logo
Blink Experience Reinstates the Glory of NEOM through Milestone Events

Blink Experience Reinstates the Glory of NEOM through Milestone Events

Associated Press19 hours ago
Blink Experience partners with NEOM to deliver milestone events in sustainability, sports, and innovation, inspiring global growth and collaboration.
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, August 13, 2025 / EINPresswire.com / -- NEOM joined hands with Blink Experience to create waves in innovation, sustainability, and adventure sports. The powerful collaboration gave rise to milestone events that reflected the pioneering approach of NEOM. From advocating eco-conscious ways, creating an eco-system of knowledge sharing, and bringing out the next generation of sports stars, Blink put in their best efforts to bring the vision of NEOM to life, strengthening its position as a global icon of development in various areas of life.
SIMEC 2024
SIMEC 2024, the four-day event at Riyadh, focused on addressing the issue of scarcity of resources through sustainable aquaculture. Bringing together 120 exhibitors from 35 countries and 15,000 exhibition visitors, it created a dynamic platform of collaboration and a sustainable model of food production.
Harry Speers, Project Lead of Blink Experience, said, 'We are at SIMEC here in Riyadh, for Topian at NEOM. It is great to come along and execute the future-to-table activation and stand for the Topian, the NEOM Food Company, here at SIMEC. It has been amazing to see why NEOM and Topian are trying to revolutionize the future of marine life fish. The most sustainable option is to grow marine protein. Fisheries play an important role in it. NEOM is going to be at the forefront of that. We, at Blink Experience, are super excited to be part of NEOM's growth and development.'
Knowledge Week
Knowledge Week, an integral part of Knowledge Management at NEOM, was all about embracing a strong culture of innovation and continuous learning. Spanning across 25 live events in eight unique venues, the event united industry experts and leaders. It was a moment of inspiration as they joined hands, exchanged ideas, and broadened our horizons. The valuable insights that came out from the powerful speeches and panel discussions inspired all leaving them with fresh perspectives and unique ideas. The attendees were also given around 900 keepsakes as tokens of the event.
The Blink Experience team had the responsibility of launching the event. According to Harry Speers, there were multiple challenges along the way. But the team executed everything, from brainstorming to planning with finesse. The smiles on the faces of clients, participants, and speakers made the efforts truly worthwhile. He added, 'It is great to see new events coming up that help the community and region grow. A unique system is being developed where the members can log on, educate each other, and find stakeholders and people with expertise in areas that they are looking to expand their projects in. Knowledge week is here to build that brand and integrate that system into the Nemo community and hit the ground running. And we are proud to be a part of it.'
NEOM Beach Games
The second edition of NEOM Beach Games was truly spectacular. Just like the last time, the third edition of NEOM Beach Games was also coordinated by the experts of Blink Experience at locations such as Gayal Beach and Bajdah Desert. 800 best athletes from the world participated in this event and showed unparalleled skills and performance in five sports competitions, ranging from Super League Triathlon, Titan Desert Saudi Arabia, Beach Soccer Cup, FIBA 3×3 Challenger 2023, to IFSC Masters. Beyond the spectacle and showcase of grit and resilience, it was a celebration of world-class sport that truly shattered boundaries.
Nora Alsaif, Senior Account Manager of Blink Experience said, 'Blink Experience is a valuable partner of 3rd edition of Beach games. Under the category of Umbrella Beach, we have been assigned with 6 projects. Last year, a team of 12 members delivered 3 events. This time, 87 team members delivered 7 events. Operating in different scenarios within NEOM was a major challenge. We managed to live at the beach and deliver events. Now we are in the middle of the desert living between mountains. It was summer a week ago and now it is winter. It is raining and freezing. So it is a challenging yet exciting environment.'
The Path Ahead
As NEOM continues to make a difference on a global scale, Blink Experience remains a trusted partner, curating immersive events that inspire community and society at large.
Analytics SODP
State of Digital Publishing
+61 431 059 620
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Rugby club 'delighted' after announcing new two-year kit deal
Rugby club 'delighted' after announcing new two-year kit deal

