As we celebrate Katch International’s birthday, join us as we take you on a journey through a year of innovation, creativity, communication, and doing things the Katch way
Officially celebrating 14 years in the PR world, the past 12 months have been a kaleidoscope of triumphs and breakthroughs for our agency. From conquering eye-katching live events and promoting mouthwatering dining experiences to exploring new regions and perfecting our craft, we’ve achieved a lot since our 13th birthday. Before we blow out the candles, let’s reflect on some of the things that made our 14th year in business so special and take a look at what the future has in store for Katch.
Celebrating the Katch Family
At Katch, family values are at the heart of everything we do. Our team consists of a whole host of talented creatives, each specialising in making our clients’ visions become a reality. A dynamic bunch of like-minded individuals who speak almost 15 different languages and come from every corner of the world, we support each member to add their unique twist to the mix.
At Katch, we believe that working hard should always come with a side of fun and this year has been no exception. Our fun-loving team has dived into everything from smashing it up at Smash Rooms and hitting holes-in-one at Topgolf, to conquering exhilarating challenges at TEP Factor, and so much more.
Last November, we introduced the inaugural Katch Boat Party, which was a huge success and is now an annual tradition, filled with plenty of quirky team-building activities and endless belly laughs. Another favourite amongst the Katch family is our yearly Katch Award ceremony, which we’ve aptly named The Georgies after our founder Georgie Woollams. Not your typical award ceremony, The Georgies award each employee based on their personality, talents, and the unique qualities they bring to the team.
Never taking ourselves too seriously, we’re always sharing laughs as a team, whether that’s over our monthly happy hour or creating ridiculous Instagram reels for our social media team. Tackling the mystery of the missing mugs, this year we finally came up with a creative solution, ordering custom cups for every employee with their face on the front, and as ridiculous as it sounds, we haven’t lost a single mug since.
New Incentives to Show Our Appreciation
We’re always seeking new ways to create an environment where personal wellbeing and professional growth go hand in hand. With this in mind, Katch set about making some big changes to our way of working this year. Following the success and positive feedback of our previously introduced one-day weekly work-from-home, Katch introduced an additional half day of work-from-home on a Friday.
Recognising the importance of balancing family life and career progression, Katch has also recently introduced a more comprehensive maternity and paternity leave. With one of the best maternity policies in the UAE, new mothers are now provided with three months of fully paid leave in addition to three months of work-from-home. As for new fathers, they will receive a week of fully paid paternity leave followed by a month of work-from-home, ensuring they can make the most of those first special moments.
Katch’s commission structure also received a facelift this year, allowing employees to benefit even more for their hard work with very clear parameters now in place to earn from client acquisitions and more. On top of this, in March we began offering a profit share to every employee after three years of service, encouraging and rewarding loyalty.
Our 14th Year in Highlights
With our amazing team always putting in the hours behind the scenes, it’s no surprise that our 14th year has been the most successful to date. We also thank our various clients, some of which have been with us for almost a decade, for supporting our boutique agency and believing in our creative vision. While there have been so many victories to celebrate, here’s just a glimpse of what Katch has been up to over the past 12 months:
Starting our 14th year on a high, Katch achieved a major win by securing the world-renowned hospitality brand, Four Seasons as a client, which now sees us handling PR for all its key properties across the GCC market. As Four Seasons expands its global footprint and invests in its stunning 128 hotels and resorts in 47 countries, Katch is proud to be part of their efforts in further making their mark on the global market.
This addition builds on Katch’s knack for crafting five-star hospitality campaigns, also highlighted by our longstanding partnership with Emaar Hospitality Group. From the stylish Vida Hotels and Resorts to the luxurious Address Hotels and the trendy Rove Hotels, which we’ve proudly partnered with for six years, we handle PR for a diverse selection of Emaar’s properties, ensuring each hotel’s unique personality shines through.
Another highlight was the launch of our Katch office in Riyadh, a move that marks an exciting new chapter for us in Saudi Arabia. Having worked on several unique projects in the Kingdom over the last number of years, we finally took the plunge, fully immersing ourselves in this vibrant region. Some of our previous work in the Kingdom includes managing the PR for iLuminate’s history-defining showpiece, BLACKPINK’s epic concert which saw the country become draped in pink, and for the Saudi edition of The Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF), with plenty more exciting things to come.
Showcasing our experience in the world of live entertainment, Katch was honoured to lead the PR and communications for UNTOLD Dubai, the UAE’s very first mega music festival. Spanning four days of non-stop music madness, our work with the inaugural UNTOLD Dubai racked was an overwhelming success, seeing over 140,000 attendees during its run. With the 2025 edition already in the works, we’re excited to take things to the next level, promising an event that will be bigger, better, and bolder than ever before.
In the world of F&B, our collaboration with Demon Duck at Banyan Tree Dubai helped bring Michelin-starred chef Alvin Leung's dynamic pan-Asian creations into the spotlight through our ongoing campaigns. By showcasing the restaurant's unique flair and pinpointing the perfect award categories, Katch played a part in getting Demon Duck shortlisted for the Best Hotel Restaurant Team of the Year at the Caterer Middle East Awards. More recently, Katch has become the official PR agency for UAE Restaurant Group (UAERG), adding yet another feather to our cap.
Making our mark in the PR world, we’ve also been shortlisted for our fair share of awards over the past year. Some of the titles include ‘PR/Communications Agency of the Year’ from Campaign Middle East 2023, ‘Best Agency: Middle East’ at PR Week Global Awards 2024, and ‘Top 30 PR Firms’ in the Region from Caterer ME – F&B PR Powerlist 2024. Not to mention being nominated for 3 awards by PRCA MENA in 2024, including ‘Best PR Campaign: Media Relations Small/ Medium Companies’, ‘Medium Consultancy of the Year’, and ‘Rising Star of the Year’ for our wonderful PR Director, Dhara Bhatia.
The Future of Katch
As we look to the future, Katch is excited to explore new horizons, with clients already spanning across the Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Doha. We're also looking forward to venturing into the US and other parts of Asia, opening doors to new cultures and fresh opportunities. While hospitality, F&B, and live entertainment remain close to our hearts, we’re mixing things up by branching out into new areas like health and wellness and real estate.
Keeping up with the latest trends, we have also created InGame, a platform that taps into the virtual world of Roblox, opening the door to in-game advertising. We’re also thrilled to have recently partnered with Blurred, a UK-based firm that focuses on sustainability, management, and communications, to create a dedicated department, in line with the UAE’s Vision 2030.
Cheers to 14 Years of Katch Magic
As we unwrap this amazing milestone, we want to shout out a huge thanks to all who have been part of our journey. From our amazing clients and partners to our reliable friends, your trust and support have driven our passion. On this special occasion, we make a wish for many more years of painting the world pink through our bold campaigns, creative flair, and unmistakable Katch magic.
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