Pre-COP28 Conference Scenic Fabrication and Event Environment in Abu Dhabi

Building a Complete Pre-COP28 Conference Environment

The Pre-COP28 Conference took place at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi on 30–31 October 2023, requiring a complete temporary environment across several indoor and outdoor areas. Evolution Scenic delivered the full scenic scope, creating coordinated spaces for the main conference, meetings, hospitality and cultural displays.

Evolution Scenic managed the project from design development through scenic fabrication, graphics production, installation and de-rig. The scope extended beyond the main stage to include three enclosed meeting rooms, entrance features, outdoor seating environments, photo opportunity settings and custom product displays.

The fabrication programme brought together several scenic construction disciplines. Custom steelwork was used for the main stage and selected platforms, while timber framing, MDF cladding, fabric finishes, vinyl graphics, painted surfaces and bespoke scenic joinery were used across the surrounding environments.

The meeting rooms and outdoor lounge areas introduced different forms of temporary architecture. Three-metre-high fabric-finished wall systems created enclosed meeting spaces, while timber-framed outdoor structures with fabric treatments and three-dimensional branding created more open hospitality and cultural environments.

Evolution Technical supplied the LED screens and supporting steelwork, including the large curved main-stage display. Evolution Furniture provided the loose furniture throughout the indoor and outdoor areas, allowing the scenic, technical and furniture packages to operate as one coordinated temporary installation.

Delivering the Environment Within Fourteen Days

The complete Pre-COP28 scenic environment was delivered within a 14-day programme, requiring design development, technical coordination, material preparation, workshop fabrication, graphics production and site installation to progress within a tightly controlled sequence.

The main-stage package combined custom steel decking, plywood, MDF skimming, carpet finishes and integrated LED step lighting. At the same time, the three meeting rooms required timber-framed wall construction, MDF cladding, fabric finishes, glass partitions and rear truss support.

Outdoor seating structures, entrance features, photo opportunity elements and product-display areas introduced additional fabrication methods and finishing processes. Timber framing, painted MDF, printed vinyl, fabric treatments and three-dimensional branding all needed to be produced alongside the larger structural packages.

The compressed programme therefore depended on dividing the project into coordinated fabrication packages that could progress in parallel before installation. Maintaining consistency across materials, finishes, graphics and branding was essential so that the different spaces still read as one complete conference environment.

Evolution Scenic coordinated the scenic delivery with Evolution Technical’s LED screen and support systems and Evolution Furniture’s loose furniture package. This allowed the stage, meeting rooms, outdoor areas and display environments to be brought together within the same 14-day delivery period.

Engineering the Curved Main Stage and Frameless LED Screen

The main conference setting centred on a 29-metre curved stage aligned with a matching curved LED screen, creating the principal architectural focus within the Pre-COP28 environment. The scale of both elements meant that the stage geometry, screen positioning and surrounding scenic construction needed to be developed as one coordinated composition.

Evolution Scenic fabricated the stage using a custom steel deck system, providing the primary structural platform for the presentation area. Plywood decking was fixed over the steel frame, followed by an MDF skimming layer that created a smoother and more consistent substrate for the final carpet finish while reducing the visual effect of joints within the underlying deck.

The front edge and access steps followed the same curved geometry as the main platform, maintaining continuity across the full stage profile. LED lighting was integrated into the step fascia, clearly defining the access points while introducing a controlled illuminated detail into the otherwise restrained stage construction.

The 29-metre curved LED screen was supplied by Evolution Technical and supported by steelwork positioned behind the display. No scenic screen returns or surrounding frame were installed, allowing the screen itself to remain the dominant visual plane within the conference setting and giving the stage a cleaner, frameless appearance.

Because the screen was left visually exposed at its edges, the relationship between the stage curve, LED geometry and rear support structure required careful coordination. Any dimensional inconsistency between the platform and display would have remained visible across the full width of the installation, particularly where the curved elements met the surrounding scenic walls.

The completed stage created a continuous relationship between the carpeted presentation platform, frameless LED display and illuminated access points. The result was a large-scale conference setting in which structural steelwork, scenic finishing and technical integration were combined into one controlled stage environment.