Yahoo

time32 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Rugby club 'delighted' after announcing new two-year kit deal

A rugby club in Carlisle has said that it is 'delighted' after announcing a new multi-year kit partnership with local car dealer. Creighton Rugby Club (RUFC) has announced that it has entered into a partnership with Wigton Road Car Sales. This partnership will see the club wear match kit, warm-up tops, and training gear bearing the Wigton Road Car Sales logo for the next two years, until 2027. (Image: Supplied) After the partnership was announced, Creighton RUFC chair John Rogers was on hand to express his delight. He said: "We are so grateful to Richard and his team for their support; we are an amateur sports club and all we want to do is provide the opportunity for men, women and children to join the rugby family. "But that comes at a cost and we rely to a great degree on partnerships like this."

Scalare Partners named finalist for "Startup Investor of the Year" at the prestigious "Startup Daily Best in Tech Awards"
Scalare Partners named finalist for "Startup Investor of the Year" at the prestigious "Startup Daily Best in Tech Awards"

Yahoo

time32 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Scalare Partners named finalist for "Startup Investor of the Year" at the prestigious "Startup Daily Best in Tech Awards"

SYDNEY, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ASX-listed tech investment & advisory firm Scalare Partners has been announced as a finalist in the Startup Investor of the Year category at the prestigious 2025 Startup Daily Best in Tech Awards. The recognition highlights Scalare's innovative ecosystem-driven investment philosophy that transcends traditional capital deployment to build comprehensive support networks for emerging technology companies. Through its integrated portfolio of owned platforms including Tech Ready Women, Startblock, InHouse Ventures, and the Australian Technologies Competition, Scalare creates a dynamic circular economy for innovation that generates sustainable revenue and reinvests capital into high-potential founders. Carolyn Breeze, CEO of Scalare Partners, said: "We don't just back startups, we build them. Our disruptive model demonstrates that capital alone doesn't scale companies, ecosystems do. We've created a fully integrated support network that helps founders grow faster and smarter through strategic technology partnerships." Since January 2024, Scalare has executed six strategic investments in post-revenue, technology-led startups with global scaling potential, with investment amounts typically ranging from $100,000 to $1.5 million. Recent breakthrough investments include Circadian Health Innovations, a cutting-edge digital health platform leveraging artificial intelligence to optimize shift work productivity; Brauz, a revolutionary connected retail technology company bridging online and in-store shopping experiences; Catalyser, an advanced enterprise social impact platform; and BetterX, a Singapore-based B2B digital asset platform. The company has also made strategic ecosystem investments, including the transformative acquisition of Tank Stream Labs and a $1.3 million acquisition of InHouse Ventures in March 2025. Scalare deepened its partnership with Silicon Catalyst US in May 2025, extending access to global deeptech and semiconductor networks for portfolio companies. Scalare's portfolio companies have achieved significant milestones following strategic investment. Brauz secured a national rollout with one of Australia's largest retail brands, while BetterX completed a successful $2.3 million pre-Series A funding round in March 2025 to support expansion into Asia, the Middle East, and the United States. The company's commitment to diversity and inclusion sets it apart in the competitive venture capital landscape. Tech Ready Women has supported over 11,000 women across eight years, with 800+ female founders completing accelerator programs. Scalare's leadership team, including female CEO, Chair, and CFO, reflects this commitment to building equality in the technology ecosystem. With 18,000+ founders across its ecosystem and 400+ startups supported annually, Scalare provides retail investors unique access to early-stage investing without traditional capital lockups or the impending 30% tax liabilities that are likely to deter many investors from this category. The Startup Daily Best in Tech Awards celebrate excellence in Australia's technology sector, recognizing companies and individuals driving innovation and growth across the startup ecosystem. Please contact David Sharaz for any interview requests: 0480 097 479 Scalare Partners Holdings Limited (ASX: SCP, exists to empower visionary technology founders to transform their ideas into the great businesses of tomorrow. As a dynamic force in the tech startup landscape, we offer a range of products and services to support all founders as they scale their early-stage businesses. We are deeply involved in the broader technology ecosystem, driving change through impactful initiatives such as the Tech Ready Women and the Australian Technologies Competition, where we partner with government and corporates to support and promote the most promising technology businesses and founders. Our focus extends to working with female and culturally diverse founders, addressing the unique challenges they encounter in fundraising and scaling their businesses. This engagement not only enriches the tech landscape but also creates lucrative revenue and investment opportunities for Scalare Partners. At the heart of our business model is the provision of products and services and expert advice tailored to the specific needs of early-stage businesses. We also provide direct investment into selected outstanding businesses and with a current emphasis on the Australian and USA technology sectors, we are building a portfolio spanning across diverse geographies, including Australia, USA, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, and Europe. Scalare Partners is not just an investor; we are architects of growth, collaborators in innovation, and catalysts for positive change in the technology landscape. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Scalare Partners Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Dubai Basketball and its meteoric rise to EuroLeague: ‘This is a story from a movie'
Dubai Basketball and its meteoric rise to EuroLeague: ‘This is a story from a movie'

