Client Overview

Connect, part of the SABCO Group, is a leading event organiser based in the United Arab Emirates, delivering high-profile conferences and industry events across the region. Their commercial model is built around tailored sponsorship packages and complex event offerings, requiring a high level of precision in sales and data management.

The Challenge

Connect’s growth exposed limitations in how their systems and processes were structured. Their existing setup relied on multiple disconnected tools, making it difficult to manage event data, track revenue accurately, and maintain consistency across the sales team.

Key challenges included:

• Fragmented data spread across multiple platforms with no unified structure
• Complex event packages requiring itemised deal configurations
• Manual pricing and discounting, increasing risk of inconsistency
• Limited visibility into sales performance and revenue breakdowns
• A significant shift required for the sales team, who needed to adopt more structured processes
• Geographical and cultural considerations, with delivery spanning different time zones and working practices

The business needed a solution that could bring structure to complexity without slowing the team down.

The Solution

We implemented HubSpot as the central platform, focusing on building a scalable data and sales infrastructure tailored to Connect’s commercial model.

Rather than simply replacing systems, the project centred on designing a data architecture that reflects how their events are sold and delivered.

This included:

• Custom Object Architecture We designed and implemented custom objects to manage event data, ensuring relationships between events, packages, and commercial activities were clearly defined and easy to navigate.
• Structured Deal Configuration One of the most critical elements was enabling itemised event packages within deals. We created logic that allows specific events to automatically trigger relevant line items, ensuring:
  • Accurate package representation
  • Consistent pricing structures
  • Reduced manual input from the sales team
• Discount Management Processes We introduced controlled mechanisms for applying and tracking discounts within HubSpot, improving governance while still giving the sales team flexibility where needed.
• Data Migration & Transformation A major part of the project involved consolidating data from multiple fragmented systems into a clean, unified structure within HubSpot. This wasn’t just a migration, it was a rebuild of how the business understands and uses its data, enabling:
  • Clearer reporting
  • Better segmentation
  • Improved long-term scalability
• Sales Process Enablement Given the shift in how the sales team needed to operate, we focused heavily on streamlining the user experience. Processes were designed to feel intuitive, reducing friction while introducing the structure needed to support growth.
• International Delivery Considerations Working with a UAE-based team required careful coordination across time zones and sensitivity to cultural working practices. Delivery was structured to ensure clarity, alignment, and minimal disruption to day-to-day operations.

The Results

The outcome is a far more structured, scalable, and commercially robust system:

✅ Centralised, structured data model aligned to how events are sold

✅ Accurate and consistent deal configuration, even with complex packages

✅ Improved revenue visibility, with clear tracking of line items and discounts

✅ Reduced manual effort, lowering the risk of errors in pricing and packaging

✅ Stronger sales processes, enabling the team to operate with greater confidence and consistency

✅ Scalable foundation to support future events and growth

The Impact

By focusing on data structure and sales process design, Connect now operates with a level of clarity and control that wasn’t previously possible. What was once fragmented and manual is now structured, automated, and aligned with the way the business actually sells.

The result is not just a new CRM, but a commercial engine built for scale, supporting both the sales team and the wider organisation as they continue to grow.