Launched in late November 2023, the Heriot-Watt University Climate Hub operated for two weeks alongside COP28 in Dubai. The initiative was created as a platform for international dialogue, new partnerships and practical discussion around the global climate challenge.

The attendance of His Majesty King Charles III underlined the profile of the programme, but the environment also needed to work across many days for a wider community of speakers, partners and attendees.

Evolution approached the hub as a temporary climate commons: a setting that could feel credible for high-level participation while remaining open, legible and welcoming enough for repeated conversation and collaboration.

The Challenge

A two-week event has different demands from a single conference day. Scenic elements, furniture, signage and collateral need to remain durable and consistent, while the environment must support changing programme content and a steady flow of stakeholders.

The COP28 context also placed the hub among a dense field of climate initiatives. It needed a distinct and professional identity capable of communicating Heriot-Watt University's role without relying on excessive visual treatment.

High-profile attendance increased the requirement for a polished setup, clear wayfinding and dependable venue operations.

The Solution

Evolution developed a cohesive creative treatment across furniture, backdrops, signage and decorative components. These elements transformed the venue into a recognisable hub while preserving the flexibility required for different discussions and partnership activity over the two-week programme.

The visual approach focused on clear communication and an inviting atmosphere. Backdrops and branding established identity at key viewpoints, while furniture supported both formal discussion and less structured conversation between sessions.

Brochures, banners and supporting collateral carried the same language beyond the principal spaces, helping attendees understand the initiative and navigate its content. Media coverage documented the programme and extended its visibility within the wider COP28 conversation.

Evolution coordinated the setup and ongoing operations around the programme's high standards, allowing the environment to remain consistent as participants, activities and daily requirements changed.

Delivery Highlights

• Two-week Climate Hub delivered alongside COP28 in Dubai.
• Event environment supporting international climate dialogue and partnership building.
• Scenic backdrops, signage, decorative components and branded features.
• Furniture for formal and informal discussion settings.
• Brochures, banners and collateral supporting communication and visibility.
• Media coverage across the initiative.
• Venue setup and operational support for a high-profile programme.

Outcome

The Climate Hub provided Heriot-Watt University with a clear and adaptable physical presence during COP28. Its environment could host prominent visitors and formal discussions while continuing to support everyday exchange across the full two-week period.

The result was a platform that felt established rather than temporary, giving climate dialogue, partnership and university-led expertise a consistent place within a crowded international programme.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Heriot-Watt University

Evolution Events: Led creative development, project management, collateral, media coordination, venue setup and ongoing event operations.

Evolution Scenic: Designed and installed backdrops, signage, branded features and decorative environmental elements.

Evolution Furniture: Provided furniture supporting formal meetings, partnership discussions and informal conversation areas.

Held from 19 to 21 March 2019 at Saadiyat Rotana, Ghadan 21 - The Gathering brought leading urban-planning and architecture experts together to develop six projects for the future of Abu Dhabi. The three-day programme concluded with final presentations and an awards ceremony.

This was not a conference about innovation; it was an event in which participants were expected to produce it. Evolution transformed the ballroom into a working studio where teams could draw, model, test and refine ideas, while still supporting plenary discussion, stakeholder engagement and formal presentation.

The experience was designed around productive behaviour. Furniture, technology, spatial zoning and live support were selected for the work participants needed to complete rather than for a conventional conference layout.

The Challenge

Six project teams needed distinct working territories, practical tools and sustained access to technical support over three days. At the same time, the ballroom had to accommodate speeches, panels, shared discussion and the final presentation and awards programme.

The project also involved invitations, badging, gift bags, catering, hostesses and liaison with DPM, The Agency and participating experts. These services needed to remain responsive to a workshop process in which requirements could evolve as ideas developed.

The Solution

Custom workshop tables and furniture gave each team a defined base for collaboration. Large-screen Wacom drawing tablets, plotter printers and specialised modelling supplies allowed participants to move directly from discussion into visual development without leaving the event environment.

The ballroom layout maintained a relationship between individual work and the collective programme. Team zones supported concentration, while the auditorium, stage and shared circulation kept the six projects connected to one wider urban vision.

A complete pre-function and ballroom fit-out, including carpeting, staging and custom decorative elements, gave the temporary studio a considered identity appropriate to senior public-sector stakeholders. Full AV and truss systems supported both working sessions and formal presentations.

