Sonal Arora

About

As a Conference Producer at HQMENA, I am responsible for researching, developing, and producing B2B conferences by understanding industry trends, identifying relevant business challenges, and creating conference programmes that are valuable to senior industry professionals. My role combines market research, content development, speaker acquisition, stakeholder engagement, and project management throughout the conference production cycle. A key part of my role is conducting detailed **market and industry research** to understand current developments, emerging trends, challenges, opportunities, and key conversations within the markets we cover. I use this research to identify relevant conference themes and develop topics that are aligned with the interests and requirements of the target audience. I am involved in **conference agenda and content development**, including creating session topics, panel discussions, fireside chats, keynote themes, and other formats. I focus on developing content that is practical, current, and relevant to industry professionals rather than simply following generic event topics. I also research potential speakers based on their expertise, experience, seniority, and relevance to specific conference sessions. Another major responsibility is **speaker acquisition and engagement**. I identify senior executives, decision-makers, founders, investors, subject-matter experts, and other relevant industry professionals and approach them regarding speaking opportunities. I communicate with potential speakers, introduce the conference and its objectives, explain the value of participating, and follow up throughout the process to secure and confirm their involvement. Once speakers are engaged, I maintain regular communication with them and ensure that their expertise and proposed contributions are aligned with the conference agenda. This involves coordinating speaker information, session requirements, biographies, profiles, and other relevant content while maintaining professional relationships throughout the process. My role also involves **stakeholder management and professional communication**. I regularly communicate with senior-level professionals and internal teams, which has helped me become more confident in handling professional conversations, managing follow-ups, and maintaining relationships with different stakeholders. Working as a Conference Producer also requires managing multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously. I coordinate different research, content, speaker, and administrative requirements while ensuring that important deliverables are completed within the required timelines. This has strengthened my organisation, prioritisation, attention to detail, and ability to work effectively under pressure. Through my role at HQMENA, I have gained experience working with international markets and developed a stronger understanding of how regional business trends influence conference content and speaker selection. I have also strengthened my ability to identify relevant industry professionals and build professional networks through consistent research and outreach. Overall, my experience at HQMENA has helped me develop a well-rounded understanding of conference production, from initial market research and content development to speaker acquisition, stakeholder communication, and project coordination. It has also given me the opportunity to work more independently, take ownership of different aspects of conference development, and continue building my career within the global B2B conference industry.

Skills