GL EVENTS: INTERNATIONAL EXPERTISE SUPPORTING COP CONFERENCES

From 17 to 28 August 2026, GL events supported the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This latest project builds on the experience acquired through numerous international conferences, from Marrakech to Madrid and from Sharm El-Sheikh to Riyadh, mobilising the Group’s expertise to deliver complex, large-scale projects.

How did GL events support COP17 in Mongolia?

In Ulaanbaatar, GL events deployed the infrastructure and equipment required to host the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The teams brought together several complementary areas of expertise to create a temporary event environment tailored to the needs of this international gathering.

A total of 45,000 sq.m of temporary structures and 14,000 cu.m of scaffolding were deployed. The teams also provided the general air conditioning for 12 temporary structures, installing 86 HVAC units and 73 electrical distribution boards to power them.

Signage was another major component of the project, with 11,000 sq.m of printed façade graphics, representing approximately 1,600 linear metres of signage. Nearly 24 kilometres of cables were installed across the site to supply electricity to the various facilities.

COP17 IN MONGOLIA: KEY FIGURES

• 45,000 sq.m of temporary structures
• 14,000 cu.m of scaffolding
• 12 air-conditioned temporary structures
• 86 HVAC units installed
• 73 electrical distribution boards for air conditioning
• 11,000 sq.m of façade signage
• 1,600 linear metres of signage
• 24 km of electrical cables
   

What expertise was mobilised for the Action Dome

GL events also supported the delivery of the Action Dome, a central venue for events organised by the UNCCD during COP17. The project involved a comprehensive range of services, from interior fit-out to the various technical systems required to operate the space.

The teams were responsible for bespoke manufacturing, furniture, signage, audiovisual equipment, power distribution and air conditioning. Several areas of expertise were coordinated within a single delivery framework to meet the operational needs of both the organiser and participants.

This ability to combine infrastructure, fit-out and technical services is one of the hallmarks of GL events’ work on major international events.

What makes delivering a COP conference unique?

Hosting a COP conference involves creating, within a tight timeframe, an environment capable of accommodating international delegations, institutions, organisations, experts and the media. Plenary and meeting rooms, pavilions, offices, networking areas and technical infrastructure must all operate simultaneously throughout the event.

These projects therefore require the management of multiple challenges, including space design, temporary structures, energy, air conditioning, audiovisual systems, signage, furniture, crowd flows and operational coordination.

Above all, each solution must be adapted to the host territory, climate, existing infrastructure and the organiser’s requirements. Constraints vary from one COP conference to another, but the ability to coordinate expertise and tailor solutions remains essential.

From Riyadh to Ulaanbaatar: continuity of expertise

COP17 in Mongolia took place two years after UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, another major project delivered by the Group in connection with desertification, drought and land degradation.

In Saudi Arabia, GL events supported the transformation of a 400,000 sq.m site and designed a 100,000 sq.m temporary infrastructure solution in just 90 days. Delegation pavilions, meeting rooms and VIP areas were fitted out to accommodate the conference’s various sessions.

The Group’s involvement extended far beyond infrastructure provision. The solution included power generation and distribution, air conditioning adapted to Middle Eastern conditions, security, sound systems, lighting, video and simultaneous interpretation. The teams were also involved in accreditation, delegation transport, catering and participant reception services.

Bringing together 197 international stakeholders, this project illustrates the Group’s ability to coordinate numerous areas of expertise within a particularly demanding schedule.

COP16 IN RIYADH: A PROJECT DELIVERED IN 90 DAYS

• 400,000 sq.m site
• 100,000 sq.m of temporary infrastructure
• 90 days to design and deploy the solution
• 197 international stakeholders

What experience has GL events gained through COP conferences?

GL events’ experience extends beyond the two most recent UNCCD conferences. It has been built progressively through numerous United Nations conferences focused on climate and environmental issues.

