With 20,000 attendees, 750 exhibitors and 800 speakers expected at Seamless Middle East 2026, brands across digital commerce, fintech, payments, retail and e-commerce, will be competing for attention. 64% of B2C marketers now rank media coverage and PR as their number-one objective for consumer events, while PR goals among B2B marketers have more than doubled from 25% to 53%, as per Event Marketer’s EventTrack 2026 report.
According to observations from B2B-focused communications agency and business consultancy, Sherpa Communications, companies coming to the UAE to launch products, announce partnerships or meet potential customers at such events are increasingly looking beyond simply having a presence at the event. Brands are looking for ways to turn their participation into a story that is relevant to the wider market.
The consultancy has identified four ways companies can make their presence at Seamless more newsworthy ahead of the event.
1.Build on Your Participation Announcement
A press release remains an important part of building visibility around an event, however, it works best when complemented by other PR activities, especially in a saturated market. Developing a strategy around what brings genuine news value to the company’s target audience and media is important. Media outreach, executive interviews, thought leadership, speaking opportunities and timely commentary can help companies build on the initial announcement and keep their brand visible before, during and after Seamless.
Moreover, a release containing new developments, business milestones, partnerships signed at the event, data, insights, research and information that reflects a wider market shift, can add substance and demonstrate why the story matters. Having the right guidance from PR experts can help companies shape these developments into stronger stories.
2. Identify the Right Media Opportunities
Seamless attracts media covering different parts of the digital commerce ecosystem, hence a broad media list is unlikely to deliver the best results. Each journalist covers different beats. Each region is different, and understanding the regional media landscape is equally important to expand visibility. Additionally, determining which spokesperson should lead each conversation with a particular media outlet can be a hurdle for brands, because approaching a journalist with the wrong spokesperson or an angle that does not match their area of coverage can quickly lose their interest in the story.
Experts in the public relations sector often act as the link between media and your story, by helping identify the right journalists who regularly cover your market and understand the subjects they are looking for. Furthermore, reaching out before the event gives journalists time to consider your story and can help secure interviews and thought leadership opportunities around the event, rather than relying on whoever happens to pass your stand.
3. Turn Speaking Opportunities Into Media Opportunities
Events such as Seamless Digital Commerce offer C-suite executives and senior leaders an opportunity to contribute to the program and position their expertise in front of an industry audience. This also means that businesses should consider how they can use their speaking opportunities as part of their wider communications strategy. With the right PR planning, key messages from the discussion can be developed into wider media opportunities in different media formats to extend the value of the executive’s participation beyond the event.
Broadcast and written interviews with the spokesperson can further the conversation beyond the panel, picking key messages from their session can also be developed into a press release, helping to expand the reach even after the event is over. However, getting journalists to the stand or securing those interviews can be challenging when they are covering a busy event with hundreds of exhibitors, having established relationships with the media can make it easier to get the right conversations started.
4. Have an Expert Ready to Comment on the News
Journalists covering the event may approach companies at their stands for comments or interviews as stories develop throughout the day. While being approached by the media is a positive opportunity, it can quickly become a missed one if there is no spokesperson ready to speak or if the company’s key messages are not communicated clearly.
Having an executive prepared to comment on relevant developments, and who understands the company’s position and knows how to respond to different types of media questions is therefore important. Hence, media training has been one of the most valuable aspects that companies opt for when approaching an agency. Media training helps ensure that leaders communicate and respond confidently to questions and remain consistent with the company’s key messages.For businesses attending Seamless, visibility should not depend on how large the stand is or how busy the exhibition floor becomes. A clear PR plan can help companies use their participation to create media opportunities and put their expertise in front of a wider audience.
