Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award 2024 — Event Branding & Environmental Design
A prestigious and immersive brand experience designed to celebrate business excellence, innovation, and operational leadership across Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
Overview: The Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award (SKEA) is an annual initiative organised by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) to recognise outstanding business performance, strategic thinking, and operational productivity. The 21st edition, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, honoured seven exceptional companies for their leadership, innovation, and contribution to Abu Dhabi’s knowledge-based economy.
For the 2024 ceremony, executed in collaboration with Al Sayegh Group, the challenge was to translate the prestige of the award into a cohesive and immersive event experience. As one of the main senior designers on the project, I led the creation of the visual and environmental branding, ensuring every touchpoint reflected excellence, innovation, and sophistication.
My role: Senior Designer — event branding, environmental graphics, collateral design, digital screen design, stage design, wayfinding, ceremonial, and printed materials.
Challenge: The main challenge was scale, sophistication, and cultural resonance: designing a consistent visual identity that could unify large-scale environmental graphics, digital displays, ceremonial materials, and intimate details like seating and speech cards. The branding needed to convey prestige, innovation, and operational excellence while serving a practical function for thousands of attendees, dignitaries, and media representatives. The design also had to reflect the forward-looking vision of Abu Dhabi’s economy and the award’s focus on sustainable business practices.
Deliverables: Event branding system, stage and digital screen designs, branding walls, media walls, reception and concierge desk signage, directional/parking/restroom signage, display panels for winners’ achievements, invitation design, event map, winners’ booklet, winners’ boxes, ribbons, seating cards, speech cards, tote bags, flags, certificates, winner postcards, and other ceremonial collateral.
Outcome: The 2024 Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award ceremony was brought to life through a cohesive and immersive visual and spatial identity that celebrated business excellence and innovation. The event’s design elevated the prestige of the award, enhanced the guest experience, and visually reinforced the award’s alignment with Abu Dhabi’s forward-looking economic vision. Each winner’s achievement was highlighted in a way that combined sophistication, clarity, and cultural relevance, leaving a lasting impression on attendees, dignitaries, and the wider community.
Want to turn large-scale ceremonies into immersive brand experiences? Email me! — I design event identities that connect prestige, innovation, and culture at every scale.