Enclosing and Branding the Main Conference Stage

Steel-framed scenic walls were installed along both sides of the main conference area to define the presentation zone and complete the overall stage environment. Their scale helped integrate the curved stage and LED screen into a controlled architectural setting rather than leaving them as isolated technical elements.

The wall structures received fabric finishes, creating broad and visually consistent surfaces around the stage. Fabric was used as an architectural scenic treatment, producing a clean enclosure while allowing the 29-metre curved LED screen to remain the dominant visual feature within the conference setting.

Because the LED display was designed without conventional scenic screen returns, the relationship between the frameless screen, adjacent fabric-finished walls and curved stage required careful coordination. The transitions between these elements needed to remain visually controlled so that the complete composition read as one continuous scenic environment.

A custom lectern was fabricated from MDF and positioned within the main presentation area. Branded vinyl was applied to the front fascia, while the internal surfaces received a painted finish, creating a compact branded element within the much larger stage composition.

The completed environment combined the frameless curved LED display, fabric-finished scenic walls, carpeted stage and custom lectern into one restrained conference setting. Branding was incorporated directly into the scenic construction without introducing unnecessary additional structures around the principal screen.

Creating Three Enclosed Meeting Rooms

Evolution Scenic fabricated three enclosed meeting rooms, each measuring 11 by 14 metres, creating substantial temporary interiors within the wider Pre-COP28 environment. Their scale required a more developed scenic construction approach than standard event partitions.

Each room was formed using three-metre-high scenic walls built from timber-framed construction. MDF cladding created the finished wall faces before fabric was applied across the visible surfaces, producing a controlled and consistent interior finish.

Rear truss supports were installed behind the wall structures to provide additional support while keeping the structural system concealed from the main meeting spaces. This allowed the visible interior surfaces to remain clean and uninterrupted.

Painted three-dimensional cut-out logos were mounted onto the fabric-finished walls as integrated branding elements. The raised logos introduced depth and shadow without relying on additional printed graphic panels.

Together, the timber framing, MDF cladding, fabric finishes, rear truss support and dimensional branding created three fully defined temporary meeting environments. The construction provided a consistent scenic language across all three rooms while maintaining a restrained conference setting.

Completing the Meeting-Room Interiors

Each meeting room incorporated fabric-finished scenic walls on three sides, creating a controlled interior environment consistent with the wider Pre-COP28 visual language. The wall treatment helped give the rooms a more complete temporary architectural character rather than functioning as simple partitioned spaces.

The fourth side of each room used an aluminium-framed glass partition fitted with curtains. This provided a lighter visual boundary while allowing the glazed elevation to be screened when additional privacy was required during meetings.

Evolution Scenic fabricated custom meeting tables from birch plywood and finished them with a natural wood appearance. The material introduced a warmer finish within the predominantly fabric-lined interiors while allowing each table to be manufactured specifically for the meeting-room layout.

Freestanding air-conditioning units were positioned within the rooms to support the enclosed temporary environment. Branded flags and planter boxes were placed at the corners, introducing vertical graphic and planting elements without reducing the usable central meeting area.

Loose chairs and supporting furniture were supplied by Evolution Furniture and coordinated with the custom tables and scenic surroundings. Together, the fabric walling, glazed partitions, bespoke tables, branded elements and furniture created three consistent and fully developed meeting-room interiors.

Fabricating the Entrance and Photo Opportunity Features

The arrival environment included a custom entrance arch wall developed as one of the principal branded scenic features within the Pre-COP28 venue. Its scale and position helped define the transition into the conference environment while carrying the project identity across a clear architectural form.

The entrance structure was fabricated from metal framing and clad with MDF to create the finished scenic surfaces. Applied vinyl graphics were used across the visible faces, allowing the branding to become part of the structure rather than being introduced as separate signage.

A separate photo opportunity area was built around a custom steel-deck platform topped with plywood. The platform was skimmed with MDF before receiving a painted finish, creating a smooth scenic surface that differed from the carpeted construction used on the main conference stage.