Evolution coordinated badging, invitations, gifts, catering, hostesses, documentation and stakeholder communication over the three days. The operational plan was built around the workshop rhythm, allowing support teams and technical resources to respond as the projects progressed.

Delivery Highlights

• Three-day workshop, plenary and awards environment at Saadiyat Rotana.
• Six project workstreams supported within one adaptable ballroom.
• Custom workshop tables, furniture and decorative elements.
• Large-screen Wacom drawing tablets, plotter printers and modelling supplies.
• Full AV, truss, carpeting, staging and pre-function fit-out.
• Delegate badging, invitations, gift bags and onsite support.
• Catering, hostess management, documentation and stakeholder coordination.

Outcome

The Gathering gave six teams the practical conditions to develop ideas rather than simply discuss them. The environment supported concentration at the worktable, access to specialist tools and moments of collective focus when teams returned to the shared stage.

By the final evening, the ballroom had carried the projects through their complete cycle - from early collaboration and visual development to presentation and recognition.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities (DPM)

Evolution Events: Led the event strategy, spatial planning, workshop infrastructure, delegate services, stakeholder coordination and three-day live operation.

Evolution Scenic: Delivered the stage, pre-function fit-out, carpeting, decorative elements and physical workshop environment.

Evolution Technical: Provided the full AV and truss solution, Wacom drawing systems, plotter printers and technical support for working sessions and presentations.

Evolution Furniture: Built and supplied the custom workshop tables and furniture supporting the six project teams.

Kennedy London engaged Evolution to deliver scenic fabrication and installation for the Forever Valentino exhibition at M7 Doha in 2023.

The exhibition celebrated Valentino’s history through the relationship between the fashion house, Rome and the designer’s career. Evolution’s role was to translate supplied creative concepts into technically resolved, transportable and exhibition-ready scenic environments.

The physical response needed to carry the scale and romance of Roman references while meeting the precision, finish and durability expected of an international fashion exhibition.

The Challenge

Architectural and sculptural concepts created for an exhibition are not automatically buildable. Each element required fabrication drawings, technical calculations, structural development and careful material selection before it could be produced safely.

The work was fabricated in the UAE and shipped to Qatar. Packing, transport and reinstallation therefore had to be considered within the engineering process so the completed scenic features would arrive with their finish and geometry protected.

The Solution

Evolution developed detailed fabrication drawings and technical calculations for the exhibition package, creating a controlled route from supplied design intent into construction and installation.

A representation of Rome’s Colosseum formed a principal centrepiece, combining structural stability with a contemporary exhibition finish. A recreated statue provided another sculptural focal point, while additional displays referenced significant moments in Valentino’s history.

Metalwork, timber framing and specialised fabrics were selected to create varied textures and forms suited to the exhibition’s meeting of modern presentation and historical reference.

Evolution developed a coordinated cross-border delivery approach, managing fabrication in the UAE, international logistics and onsite installation in Qatar. Through detailed preparation and controlled reassembly, each component was delivered with its intended finish, alignment and visual quality preserved

Delivery Highlights

• Scenic fabrication and installation for Forever Valentino at M7 Doha.
• Complete fabrication drawings and technical calculations.
• Large-scale representation of Rome’s Colosseum.
• Recreated sculptural statue as an exhibition centrepiece.
• Additional scenic displays referencing Valentino’s history.
• Metal, timber framing and specialised fabric construction.
• Fabrication in the UAE and cross-border shipping to Qatar.

Outcome

The completed scenic package gave the exhibition an architectural and sculptural framework capable of carrying Valentino’s relationship with Rome and its own fashion heritage.

Visitors encountered an environment in which historic references were not confined to graphics or text. They were built into the scale, texture and physical form of the exhibition itself.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Kennedy London

Evolution Events: Led Kennedy London coordination, cross-border logistics, installation planning and delivery integration at M7 Doha.

Evolution Scenic: Delivered the fabrication drawings, calculations, Colosseum, sculptural displays, specialist finishes, shipping preparation and onsite installation.

Evolution Events partnered with Fertiglobe to deliver its 2025 Capital Markets Day at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre. The brief called for a professional investor environment that could communicate the company's progress, initiatives and long-term direction with clarity.