The Group has notably supported the climate COP conferences held in Durban, Lima, Paris, Marrakech, Bonn, Katowice, Madrid, Glasgow and Sharm El-Sheikh. Each edition required the teams to respond to a different configuration and mobilise expertise tailored to the organiser’s needs.

This succession of projects has enabled the Group to build on operational experience acquired across several regions of the world while maintaining a bespoke approach. Consulting, design, structures, fit-out, energy, audiovisual services, furniture, signage, reception services and coordination can be combined according to the specific configuration of each event.

Nearly 97,000 sq.m of structures deployed in Marrakech

At COP22 in Marrakech in 2016, GL events deployed an extensive technical solution. The teams installed 96,800 sq.m of temporary structures, comprising 87 separate structures, as well as 93,850 sq.m of flooring and 13,000 sq.m of canopies.

Technical services also included air conditioning, heating, lighting, sound systems, simultaneous interpretation, video and power distribution.

More than 100 kilometres of heavy-duty electrical cables, 140 electrical distribution boards, 800 LED screens, around 50 video projectors and approximately 400 loudspeakers were installed. The Group also supplied furniture for the conference’s plenary rooms, press rooms, VIP areas and stands.

This project illustrates both the scale of the technical and logistical resources that a COP conference may require and the ability to coordinate several areas of expertise on a single site.

In Madrid, how did the teams respond to a change of host country?

COP25 in 2019 provides another example of this ability to adapt. Initially scheduled to take place in Chile, the conference was relocated to Madrid shortly before it began.

GL events contributed to the event’s logistical organisation, technical recommendations and equipment provision. In particular, the teams fitted out 12,000 sq.m of offices and pavilions for the participating countries and organisations.

They also equipped 30 meeting rooms and two plenary rooms with sound and video systems, simultaneous interpretation, IPTV and a Master Control Room.

Delivering the project under radically altered circumstances and within an exceptionally tight timeframe required the rapid mobilisation of teams, equipment and expertise to ensure that the conference could take place under the expected conditions.

At COP27, expertise mobilised from the design stage onwards

In Sharm El-Sheikh in 2022, GL events’ involvement in COP27 illustrated another dimension of the Group’s expertise: its ability to contribute from the earliest stages of operational planning.

GL events was commissioned to help define the conference’s requirements through a €4 million consulting assignment. This notably covered project management, design, the definition of UNFCCC requirements, operations management, risk management and accommodation.

At the same time, the Group provided the general installation of certain areas, as well as the design, technical studies, production, installation and dismantling of delegation pavilions and offices. Technical assistance and reception services completed the assignment.

This approach illustrates GL events’ ability to support a major international event from the definition of its requirements through to its operational delivery on site.

How does GL events coordinate complex international projects?

These projects rely on the complementary nature of GL events’ expertise and on its ability to mobilise teams and resources across different regions of the world.

Within GL events Live, this expertise notably covers consulting, event engineering, design, temporary structures, buildings, fit-out, energy, audiovisual services, furniture, signage and hospitality.

This organisation makes it possible to approach an event as a whole, coordinate several work packages and provide points of contact capable of managing projects with significant technical and logistical requirements.

With a presence in more than 20 countries and over 90 locations worldwide, GL events also combines international resources with in-depth knowledge of local contexts. This network facilitates the mobilisation of the skills, equipment and partners required for each project.

Expertise serving major international events

The expertise developed through successive COP conferences also benefits numerous other international institutional, economic, sporting and cultural events.

The ability to operate in different countries, build temporary infrastructure, coordinate several areas of expertise and meet demanding schedules is a cross-functional capability of the Group.

It is also one of the strengths of its integrated model: bringing together complementary expertise to support a project from its initial design through to its operational delivery.

From Marrakech to Madrid, from Sharm El-Sheikh to Riyadh and now Ulaanbaatar, the contexts, scales and requirements may change. Yet this diverse range of projects demonstrates the same capability: adapting the Group’s expertise to the demands of major international events, whatever their configuration or host location.

More informations  COP16 Riyadh: Excellence in Event Management on an International Scale