New York Times

time35 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Dubai Basketball and its meteoric rise to EuroLeague: ‘This is a story from a movie'

Dubai attracting skilled workers from Europe and North America is nothing new. With approximately 3.9 million residents, fewer than 10 percent are Emirati citizens, according to a 2024 government report. But the city of skyscrapers in the United Arab Emirates has never been a magnet for basketball players. At least not until last year. Advertisement Formed less than two years ago, Dubai Basketball will begin playing next month in the EuroLeague, widely considered the second-best basketball competition in the world, and is the first sports team based in the Emirate to compete in an international league. Dejan Kamenjašević is one of the leading characters in this meteoric sporting rise. A Bosnian who grew up in Spain, the 50-year-old arrived in Dubai 11 years ago with an ambition to grow the sport and eventually build a franchise that would compete at the highest level. 'At that time, people were laughing at me and joking with me, and I was a crazy guy who is saying some nonsense things,' Kamenjašević told The Athletic. 'But time sometimes puts everyone in our place.' How did Kamenjašević achieve his dream so quickly? And will the franchise transform basketball in the Middle East and beyond? After all, players from the NBA and some top European teams have already been recruited. Kamenjašević, now Dubai Basketball's general manager, had enjoyed a successful career as both a player and coach before relocating to Dubai. His last job before moving to the Middle East was as an assistant coach at EuroLeague club Baskonia in Spain's Basque Country. In September 2014, Kamenjašević set up a basketball academy in his new home city with his friend Bojan Bajec, Dubai Basketball's technical director. 'We first had two kids outside in 45 degrees in the park, and this is how it really all starts,' Kamenjašević recalled. Two years later, 300 children were training with the academy. The pair collaborated with schools, too. Kamenjašević's vision then got bigger. He gave an interview to local media saying Dubai could one day have a team in the EuroLeague which, much like the Champions League is to soccer on the continent, is the pinnacle of European basketball. This season, 20 of Europe's best teams, which also take part in their domestic leagues, will compete against each other. Advertisement The possibility of forming a club became more realistic when Kamenjašević was introduced to Emirati businessman Abdullah Al Naboodah in 2020 via mutual friend Ahmed bin Sulayem, a basketball enthusiast and CEO of the multinational logistics company DP (Dubai Ports) World. 'When you make a deal with Abdullah Al Naboodah, who is from one of the most influential families in Dubai and one of the most influential families in UAE, with very strong connections with the royal family, everything is easier, but everything is more difficult as well,' Kamenjašević said of the man who has held various positions in Dubai sports. 'Everything is easier from the perspective of the sky's the limit, but also you have a lot more responsibility and a lot more work to do, because it is not the same working for Abdullah than for anyone else here in Dubai. Abdullah is asking only for excellent results.' The stars began to align when the 17,000-seat Coca-Cola Arena opened in June 2019, later becoming the franchise's first home. With an arena and an investment in place, they were granted a three-year ABA League license in January 2024, a competition consisting of clubs from southeastern Europe — Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia — and also two EuroLeague heavyweights in Red Star Belgrade and KK Partizan. Dubai Basketball then had nine months to spring into life, a task which felt almost impossible to Kamenjašević. Everything came down to the wire ahead of the first game against the league's reigning champions, Red Star, on Sept. 22, 2024. Until the eve of the first game, the court was still being adjusted to fit regulations. The reason the team wears black and white jerseys? That is all kit manufacturer Adidas could manage at such short notice. 