Inside ICAI Abu Dhabi’s Conference Operations in the GCC
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India – Abu Dhabi Chapter hosts its annual chapter conference as one of the key professional gatherings for chartered accountants in the region. The event brings together members from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, invited guests, sponsors, and industry partners for two days of professional sessions, networking, and community engagement.
In its 56th edition, the conference involved 1,000+ registered attendees across the main conference and an associated evening concert. Ahead of the event, attendee data was shared in bulk and structured by category to support check-ins, access, and sub-event workflows on the ground. Given the member-led nature of the event, identity validation, access control, and attendee categorisation were central to how the conference needed to operate.
For the second consecutive year, ICAI Abu Dhabi worked with TicketRoot to manage check-ins, on-ground operations, and engagement workflows across the conference and its sub-events.
Why Facial Recognition Was Used
For member-only, recurring conferences, organizers require a way to confirm that access is limited to registered members and invited guests, while avoiding manual checks that can slow entry or create inconsistency. Facial recognition provides a structured method to verify identity at entry points where member data and photographs already exist within institutional systems.
The approach also allows different attendee scenarios to be handled within a single operational framework, including pre-registered members, members with incomplete data, invited guests, and walk-ins. This reduces the need for separate processes or ad-hoc decisions on the day of the event.
Over time, as member data is reused across editions, the setup supports continuity and consistency rather than increasing complexity. For governing bodies, this enables controlled access, predictable operations, and clear accountability without changing the experience for members.
On-Ground Operations and Facial Recognition Check-ins
On Day One, facial recognition was used at the registration desk to verify members and issue badges. This allowed entry to be managed without manual ID checks at the desk during peak arrival periods.
In addition to providing the software, TicketRoot:
- Architected the on-ground workflows
- Set up the systems in advance
- Trained the on-ground team
- Supported live operations during the event
This ensured that the process ran as configured during the event.
Visibility and Control for Organizers
From the organizer’s perspective, the system provided a live view of attendee activity during the event. ICAI Abu Dhabi could see who had checked in, how different attendee categories were moving through the venue, and how sub-event access was being used.
This visibility provided organizers with real-time awareness without requiring them to actively manage or intervene in on-ground operations.
Personalized Badges and Branded Materials
Badges were printed live using personalized label printing and applied to badge bases that had been shipped in advance. These were paired with custom-designed, branded lanyards manufactured and shipped from India.
This setup supported accurate personalization at the point of entry and clear visual identification by category. Because badges were printed on demand, last-minute changes did not require reprinting or reissuing materials.
Managing a Sub-Event Within the Conference
The conference also included an evening concert featuring Papon. This sub-event required separate ticketing and seating access based on attendee category.
Tickets were issued accordingly, with seating allocations mapped to those categories. Conference and sub-event access were handled within the same system, without introducing additional entry tools or processes.
Digital Contact Cards and Member Engagement
Inside the conference, digital contact cards were used in place of physical business card exchange. Each attendee badge included a QR code linked to the attendee’s digital profile.
When badges were scanned during interactions, contact details were shared digitally and the interaction was recorded within the system. The record also reflected where the interaction took place, such as at a sponsor booth or networking area, adding context to each exchange.
This allowed member details and interaction points to be captured digitally during the conference.
Why This Model Works for Professional Bodies in the GCC
For professional associations and member-led bodies in the GCC, annual conferences serve operational requirements that include member validation, continuity across editions, and structured networking.
Using biometric validation, structured attendee categorisation, and a single operational workflow supports controlled access for member-led events. It also supports clearer distinction between registered members, invited guests, and other attendee categories.
A Repeatable Framework for Annual Conferences
With two consecutive editions delivered using the same operational approach, ICAI Abu Dhabi was able to reuse and refine existing workflows rather than introduce a new setup each year.
This conference serves as a reference example of how similar professional bodies can structure member validation, access, and engagement for recurring events without rebuilding systems each time.
What ICAI Abu Dhabi Valued Most
From the organizer’s perspective, a key aspect of the setup was not having to operate across multiple platforms.
Instead of coordinating separate tools and vendors for attendee data, check-ins, badge printing, sub-event ticketing, and engagement tracking, ICAI Abu Dhabi worked with a single operational system and on-ground partner. This reduced the need for organizers to reconcile data or manage handoffs between systems during the event.
For professional bodies that run annual conferences, this approach supported simpler operational planning.
Planning a Member-Led Conference in the GCC?
Learn how TicketRoot supports check-ins, on-ground operations, and engagement workflows for professional conferences across India and the GCC.
