Packed Qudwa Teachers’ Forum auditorium inside Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi

The Qudwa Global Teachers' Forum brought more than 800 educators from around the world to Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. Supported by the Education Affairs Office within the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, the forum was created to empower teachers, encourage professional exchange and contribute to the future of education.


The creative opportunity was to make one of Abu Dhabi's most formal venues behave like a working learning campus. Evolution developed the Qudwa brand and used it to connect the complete delegate experience, from the main auditorium and nine breakout spaces to corridor content, hospitality, outdoor terraces and offsite visits.


This shifted the emphasis away from a single stage. The forum identity became a practical tool for orientation, content continuity and community, helping educators understand how each part of the programme related to a shared purpose.

The Challenge


The scale of Emirates Palace could easily have made the programme feel dispersed. Six new breakout rooms had to be created inside the ballroom, with three additional rooms elsewhere in the venue, while more than 800 teachers moved between formal content, collaborative sessions, hospitality and external activities.


The experience also needed to accommodate senior dignitaries, international delegate travel, speaker content and multiple live environments. Every touchpoint had to carry sufficient authority for a high-profile forum without losing the openness required for teachers to participate and exchange ideas.

Expert Masterclass presenter engaging teachers within the orange Qudwa breakout space

The Solution


Evolution began with a flexible visual identity that could move between ceremonial, educational and social settings. In the ballroom, six fully customised breakout rooms created a venue within the venue, each with its own stage and backdrop but tied to the wider forum through a consistent graphic language. The main auditorium and three further breakout rooms extended the same identity across the palace.


The delegate journey continued outside scheduled sessions. Custom infographics turned the corridors into a layer of editorial content, while the buffet environments and furnished terraces created recognisable places for conversation. These settings were not treated as decorative additions; they provided the informal social infrastructure that allows professional relationships to develop between sessions.


Evolution managed the auditorium setup, AVL production and speaker content, alongside branded materials, floral details and the wider event environment. The published project scope also included travel for 800 international guests and offsite visits showcasing Abu Dhabi, requiring the event narrative and guest communication to extend beyond the venue itself.


For a programme of this type, Evolution's planning approach connects room use, content control, guest movement and venue access from the outset. At Qudwa, that integrated thinking allowed the palace to support a complex education programme while retaining a clear sense of welcome, purpose and shared identity.

Delivery Highlights


  • Creation and application of the Qudwa event brand across physical, printed and digital touchpoints.
  • A main conference auditorium supported by nine breakout environments.
  • Six fully customised breakout rooms constructed within the Emirates Palace ballroom.
  • Corridor infographics extending the learning narrative between sessions.
  • Full AVL production and coordination of speaker content.
  • Travel and delegate logistics for 800 international guests, including offsite visits.
  • Custom hospitality settings, terrace furniture, floral details and branded elements.
Meet the Mentor discussion with speakers and educators in a blue branded room

Outcome


Qudwa gave more than 800 educators a coherent route through plenary debate, focused workshops and informal exchange. The brand and spatial plan made a large palace environment easier to understand, while the workshop, corridor and hospitality settings kept learning visible beyond the main stage.


The lasting strength of the experience was its balance: formal enough for an international forum, yet sufficiently open and practical for educators to work, connect and contribute.

Project Ecosystem


Client:

Crown Prince Court


Evolution Events: Led the event strategy, brand development, delegate journey, production management, content coordination and live delivery.


Evolution Scenic: Fabricated and installed the customised stages, backdrops, breakout-room environments, auditorium elements and branded physical features.


Evolution Technical: Delivered the full AVL production supporting the main auditorium, presentations and breakout content.


Evolution Furniture: Provided the custom furniture and hospitality settings used across the outdoor terraces and delegate breakout areas.