PublicisLive, the Geneva-based, event arm of Publicis Groupe, today announced the opening of a fully-staffed office in Abu Dhabi to serve as its hub for expanded operations throughout the Gulf and the Middle East.

Abu Dhabi will be PublicisLive's third global hub after Geneva and Paris, a statement from the company said.

The new office is located within Abu Dhabi's twofour54 media zone and is managed by Matthieu Daurces, a veteran PublicisLive event manager. Matthieu and his team have spearheaded some of the company's high profile events in the Middle East such as the Abu Dhabi Media Summit, an annual gathering of some of the world's leading players in old and new media and the Internet.

PublicisLive is also working on the summit on the Global Agenda for long-time partner, the World Economic Forum, for whom the company produces the famous annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

The Summit on the Global Agenda will take place this year in Abu Dhabi from October 10 to 11, the statement said.

PublicisLive has also been responsible for other important regional events such as the Petra Conference of Nobel Laureates in Jordan and the Global Competiveness Forum in Saudi Arabia.

John Rossant, executive chairman of PublicisLive, said: "We are very excited about setting up shop in the United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi. Matthieu Daurces and his team are already off to a terrific start. We have always wanted to be present on the ground in the Gulf so that we can respond quickly to the growing needs of clients in the region for high-level, world-class events. Abu Dhabi makes the most sense for us thanks to its forward policies, its openness, and the ease of doing business here."

Says Tony, Orsten, CEO of twofour54 said: "PublicisLive choosing twofour54 to establish its regional hub shows how much progress we have made in establishing Abu Dhabi as a media and entertainment centre for the Arab world. Events are a vital element in the communication and media mix, and PublicisLive is a world leader in its sector. They will add tremendously to the vibrant community we are building." – TradeArabia News Service