Lovely Abu Dhabi / Dubai MNers - please help!

[moooodlum]

Lovely UAE based MNers

I am organising a marketing trip out to AD & Dubai (and hopefully Bahrain, but this is looking unlikely) - it is in three weeks' time (2nd Feb onwards), and I am now really trying not to stress out about organising events in such a short time from thousands of miles away.

I do the marketing for a Prep School in the Midlands, and a key market for us is expat families looking for full boarding in preparation for independent senior schools (we are a feeder for usual suspects in the Midlands - Rugby, Oundle, Uppingham, as well as Harrow, Wycombe Abbey etc). Sooo.. I'm putting together a couple of events whilst I'm out there with the Headmaster - one at The Club in Abu Dhabi (Sunday 2nd Feb) and then a couple in Dubai.

What I really want to know is where else I should be advertising this? Expatwoman obvs (but super expensive), Abu Dhabi Woman - but what else can I do to get people to actually come....

I realise this is an oddity of a request, but any advice (and if you'd like to come that would also be fine ), I would be ridiculously grateful for. I live in fear of no-one coming and the whole thing being a disaster..

Being an expat mummy I am trying to think of where I notice
these kind of events......of course expatwoman but also on the radio? Dubai92, Dubai eye.....

I know a lot of the supermarkets like Spinneys and Park & Shop have notice boards . If you could get them up in advance

Look for fb groups for expats? I just googled dubai mums and got a few candidates.

motherbabychild.com, is a magazine here and they have a database they send emails to, maybe you could ask them how much it would be.

Are you coming out to exhibit in the UK Boarding School Exhibition?

Contact Mumcierge.ae, they have adverts and have a good audience.

Flyers in all the local supermarkets is the best way. Also Facebook pages of communities like Arabian Ranches and Emirates Hills (where most of the wealthy expats live). Advert in The National, perhaps. If you can afford it.

Maybe I could help you? I live in Dubai.

Lovely MNers thank you so much for your responses!

So many helpful ideas - I am ridiculously grateful. The cost of advertising on expatwoman is , so I was going to post a thread and see how I got on (and have already done that on Abu Dhabi Woman - suffice to say it wasn't the hottest thread on the boards!). Flyers in supermarkets and FB communities sound brilliant, and I have set up a FB page for the trip, so I can start to share that around other FB pages. Feel free to like & share!

Marcheline, I would love it if you could help, and would happily bring you gifts and goodies from the UK to remunerate you! I should have confirmation of the events we're holding in Dubai this afternoon, so when I know exactly, perhaps I could PM you?

LadybirdsAreFab, we're not doing the boarding schools exhibition with Sue Anderson, (hindsight is a wonderful thing) but meeting with schools out in Dubai and AD, and holding a coffee morning to which people can come just to find out about boarding at Prep School (and obviously find out about our school too).

Thank you all so much..

The Club have a good database but it only goes to members. Make sure you push them to send out an email in good time. They are often on the last minute.

The are some good FB groups in AD. If you want to do this I can PM you some of them.

People do read the AD Woman forum so even if not commented on people will have read.

7 Days newspaper. Can you arrange an interview with Head before you arrive about boarding options and then he can mention your sessions.

I think for Dubai Expatwoman is your best option if you can possibly stretch your budget.

Thank you so much sunshineandshandy those are great tips, and I'm in the process of trying to sort an interview with 7days, so that was great advice - I really appreciate it. If you don't mind, I will PM you for those FB groups, as I've come up with slightly less than helpful groups when I've done a search so far.. My thread on Abu Dhabi Woman has had 68 views (yay!), so I'm hoping that at least something is getting out there!

Thanks again all.

You could do a massive mailer on linkedin by searching for people living in the areas you are going to and hope some have dc and will be interested.
You could pm all the mums groups on fb and ask them to share your page on fb
You could twitter lots
You could call the PTA at schools and ask them if they would be so kind as to forward an email from you so that expat families could get in touch or attend
Ask the clubs and venues to mailshot out for you using their mailing lists. Its the least they could do, if you are paying for the venues:) this should be done with a reminder and a tea and cake promise, straight after drop off is the best time for an event. Say younger siblings are welcome:)
Ask the schools you are working for for a list of expat parents and email them asking them to forward to their friends.

Thanks so much lavenderhoney, have done a lot of what you say, but not the linked in approach yet. Still have the fear that no-one will come, but that won't change until the event is over!! Your point about younger siblings being welcome is a really good one I hadn't thought about, so I will make that point in what publicity i do from now on. I wish I could fast forward to this time next week when at least I have one event out of the way!

Don't panic if your first one in AD is not very well attended. Just a much smaller potential audience you have here. Would imagine your Dubai ones will be better attended.

Thanks Sunshineandshandy. I've been meaning to pm you again to thank you for all you advice and wise words. Hope your inlaws are having a nice time (in the few clothes they were able to fit in their suitcases around your Amazon parcel )

Never mind that, the Rolling Stones will be playing! Any other Mners want to meet up if going?