Behind the platform, a printed-fabric backdrop formed the principal scenic wall of the photo opportunity setting. The large-format fabric treatment provided a continuous graphic surface, while a centrally positioned logo established a clear branded focal point within the composition.

Together, the entrance arch and photo opportunity area extended the project identity beyond the main conference and meeting spaces. Their combination of metalwork, MDF cladding, printed graphics, fabric finishes and custom platform construction demonstrated the use of different scenic fabrication methods across the wider venue.

Constructing the Outdoor Seating Environments

The outdoor seating areas were organised around round scenic structures that created a distinct lounge setting within the wider Pre-COP28 environment. Their curved form introduced a softer architectural language than the rectangular meeting rooms while still maintaining a clear relationship with the overall project design.

Each structure was fabricated using white-painted timber framing combined with fabric finishes. The open construction defined the seating areas without creating fully enclosed rooms, allowing the lounge environments to remain visually connected to the surrounding outdoor setting.

A central back panel was incorporated into each structure and used as the main branded focal point. Painted three-dimensional cut-out logos were mounted onto these panels, introducing depth and a more physical form of branding than flat printed graphics.

The combination of curved timber framing, fabric treatments and three-dimensional branding created a recognisable scenic identity across the outdoor areas. These elements allowed the lounge structures to function as temporary architectural features while remaining visually consistent with the wider conference environment.

Furniture within the outdoor lounge settings was supplied by Evolution Furniture and positioned within the fabricated scenic structures. The final arrangement brought together scenic framing, branded back panels and loose furniture to create coordinated hospitality spaces within the external venue areas.

Producing Product Displays and Cultural Features

The product-display areas combined printed graphic surfaces with custom scenic joinery, creating a series of integrated presentation features within the wider Pre-COP28 environment. Rather than relying on standalone commercial display units, the shelving and plinths were developed as part of the scenic composition.

Backdrop structures were finished with printed vinyl, allowing detailed imagery and branded content to be applied directly across the main display surfaces. These graphic treatments provided a controlled visual background for the products while remaining consistent with the broader conference identity.

Custom shelves were manufactured from MDF and finished with paint before being integrated into the display backdrops. This allowed the displayed items to sit within purpose-built scenic structures rather than on separate furniture, giving the presentation areas a more considered architectural character.

Freestanding display plinths were also fabricated from MDF and finished with textured paint. The textured surface introduced additional material depth and helped distinguish the plinths from the flatter printed and painted surfaces used elsewhere in the display areas.

Selected cultural elements incorporated traditional Emirati motifs and materials, as noted in the original project information. VIP welcome features also included custom baskets containing locally sourced products, extending the cultural presentation into the hospitality experience without relying solely on graphic branding.

Coordinating Scenic, Technical and Furniture Delivery

The project brought together three specialist Evolution divisions, allowing the scenic, technical and furniture packages to be developed as part of one coordinated delivery. This approach was particularly important because the main stage, meeting rooms, outdoor lounges and display environments all depended on different fabrication and installation requirements.

Evolution Scenic managed the complete scenic scope, from design development and workshop fabrication through graphics production, installation and de-rig. This included the main stage construction, scenic walling, meeting-room environments, entrance features, photo opportunity structures, outdoor lounge elements and custom product displays.

Evolution Technical provided the 29-metre curved LED screen together with the associated display systems and rear support structures. Close coordination between the technical package and scenic construction was required to align the curved screen accurately with the stage geometry and surrounding fabric-finished walls.

Evolution Furniture supplied the loose furniture used throughout the conference, meeting and outdoor lounge areas. These elements were coordinated with the fabricated scenic structures so that the final spaces functioned as complete environments rather than as separate scenic and furniture installations.

The finished project combined a 29-metre curved stage and frameless LED screen, three large meeting rooms, outdoor lounge structures, branded entrance architecture, photo opportunity features and custom display areas within a 14-day delivery programme. The result demonstrated how coordinated scenic fabrication, technical integration and furniture delivery can support a multi-zone temporary conference environment.