INT. PROTOCOL OFFICE — 05:00
Protocol is invisible until it fails.
At a multi-venue international sports event, every dignitary movement and ceremony has its own timing, hierarchy, route and dependency. The goal is not to make protocol visible. The goal is to make it feel effortless.
- Assignment
- Protocol Manager
- Location
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Date
- January–February 2026
- Type
- International multi-sport event
Context
Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi brought an international multi-sport programme across multiple venues, each with its own operating team, access conditions and ceremony schedule. Protocol movements had to remain consistent while transport, accreditation, security and front-of-house dependencies changed by venue and by day.
My responsibility
I managed protocol planning and delivery across VIP movements, official ceremonies and stakeholder coordination. This included building repeatable standards that could remain accurate across different venues, teams and daily schedules.
The delivery system
- Created movement logic around arrival, holding, escort and seating.
- Coordinated ceremony requirements and sequence.
- Aligned venue, transport, accreditation, security and front-of-house dependencies.
- Used briefings and checklists to reduce interpretation onsite.
- Escalated exceptions early rather than improvising in front of principals.
Results
- 200+ VIP movements
- 50+ official ceremonies
- Full protocol-compliance target across assigned operations
Lesson retained
VIP logistics succeeds through anticipation. By the time a principal asks a question, the operation should already have the answer.