Tahaluf CEO Mike Champion on LEAP’s meteoric rise in Saudi Arabia
A driving force behind LEAP’s rapid expansion in Riyadh, Mike Champion gives us an insider’s view on how Tahaluf is reshaping the region’s event landscape
11 February, 2025
TT
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As Saudi Arabia cements its position as a global hub for large-scale events, Tahaluf is playing a pivotal role in driving this transformation.
At the helm is Mike Champion, who has overseen the rapid expansion of the company and its flagship event, LEAP 2025. In just a few years, LEAP has become one of the world’s most attended tech events, attracting billions in investment and some of the biggest names in sports and technology.
In this Gulf Business interview, Champion discusses the highlights of LEAP 2025, the steps taken to improve the event experience, and how Tahaluf has emerged as a dominant force in the global events industry.
He also sheds light on Saudi Arabia’s dynamic approach to growth, the impact of major infrastructure investments, and what’s next for Tahaluf as it continues its remarkable trajectory.
Watch the interview below. An edited transcript appears further below.
What are the key highlights of this year’s LEAP 2025 event?
The highlights really depend on who you are. If you’re someone who cares about technology in sports, then your key highlight is going to be the sports tech stage. We’ve got amazing brands speaking, from Chelsea to Spurs to La Liga and Formula E. Patrice Evra is moderating, and we have legendary footballers like Andrea Pirlo, Francesco Totti, and Iker Casillas attending.
If your focus is securing investment, whether it’s millions for a startup or billions for a larger entity, then it’s all about meeting the 1,600 investors we have at the event. Collectively, they manage over $5tn in assets. We’re talking about senior decision-makers from the biggest private equity firms, VCs, sovereign wealth funds worldwide — including the likes of Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz.
For some people, a major highlight might even be how we’ve managed to fix the traffic issues from last year. Did you notice that?
Yes, there’s practically a highway into the venue now.
We had such a brilliant show last year, but people told us the traffic was a challenge. So, we worked closely with our partners at Tahaluf and SELA, who operate Riyadh Season and sponsor Newcastle United, to find a solution. We built a larger highway, added extra roads, redesigned the one-way system, and created 5,000 additional parking spaces. We tested it on two shows, and now the issue is resolved.
Customer satisfaction is a crucial measurement for us. It’s not just about getting high-profile speakers; it’s also about ensuring a great experience. People should be able to focus on the event rather than worry about long queues.
That’s what’s interesting about hosting events in this part of the world. There’s a challenge in one year, but by the next year, it’s fixed.
That’s the beauty of working in Saudi Arabia. If you look at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, it took 16 years from planning to completion — 10 years just for approvals and six years for construction. Here in Saudi, they don’t have time to wait that long. And honestly, no one wants to wait 16 years for infrastructure projects. The government deploys capital and talent to make things happen fast.
The same philosophy applies to events. Instead of taking 30-40 years for LEAP to grow into a major event like in other regions, they want it to happen in three or four years. That’s why they deploy capital and use their influence to accelerate the process. That’s part of the secret sauce.
Let’s talk numbers. How’s attendance looking this year? How many exhibitors are on board?
Last year, we became the world’s most attended tech event. This year, we’re not just aiming to add another 10,000 or 20,000 attendees — there’s a point where it becomes too many people. Instead, we’re focused on strength in depth.
We want attendees who are relevant, influential, and have something valuable to share. That could be someone deploying capital, someone who has invented a groundbreaking technology, or someone looking to adopt new innovations.
We’ve invested heavily in targeting the right audience, working with specialist media partners and marketing strategies to ensure we bring in the right people. We measure success through meaningful meetings set up via our app, engagement levels, registration-to-attendance conversions, and the seniority of attendees.
We’re up in double digits across all those key metrics, including the amount of capital available for deployment. By the end of the show, we’ll be able to share some solid figures, but so far, it’s tracking really well.
In terms of top speakers, who are some of the key names this year at LEAP 2025?
We have over 1,000 speakers, and we don’t invite anyone unless they have something truly valuable to say.
Personally, I always enjoy seeing His Excellency Abdullah Alswaha, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology. He’s a fantastic speaker with great stage presence, but more importantly, he always brings real announcements — major deals and billions of dollars in investment.
I’m also excited about the Ocean Cleanup team. They’re working on a purpose-driven business tackling the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. That’s something everyone can support, regardless of politics. No one wants to see marine life trapped in plastic.
People attend events for three reasons: fear, greed, and to shake the hand of greatness. Fear — because if they don’t attend, they might miss critical industry knowledge. Greed — because they want to advance their career or make money. And finally, shaking the hand of greatness — meeting legends. I’m a big Nottingham Forest fan, and while our speakers haven’t played for Forest, I can’t wait to meet Andrea Pirlo, Francesco Totti, and Iker Casillas.
Let’s talk about Tahaluf as a business. How is it performing, and how has the company evolved since 2022?
Tahaluf has built internationally recognised brands. If you work in tech or events, you’ve likely heard of LEAP. The same goes for Cityscape in real estate — it’s known globally for facilitating massive deals.
We’re also bringing the biggest global events to Saudi. Money 20/20, the world’s leading fintech event, has chosen Saudi Arabia as its next home. (24 Fintech, which we launched last year, will become Money 20/20.) CPHI, the world’s biggest pharma event, debuted in Saudi in December, and we’re expanding it. We just launched SuperReturn, a major investor event.
Financially, last year we quadrupled our operating profit — growing from mid-double-digit millions to solid mid-double figures. Revenue doubled, showing 100 per cent year-on-year growth.
We’ve moved from a fast-growing startup to a mature business with predictable double-digit revenue and profit growth. That means more jobs, a larger team, and strong financial reporting. You’ll see even more exciting developments in the next few years.
Mike Champion, thank you for speaking with us.
Good to see you again. Thanks a lot!
