Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) said it has been awarded a prestigious global accolade for its stunning ‘Jewel of the Kingdom’ Royal Inauguration event held in partnership with events company Executive Visions Inc (EVI).
Beating out competition from major events produced by leading global brands such as Global Citizen, GmbH and BPI France, DGDA and EVI scooped the coveted Exceptional Event Award at the industry leading Heavent Awards.
A globally recognised ceremony, The Heavent Awards celebrates achievements by leading international experiential and event agencies from around the world. This is the first time since the pandemic began that the awards have been held, with entrants from 2020 and 2021 included in the 2022 competition.
Using first of its kind technologies and custom aerial props, EVI produced an epic world-class event featuring live performances, complex 3D projections on a 350-m mud brick wall, fireworks and a 100-piece symphony orchestra, said the statement from DGDA.
The centrepiece was a 38-minute film with an original score, produced using the techniques found in major feature filmmaking, it stated.
Representatives from both DGDA and EVI collected the accolade at a glittering ceremony in Paris held on Thursday night (April 21).
Attended by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the winning DGDA event was held to mark the first brick being laid on the $50.6 billion project to develop Diriyah, the birthplace of the modern Saudi Arabia and Unesco-inscribed heritage site, into a world-class cultural tourist destination.
DGDA Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo said: "To lead a project like Diriyah is both a wonderful privilege and a huge responsibility. I knew that, as we lay the first foundation stone at Diriyah soon after Saudi Arabia had opened its doors to the world, we had the expectation of a kingdom on our shoulders. We had to create an event that was befitting of such an historic moment and did justice to the high ambition of King Salman and HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose wisdom and foresight guide us every day."
The historic evening, which took place in November 2019, also positioned Diriyah as a flagship destination in the Kingdom’s new tourist offering, following Saudi Arabia’s landmark opening to global tourists just months before, he stated.
On The Heavent Awards honour, Inzerillo said: "Witnessing our vision being brought to life creatively by EVI and then seeing it being delivered through hours of work by everyone involved – from construction, design, and logistics to communications and guest services – was immensely rewarding for me personally."
"To receive this global award among such a prestigious field makes me incredibly proud. I dedicate this honour to the staff at DGDA and EVI who were integral in making it happen," he stated.
Michael Marto, Executive Vision Inc Chairman and CEO, said: "We at EVI and all of our extended teams around the world from over 50 nationalities were privileged to serve DGDA under the leadership of Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism and Inzerillo."
"To tell a story of this magnitude through the lens of broadcast in a Unesco World Heritage site where the history of Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula were born was a true honour. We couldn’t be more thrilled at the global recognition of this event.-TradeArabia News Service