In this episode, Paul Berger, CEO of Arena Events Group, shares his journey from the advertising world of 1990s Dubai to leading one of the world’s premier event infrastructure companies. From launching the city’s first indoor karting facility to developing Dubai Autodrome and scaling Arena globally, Paul has played a pivotal role in shaping the event landscape.

He opens up about the surprising differences between global event markets—especially how the Middle East consistently outpaces the US and UK in event quality and guest expectations.

Paul also unpacks the power of long-term partnerships in the industry and reveals Arena’s plans to move beyond seasonal events and into semi-permanent, game-changing structures.

Whether you're in events, hospitality, or just curious about how world-class experiences are built, this episode is packed with insight, inspiration and a masterclass in global scale-up strategy.

Podcast Rundown

• Arrival and early days in Dubai.
• Dubai AutoDrome and F1.
• Joining Harlequin and partnering with Arena.
• Arena's expansion throughout Middle East and Asia.
• Key market differentials and quality gap.
• Importance of long-term partnerships over transactional relationships.
• Health of Dubai's events industry.
• Arena's future plans.

Production Credits:

Presented by: Ian Carless
Studio Engineer & Editor: Roy D'Monte
Executive Producers: Ian Carless & Joe Morrison
Produced by: EventNewsDXB & W4 Podcast Studio

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