Corporate urban dwellers come to Arabia expecting a glimpse of the raw beauty and solitude of the sand, yet most never have the time to reach it. Why not take the meeting to the desert instead? While delegates don’t have to snuggle into sleeping bags to avoid the dust and the desert’s cold breath a la explorer Wilfred Thesiger, meetings conducted amid rolling dunes and stunning sunsets have a unique appeal.
Varied concepts
“The desert offers incredible opportunities in terms of concepts that can be adapted to clients’ needs. This is valid for any segment of the hospitality industry ranging from individual leisure experiences to proper group adventures,” says Anwar Abu Monassar, Director Operations, The Vision Destination Management.
“The most attractive part of the desert is that it is like a white page where we can write any story on virgin sand, but at the same time it requires a high level of experience and professionalism in assembling all the components to have a professional plan of agreed deliveries,” he says.
Impact Event and Destination Management develops event solutions to match clients’ objectives. Alberto Cavallo, Managing Director, says, “We are doing events in the desert all the time and have select partners [desert camp operators]. It really depends on the clients’ expectations, preferences and available budget that determine the kind of desert experience provided. We can organise very high-end and stylish corporate events with exclusive catering or a rather authentic desert barbecue.”
New players
The number of venues and team-building possibilities in the UAE desert seems limitless. The newest kid on the block is Thai hotel chain Anantara, which opened a 552-capacity conference centre on Sir Bani Yas Island in December.
Developed by Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) on a nature and wildlife island reserve, it offers a “unique experience in terms of combining state-of-the-art facilities, venue versatility as well as stunning views set within an inspirational location”, says Stephen Phillips, General Manager, Desert Islands Resort and Spa by Anantara. Facilities include a ballroom that can be divided into three, plus several meeting rooms.
Sister hotel Qasr Al Sarab, in the heart of the Liwa desert, offers a ballroom for up to 300 guests, overlooking the Liwa Desert, plus the Royal Pavilion, set about a kilometre away from the main hotel, allowing privacy and offering a traditional majlis seating area.
But it is the team building options offered here that allow meetings to get really interesting.
At Desert Islands, an Island Challenge tasks guests with resolving tricky mind puzzles as a team while discovering the island aboard a safari vehicle. “Our Survivor Challenge will tease the adventurous side of each guest. Split into teams, guests will have to build their own camp to survive in the wilderness, with no assistance and limited tools. It’s a wonderful way to think outside of the box and work as a team,” says Nancy Nusrally, Area Public Relations Manager at Anantara.
Inspiration for these activities comes from Thesiger’s book, Arabian Sands. The rise in business this year could be 25 per cent, she says, as the new conference centre caters to existing demand for back-to-basics meetings where top managers can brainstorm and think outside of the box.
Another challenge is the Shifting Sands exercise. Team exercises include crossing the sands on skis and putting up a tent blindfolded, while taking direction from colleagues who have their hands tied behind their backs.
Turnaround, specialists in corporate conferences and team-building events, provides this challenge for participants to learn to adapt to changes and communicate effectively. Says Turnaround Director Rob Day, “Following a series of challenging tasks including simulating crossing the sands in a shamal and putting up a shelter after being bitten by scorpions, teams must align themselves in the final activity and mark a series of locations of water sources on their maps to ensure the survival of their team.”
City plus desert
Impact offers corporate groups a team-building activity that starts in the city and ends in the desert. Each team is given an identical challenge list of activities to complete including creative assignments, physical tasks and negotiation challenges, says Julia Starke, Experience Designer.
Teams are provided with cars and drivers, workbooks, interactive technology and cameras. The activity encourages team planning and effective delegation while promoting creative thinking and problem solving. >
Less strenuous desert-based activities to add on to a meeting include guided nature walks and spotting Arabian oryx and species of birds in the conservation reserve of Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa. There is a fixed dune campsite here for 120 guests, which can, upon request, be set up for meetings, says Nadim Belbeisi, Complex Director of Business Development, Al Maha.
Inside the resort yet in a private desert setting is the elegantly decorated Al Majlis boardroom complete with traditional Arabian antiques and artefacts. Various room and seating configurations cater to groups ranging from 40 to 90 guests are available.
Arabian heritage
Meetings planners wanting to kindle a sense of Arabian heritage on a grand scale could take a look at Dubailand’s Al Sahra Desert Resort set in 37 million square feet of undulating sand. About 30 minutes drive from the Dubai World Trade Centre, the multipurpose Arabian venue’s most prominent structure is the Al Sahra amphitheatre featuring a stage with tiered seating for 1,200 people, screened from behind by a large dune.
“It’s in the desert but in a protected space, there is wildlife such as the Arabian fox and gazelle,” says Lauren Cartwright, PR Manager, Jebel Ali Resorts and Hotels. “The facility is mainly an outdoor venue, there are limited indoor facilities including toilets but most of the set-up is outside in an Arabian seating environment.”
Various seating options are available and include add-on activities such as camel rides, henna painting and a desert camp set up in the evening.
One of Impact’s upcoming meetings is a five-day event to be held in a desert location. Some 60 delegates from around the world will start the day with an hour’s yoga session in the resort garden. A yoga teacher will salute the sun and each delegate gets a company-branded yoga mat.
Yoga in the desert? Now there’s something to write home about.
