Tokai Optical gala awards and product exhibition for 240 guests at Taj Business Bay
Purrple Orryx produced Tokai Optical's yearly gala awards at Taj Business Bay, Dubai, fitting 240 seated guests, a product exhibition and a networking area into one ballroom and foyer, with setup possible only on the morning of the event.
- Client
- Tokai Optical Co., Ltd.
- Industry
- Optical lens manufacturing (Japan)
- Event type
- Gala / awards night
- Venue
- Taj Business Bay
- City
- Dubai
- Guests
- 200 to 250
- Lead time
- Venue access only from the morning of the event
The brief
Tokai, the Japanese eyeglass lens maker, holds a yearly gala to honour its stakeholders, partners and associates. The evening combined an awards programme, entertainment and a product exhibition.
The challenges
240 guests in a tight ballroom
The ballroom had to seat 240 guests around an elaborate setup, leaving little room to move.
Exhibition and networking in the same space
More than 200 guests had to pass through the product exhibition to reach the networking area.
Business Bay rush hour
Arrivals from 7 PM onwards meant peak traffic around the hotel.
Venue booked the night before
The ballroom was occupied the previous evening, so the full build had to happen on event day.
What we did
Moved the bar out
We moved the beverage counter to the foyer and tightened aisles to gain seating without cramping guests.
Branded the hotel, not new walls
We wrapped existing walls and hotel fixtures in Tokai branding instead of adding structures, which freed the floor for networking.
Valet to the door
Valet was set up to drop guests directly at the event space rather than the main lobby.
Extra crew for a same-day build
Additional manpower let us complete staging, exhibition and decor in the hours available.
Exhibition in the corners
Product displays sat in corners and around the hotel's own exhibits to keep the centre open.
Scope of work
- Event consultancy
- Design and theme
- Staging and fabrication
- Exhibition setup
- Branding
- Lighting, audio and screens
- Entertainment
- Hostesses and guest management
- Table decor
- Show run and technical team
- Site survey
- Photo and video coverage
The outcome
The awards, exhibition and dinner ran to plan on a same-day build, and Tokai's marketing team said they looked forward to working with us again. Our takeaway for similar events: when a client-chosen ballroom is tight for the guest count, we now propose alternative venues early.
Video
FAQs
Can a gala dinner and a product exhibition share one hotel ballroom in Dubai?
Yes, with space planning. For Tokai Optical at Taj Business Bay we moved the bar to the foyer, used existing walls for branding and placed displays in corners to seat 240 guests alongside an exhibition.
How do you manage a same-day build when the venue is booked the night before?
We bring in additional crew for the install window, as we did for Tokai Optical's gala.
