and keynotes from 9 a.m.
to 6 p.m., plus breakfast, lunch, coffee breaks, a
beachside dinner, and the VIP yacht after-party,
which hosted 180+ people! Interestingly, most
attendees opted for VIP tickets, making me wonder if
there’s even a need for standard tickets next
time. Plus we had the public attendee list for all
ticket holders for ease of networking and our new
super tool - a WhatsApp group for the event -
let's see other events copy this now," Munir
smiled.
 View
from the bow of the Desert Rose during the
VIP Yacht Party at DDD 2024
"In summary, we had 272 registered attendees,
92% attendance, over 40 speakers—including
new participants from Dubai’s government and
the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC),
which showcases our strong public-private
partnership—and more than 30 sponsors, with every
sponsorship slot filled. The feedback has been
fantastic. This year, we also saw significant
engagement from Africa, reflecting our
broader MEA (Middle East & Africa) focus, thanks
to all our amazing speakers who made it from Kenya
& South Africa. Key players from Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE,
and many other countries attended and valued the
opportunity to connect with partners they’d only
met online. It was a win-win for everyone
involved. Also I am proud to say we had 50% of
returning sponsors from 2023 which means they really
benefited and see the need to be present in this
region," Munir said.
In closing he noted, "People are already
asking about next year’s event, and we’re
looking at the same time frame, late October to
early November - so pretty much the same dates.
It’s hard to stop when there’s so much demand
for more! The event was cash-flow positive just like
last year, with a higher & solid margin, so
I’m thrilled that my investment of time and
resources has been rewarded with a great
return."
From
the reaction of attendees it also seems clear they were thrilled with what they received from being at
Domain Days Dubai 2024 as well. The 2025 edition
will be here before you know it, so it's not to
early to start thinking about it now.
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