'This is a story from a movie, and it shows that in Dubai, miracles can happen,' Kamenjašević said. Kamenjašević managed to assemble a strong roster. Dāvis Bertāns joined after an eight-year career in the NBA, and former ABA League MVP Kenan Kamenjaš was recruited from Budućnost in Montenegro. Head coach Jurica Golemac told The Athletic the opening game was a 'dream come true.' The win, he said, gave them belief. Dubai beat Red Star 86-84 in what was the standout moment of an inaugural season where they finished third in the league with a 25-5 record and advanced to the playoff semifinals. 'The first game was pretty emotional, because we didn't know what to expect with the fans, with the gym and with our team, even though we played preparation games,' Golemac said. What awaits Dubai Basketball next month will be an altogether different test given they have been catapulted into the expanded EuroLeague, which consists of storied franchises such as Spain's 11-time winners Real Madrid and Greece's Panathinaikos, a team filled with ex-NBA talent. Thirteen clubs are EuroLeague shareholders (although CSKA Moscow are currently suspended due to international sanctions against Russia). Dubai were among five wildcards approved in June — meaning they didn't have to go through the usual qualification route — and were given a five-year license, two years longer than the others. Advertisement For the EuroLeague itself, which began discussions with Dubai in 2022, the franchise was an appealing potential partner. In a statement, EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejūnas told The Athletic the five-year license would provide Dubai Basketball with long-term stability and reflected not only the league's commitment to 'supporting sustainable, strategic growth in emerging markets' but the unique nature of the 'Dubai project' and its aim of becoming a 'key driver of basketball development in the UAE.' Joining the EuroLeague while the NBA seeks to expand in Europe could be seen as risky. Have Dubai backed the wrong horse? 'Any other partner who wants to come to Europe in the future needs to come with EuroLeague and with all 20 of their teams currently with a long-term license,' Kamenjašević said. Roster building has continued this summer and will be key to the team's success given they are set to play multiple times a week. Former NBA players Dwayne Bacon, Justin Anderson and McKinley Wright IV have joined, as has Džanan Musa, EuroLeague champion and the 29th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, from Real Madrid. Being able to offer EuroLeague basketball makes Dubai appealing to players, so attracting new recruits has not been a problem, even on modest wage bills. The club says it had a €4.2m ($4.9m) payroll last year, sixth in the ABA League, which will increase next year to €16 m ($18.65m). The EuroLeague's new salary cap is €8m ($9.33m), though there are exceptions and a luxury tax. Most teams in Europe rely on recruitment rather than developing talent, which means success can be achieved with smart signings. Aris Barkas — founder of Eurohoops, one of the first publications to cover European basketball in English — said: 'All the young, top talent of Europe goes to the NCAA because of NIL. I think that in European basketball, if you suddenly get the ability to spend (moderately), you can be competitive in every level.' Advertisement For Bertāns, who became aware of Dubai's potential after his agent moved there a few years ago, a three-year deal was particularly enticing. 'After being traded in the NBA for the last few seasons, in season and in the summer, the moves for the family were just getting harder, with the kids having to find new schools.' he told The Athletic. 'If I come from the NBA, with eight years there, I made more money than I probably need, and I'm still going to come to every practice and give 100 percent effort that just sets an example.' The Middle East has hosted a number of major sporting events, often leading to accusations of sportswashing, essentially the use of sport to clean tarnished reputations or distract from a government's negative actions or policies. For the last three years, the NBA has held preseason games in Abu Dhabi, the UAE's capital, drawing criticism from human rights activists. According to Amnesty International, last year the UAE, an autocratic state, 'continued to criminalize the right to freedom of expression through multiple laws and to punish actual or perceived critics of the government.' Barkas, who also acts as the communication officer for the EuroLeague Head Coaches Board, did not believe Dubai would gain much politically by joining the EuroLeague. 