UAE Official 52nd Union Day Celebrations

The Union Day Show is the UAE’s most significant annual event, and for the 2023 edition, we were honoured to be selected by the National Projects Office to bring it to life. With the UAE hosting COP28, the world’s attention was fixed on Dubai, presenting a unique opportunity to showcase leadership in sustainability. Our goal was ambitious: to model environmental best practices at every stage of production.

Our mission was to deliver the most sustainable Union Day Show to date. Partnering with The Bulb, a renowned events sustainability consultancy, we developed a comprehensive strategy with clear KPIs and data collection methods to monitor and adapt progress in real time. Beyond operational goals, we fostered a transformative culture by making sustainability a shared responsibility across teams. This approach empowered hundreds of events professionals to adopt sustainable practices that would ripple across the industry.

The 52nd Union Day Show was hosted at Dubai’s Expo City, alongside COP28. Its narrative artfully linked the UAE’s ancestral heritage with the vision of a sustainable global future, inspiring viewers to see their role in shaping this reality. Directed by Es Devlin, the Show captivated thousands of in-person guests and reached millions through a live broadcast.

Our commitment to sustainability enabled us to exceed key targets, achieving a 17.7% smaller carbon footprint than 2022 and 64% smaller than 2021—making it the most sustainable Show to date.

Additionally, we certified the event to ISO 20121, the leading global standard for sustainable events. This milestone empowered our client to advocate for sustainable practices across future programmes.

The 52nd Union Day Show wasn’t just a celebration; it was a rallying cry, inspiring audiences and the events industry to create lasting impact.