ITDigest’s Interview With Annabelle Mander, Senior Vice President, Tahaluf

Be yourself and be authentic; you don’t need to change your personality to be a good leader.

With Riyadh being positioned as a global events hub and the success of recent events like InFlavour Expo, how does Tahaluf plan to address the current limitations in exhibition space, and what are the future plans for expanding venue capacities in Riyadh to accommodate the growing scale of these large-scale events?

The Saudi landscape is constantly evolving, and this is mirrored in the cybersecurity field as well. To meet this expanding demand, we are constantly on the lookout for venues that can accommodate larger-scale events. The 2023 edition of BlackHat MEA was held at a smaller venue within the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Convention Centre. With the event’s significant growth, however, this year we have transitioned to the much larger Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Centre, Malham, which will provide the space needed for a truly successful event.

Following our announcement in 2023, Tahaluf is undergoing a significant expansion to solidify its position as the leading event organiser in Saudi Arabia. We plan to launch 20 new industry-specific trade and consumer events within the next 18 months, an expansion that is expected to generate substantial economic impact through increased foreign investment and tourism spending.

Annabelle, can you tell us about your professional background and your current role at Tahaluf. Also, tell us how Tahaluf differentiates itself from other companies in the same space?

 I am the Senior Vice President at Tahaluf, where my primary focus is on the development and expansion of our business, ensuring alignment with the Kingdom’s vision. Additionally, I am the custodian of the Food and Tech Portfolio, which has been making tremendous strides with historic events such as LEAP, Black Hat MEA, DeepFest, InFlavour, and our new launch, 24 Fintech. We are looking to expand further, and I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.

Tahaluf sets itself apart through strategic partnerships, a national focus, and its ability to generate economic impact. Our unique shareholder structure – involving Informa PLC and Saudi Government entities – grants us unparalleled resources and expertise. By aligning our events with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, Tahaluf plays a crucial role in national development. The large-scale events, designed to attract foreign investment and foster collaboration, significantly contribute to economic growth, while the combination of Informa’s global reach and local Saudi knowledge enables us to offer events appealing to both international and domestic audiences. Tahaluf’s emphasis on economic impact,  strategic partnerships, and national development, which encompasses hiring exceptional talent and building an industry leading team, distinguishes us within the event organising sector.

Annabelle, given your leadership in spearheading the cybersecurity shows at Tahaluf, can you share your insights on the current cybersecurity landscape in the MENA region, particularly in Saudi Arabia? How do you see the region evolving in terms of cybersecurity threats and preparedness, and what role do events like Black Hat MEA play in addressing these challenges?

 KSA is in a unique position with its ambitious vision, strong focus on technology, global investments, and a thriving young population. The Kingdom currently boasts the highest CAGR growth rate in cybersecurity worldwide. Through Black Hat MEA as well as our tech events at Tahaluf such as LEAP, we aim to bring this ecosystem together, equipping them to operate seamlessly and enabling the region to reach its full potential.

We also aim to support the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 by attracting top brands and talent from around the world to the region. This allows for invaluable networking opportunities, helps safeguard giga-projects, and fosters growth, knowledge, and a community that stands as a testament to history in the making.

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Can you discuss the specific cybersecurity threats that are most prevalent in the MENA region and how events like Black Hat MEA are addressing these issues?

Cybersecurity is evolving at an exponential rate, with new threats emerging every day. This makes it difficult to isolate a few specific attacks. However, at Black Hat MEA, we are addressing this by staying at the forefront of the field.

We bring together world-renowned CISOs to share tangible insights, strategies, and business cases on how they defend their organizations’ assets. Additionally, hackers discuss the latest threats and how to prevent them. On the briefing and arsenal stages, industry experts host demo sessions and share their latest tools and research papers to help combat these attacks.

Our commitment to being a leading platform for cybersecurity discussions ensures that we continue to address and mitigate the most prevalent threats in the MENA region.

 Tahaluf, inspired by Vision 2030, is a strategic alliance with a mission to set new benchmarks in the international events industry. Can you elaborate on how Tahaluf plans to accelerate economic diversification and attract international investment to Saudi Arabia through your events?

 Tahaluf typically launches brands in Saudi Arabia’s most strategic sectors that align with Vision 2030. This is evident from the current sectors we are operating in, such as tech, real estate, food and beverage, health, and more. We are also launching new brands in   and beyond.

As part of our strategy to launch in Saudi Arabia’s most strategic sectors, we target attendance from international hubs that are most relevant to the dedicated sectors. We aim to attract a global audience interested in doing business in Saudi Arabia, ranging from global CEOs of multinational companies to startups looking to either open business operations in the Kingdom or to scale their efforts across the Middle East.

We aim for our international attendees at our Riyadh events to number a minimum of 20 per cent of the overall attendance. With massively scaled operations and Tahaluf running events throughout Q1 and Q4, you can imagine the significant impact this has on business tourism and the economic impact on Riyadh.

 What advice would you give to other leaders which helped you personally?

 Be yourself and be authentic; you don’t need to change your personality to be a good leader. This advice has stuck with me until today. When I first stepped into a senior leadership position, I didn’t necessarily fit the mould in terms of what our industry might have expected at the time, and that was intimidating at first.

I quickly realised though that you can be empathetic and approachable; there doesn’t need to be a huge divide between people just starting out in their careers and management. It creates a culture of innovation as everybody feels empowered to come forward with ideas.

I would encourage people to be themselves, be kind, and have fun along the way. If you hire the right people and build the right team, they will lift you and everyone around them up.

The success at Tahaluf is an outcome of having the right team and the right culture.

 What is the biggest problem you or your team is solving this year?

This year, our biggest challenge is managing our rapid growth. We are scaling our events and team, while also building a brand-new office in Riyadh. The key is to keep up with this expansion while maintaining our team spirit and culture – while continuing to execute our events to the highest standards.

Thanks Annabelle!