The event was organised as a journey from exploration into presentation. Before entering the ballroom, investors encountered Fertiglobe's story through a customised pre-function installation; inside, the focus shifted to management-led content and structured financial communication.

This sequence gave the brand more than one way to communicate, allowing attendees to explore information independently before engaging with the formal programme.

The Challenge

Capital-markets audiences expect information to be accurate, accessible and efficiently presented. The environment needed to support detailed corporate content without becoming visually dense or overly promotional.

The pre-function space had to create a strong first impression while communicating six key elements of the Fertiglobe story. Digital interaction, infographics and physical branding needed to work together as one information experience.

Inside the Al Gurm Ballroom, the presentation setting required a more disciplined tone, with clear sightlines, professional branding and furniture planned around management delivery and investor attention.

The Solution

Evolution designed and built a customised pre-function structure organised around Fertiglobe's six key elements.

Branded panels and infographics provided an immediate overview, while digital screens and an interactive LED touchscreen allowed investors to move deeper into milestones, initiatives and long-term vision at their own pace.

The structure transformed arrival into an editorial experience rather than a waiting area. Information was layered across physical and digital formats, giving attendees different entry points according to their interest and available time.

Inside the Al Gurm Ballroom, tailored branding and a clear spatial layout supported management-led presentations. Furniture and floor planning balanced comfort, atmosphere and direct visual focus on the content.

Evolution coordinated concept, fabrication, technical integration, furniture and installation so the exploratory pre-function environment and formal ballroom programme felt like two stages of the same investor journey.

Delivery Highlights

• Capital Markets Day delivered at Abu Dhabi Energy Centre.
• Custom pre-function structure communicating six key Fertiglobe elements.
• Branded panels, infographics and digital screens.
• Interactive LED touchscreen presenting milestones, initiatives and long-term vision.
• Tailored branding for management-led presentations in Al Gurm Ballroom.
• Considered furniture selection and audience floor planning.
• Integrated concept, production and onsite installation.

Outcome

The event gave investors a clear progression from self-directed exploration into formal management communication. The pre-function environment introduced Fertiglobe's story in layers, while the ballroom converted that context into a focused presentation experience.

By separating discovery from delivery without disconnecting them, the event made complex corporate information easier to absorb and gave the company's long-term vision a confident physical expression.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Fertiglobe

Evolution Events: Led the investor-journey concept, content-environment planning, project management, installation and live-event delivery.

Evolution Scenic: Designed and fabricated the customised pre-function structure, branded panels, infographic features and ballroom branding.

Evolution Technical: Integrated digital screens, the interactive LED touchscreen and presentation technology.

Evolution Furniture: Provided the ballroom furniture package and supported the audience floor-plan requirements.

ENACT Majlis brought more than 110 VIP leaders, policymakers and decision-makers together for invitation-only discussions on climate, technology and energy. The conference was conceived in a majlis format, prioritising comfort, proximity and strategic exchange over the conventions of a large auditorium.

Evolution's task was to create an environment in which influential participants could contribute freely across several rooms while still experiencing one coherent event. The design needed to feel discreet and hospitable, but technically capable of carrying complex content and simultaneous conversations.

The resulting format treated dialogue as the central experience. Scenic design, content, audio systems and hospitality were organised around the quality of the exchange rather than around spectacle.

The Challenge

A closed-door conference depends on intimacy and audibility. More than 40 handheld microphones were required to support discussion across multiple rooms, while over 160 square metres of LED walls had to present content without making the majlis feel like a conventional broadcast studio.

The event also required substantial technical infrastructure, including a large ground-support rigging system, room transformations, custom carpeting and a dedicated VIP group-photo platform. These elements needed to work together without interrupting the calm and composed character of the setting.

A private VIP dinner at Em Sherif in Rosewood Abu Dhabi added a separate hospitality experience on the evening before the conference, requiring continuity in service and guest management across both occasions.

The Solution

Evolution transformed the space into a series of connected discussion areas designed to encourage open dialogue and collaboration. Custom carpeting and full room transformations softened the conference environment, creating a more intimate and welcoming setting while maintaining clear circulation and visibility between participants.

The technical delivery was designed around the interactive nature of the majlis format. A backstage-operated system of more than 40 handheld microphones enabled delegates to contribute seamlessly from their seats, supporting a more open and conversational style of discussion.