'If Dubai wants something like (sportswashing), the EuroLeague is not an ideal vehicle to do it,' he said. 'They can do it with many other popular sports that have much more influence.' But Dubai Basketball's EuroLeague inclusion hasn't been welcomed by everyone. Andreas Zagklis, secretary general of the International Basketball Association (FIBA), told The Athletic: 'For us, including a team from outside Europe, meaning outside European FIBA membership, is not something we approve of and it is something we will discuss both with ECA (Euroleague Commercial Assets, the shareholders) as well as with our membership.' FIBA is part of negotiations with the NBA on a European league. Advertisement For those who dispute Dubai's place in European competition, Kamenjašević points that Maccabi Tel Aviv are part of the EuroLeague, one of two teams from Israel that will compete in the tournament this upcoming season. 'I'm laughing all the time when people say Dubai cannot be part of the EuroLeague because it's not part of Europe, and we need to be traditional,' he said. 'I'm saying to myself, the name of the league is just the name. It can be Carrefour supermarket, but at the end of the day, you need to understand what is the growth map of the EuroLeague is for the future. This is important.' Dubai's geographical location means there will be a lot of travelling this season. A journey to Madrid is approximately a 3,500-mile flight, representing the team's furthest trip, while their closest opponents are in Istanbul, Turkey, 1,800 miles away. The team will be in the air for the equivalent of 21 days next season to play their EuroLeague opponents and compete in the ABA League, according to Golemac. 'We are not going to have the time to prepare,' he said. 'This is what is worrying me the most as a coach, because a lot of players are going to be with their national team, so they are not going to be with us during the pre-season training camp. Then this amount of traveling is going to be something that nobody has done before. Traveling every two, three days to Europe and back, this is going to be challenging.' The team mostly took commercial flights last season, but are expected to have chartered flights next season, Bertāns said. 'Sometimes, when it was available, the royal family supplied one of their planes. And that was an unbelievable experience. In Dubai, they have a separate royal terminal, and that was, I gotta say, better flights than the NBA.' The burning question as the new season approaches: Will fans come to watch, and can Dubai quickly build a fan base? Dubai Basketball had 72,919 visitors to their arena across their 19 home games last campaign, averaging around 3,800 per game. Advertisement Bertāns remembers bumping into compatriots at a mall who didn't know Dubai had a basketball team. 'They try to escape the cold and come (to Dubai) for a week,' he recalled. 'Some don't even know; like, they might meet me in a mall and they're like, 'What are you doing here?' and I'm like, 'I play here! We have a team.'' Barkas added: 'Their first season was so and so, the audience clearly was dependent on who was visiting. I know that Dubai wants to do things businesslike; they don't want to throw money down the drain. 'They want what they do to have financial meaning. But the big question for Dubai, and also the big question for the new teams that may arise in the NBA Europe project, will be the fan base. It's very hard to create a really solid fan base from scratch, especially in places where there is no basketball tradition.' The next five years will decide Dubai Basketball's fate, its future in the EuroLeague and, perhaps, European basketball more widely. (Top photo courtesy of Dubai Basketball) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store