Case Study

Hero Events conceptualised and delivered our first entirely in-house large-scale event in response to a growing demand for outdoor recreation and wellness-led gathering with the UAE’s inaugural Adventure Festival in Kalba, Sharja, from 14-15 December 2024.

In response to the growing demand for outdoor recreation and wellness-led gatherings in the UAE, Hero Events—a newly launched division of Hero Experiences Group, set out to conceptualise and deliver its first entirely in-house, large-scale event. The vision was to create a dynamic platform that brought together adventure seekers, wellness communities, families, and individuals eager to connect with nature through purposeful experiences.

Scheduled for December 2024, the event was strategically timed to coincide with the UAE's cooler months, when families and communities increasingly seek outdoor escapes and camping-based activities. The selected venues, Absolute Adventure Kalba Mountain Camp and Watersports Centre offered distinct natural settings: mountains for land-based challenges and a lagoon for water-based activities, allowing us to deliver a wide range of experiences across both terrains.

Our aim went beyond simply hosting an outdoor gathering. We set out to build a festival model demonstrating Hero Events' ability to produce impactful, experience-led programming while positioning Kalba as a long-term hub for nature-based recreation and wellness initiatives. Key challenges included coordinating operations across two distinct locations, designing a programme that appealed to multiple audience profiles, and activating meaningful brand partnerships—all within a compressed timeline.

Take a glimpse into the festival wrap video.

  • Collaborated with SLAW, the UAE's multi-awarded burger brand, to develop a health-conscious festival menu, including a signature burger crafted exclusively for the event. This activation highlighted our ability to design brand partnerships that seamlessly align with the festival's identity and ethos.
  • Brought on Cycle Hub, a leading UAE cycling brand, to provide premium bicycles and facilitate guided cycling sessions tailored to all skill levels, enriching the land-based adventure offering.
  • Co-designed water-based race challenges in partnership with Paddlers Hub, a respected watersports training centre, offering inclusive yet competitive kayak and paddleboarding experiences for children and adults.
  • Tapped into varied wellness, sports, and creative communities to co-create fitness, movement, art, and mindfulness workshops. Sessions were intentionally designed to be inclusive, adaptable, and age-appropriate, ensuring broad accessibility across the programme.
  • Developed custom sponsorship packages to help brands connect with engaged, values-aligned audiences. Each partnership was built around the brand's objectives, reinforcing the festival's community-driven focus and extending post-event impact.

  • Deployed a multidisciplinary team with expertise across event management, guest experience, F&B, safety, ticketing, and payments—overseeing all aspects from planning to on-site execution.
  • Successfully delivered the festival across two contrasting Kalba locations, requiring precise coordination of guest movement, crew deployment, and activity transitions.
  • Combined the knowledge of Absolute Adventure guides with an expert logistics team to manage on-the-ground communications, navigation, and technical oversight.
  • Arrived with support crews a day in advance to complete staging, implement safety systems, and test all equipment, ensuring a smooth and professional welcome for all attendees.

  • Designed the festival with a wide-ranging audience in mind—catering to families, solo travellers, wellness seekers, and athletes alike.
  • Curated a balanced mix of high-energy and restorative activities, from cycling, hiking, and kayaking to yoga, art sessions, and nature walks. Each session was co-developed with experts to ensure relevance across ages, abilities, and experience levels.
  • Offered tailored experiences that reflected different guest dynamics: families participated in hands-on sessions like water filtration, campfire cooking, and group workouts; couples explored partner-led wellness sessions, while adventurers took on more physically engaging land and water activities.
  • We ensured that each activity was scalable and flexible, empowering guests to engage at their own pace under the guidance of trained facilitators.
  • Created space for community engagement, exploration, and well-being—positioning the festival as a recreational event and a platform that supports active, inclusive lifestyles through thoughtful experience design.

The Adventure Festival, held on 14–15 December 2024, marked a significant milestone for Hero Events as its first entirely in-house, large-scale experience. Seamlessly delivered across the Absolute Adventure Kalba Mountain Camp and Watersports Centre, the event brought together a diverse audience of UAE-based outdoor and wellness enthusiasts. The programme ran smoothly across both sites, with strong coordination, partner alignment, and high engagement. Feedback from attendees and collaborators highlighted the quality of the experience design, the inclusivity of the activities, and the overall atmosphere of connection and purpose.

Beyond successful execution, the festival validated Kalba’s potential as a year-round hub for camping, nature-based recreation, and community programming. It also served as a strong proof of concept for Hero Events’ capability to deliver meaningful, values-led experiences rooted in wellness, sustainability, and exploration. Most importantly, it laid the groundwork for future collaborations with purpose-driven brands and communities, reaffirming our commitment to creating accessible, outdoor-led platforms that support active, connected living.

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