The 160-square-metre LED installation provided a clear visual platform for supporting content while complementing the overall room environment. Tailored screen content reinforced the ENACT narrative under ADNOC, providing a consistent visual reference throughout the discussions.

A bespoke VIP group-photo platform created a formal moment of recognition and documentation while remaining aligned with the wider event environment.

Evolution also managed the pre-event dinner, extending the guest journey beyond the formal programme and creating an opportunity for relationship-building before the closed-door discussions began.

Delivery Highlights

• Invitation-only conference for more than 110 VIP leaders and policymakers.
• More than 160 square metres of LED walls across the event.
• Ground-support rigging system carrying substantial technical loads.
• More than 40 handheld microphones supporting multi-room dialogue.
• Complete room transformations, custom carpeting and VIP photo platform.
• Custom ENACT screen content aligned with the conference narrative.
• Private pre-event VIP dinner at Em Sherif, Rosewood Abu Dhabi.

Outcome

ENACT Majlis gave a high-level policy audience the conditions for focused and direct exchange. Technology remained present and capable, but the room continued to feel conversational rather than performative.

By connecting the private dinner, majlis environment and multi-room technical system, the event supported both relationship building and structured dialogue within one discreet guest experience.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

ADNOC

Evolution Events: Led the turnkey concept, operational management, content production, VIP dinner, hospitality coordination and live conference delivery.

Evolution Scenic: Delivered the room transformations, custom carpeting and bespoke VIP group-photo platform.

Evolution Technical: Provided the LED walls, ground-support rigging, microphones, audiovisual systems and technical integration across the discussion rooms.

Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2019 brought 450 delegates from 90 countries together under the theme Cultural Responsibility and New Technology. Panels, performances and workshops were delivered across Manarat Al Saadiyat, the Cultural Foundation, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Island.

The strategic task was to create cohesion without imposing uniformity. Each location had its own architecture, atmosphere and programme role; the summit needed to be recognisable everywhere while still allowing those differences to contribute to the experience.

Evolution developed an adaptable event language across branding, scenic design, staging, furniture and collateral. The city and its cultural venues became part of the delegate journey rather than simply a collection of locations.

The Challenge

Every movement between venues risked weakening the summit identity. Delegates encountered different entrances, room types, technical conditions and operational teams, while the programme itself moved between intellectual debate, live performance and participatory workshops.

Each location also brought specific HSE protocols, access requirements and physical restrictions. Supporting 450 international delegates required a delivery structure capable of maintaining creative consistency while responding to local conditions at each site.

The Solution

Evolution created a design system that could be adapted rather than copied. Branding, event collateral and recurring visual cues established recognition, while scenic and furniture treatments were adjusted to the architecture and function of each space.

Manarat Al Saadiyat acted as a principal gathering point for panels, workshops and delegate interaction. Other venues expanded the cultural narrative through different settings, allowing the summit to move through Abu Dhabi's cultural landscape without feeling fragmented.

Spatial planning supported the shift between listening, discussion, performance and hospitality. This gave each programme format an appropriate atmosphere while maintaining a consistent standard of presentation and guest experience.

Evolution expanded the delivery team to address venue-specific HSE protocols, restrictions and logistics. Central coordination ensured that decisions made at one location remained aligned with the summit's wider identity, schedule and delegate communication.

Delivery Highlights

• Event design and production for 450 delegates from 90 countries.
• Programme across Manarat Al Saadiyat, the Cultural Foundation, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Island.
• Adaptive scenic, staging and branding approach tailored to each venue.
• Furniture and spatial planning for panels, workshops, performances and hospitality.
• Custom event collateral maintaining continuity across locations.
• Expanded delivery team addressing venue-specific HSE protocols and restrictions.
• Central logistics and production coordination across the multi-venue programme.

Outcome

Delegates experienced Culture Summit as one programme carried through several distinct cultural settings. The changing venues added texture and context, while the adaptable identity ensured that every arrival still felt connected to the summit's theme and community.

The result was not uniformity, but continuity - a shared event character strong enough to travel across the city without erasing the qualities of each venue.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism

Evolution Events: Led the multi-venue strategy, delegate journey, design coordination, production management, logistics and live delivery.

Evolution Scenic: Delivered the customised scenic, staging and branded environments adapted to each cultural venue.

Evolution Furniture: Provided furniture supporting panels, workshops, performances, delegate interaction and hospitality across the summit programme.