The first fully integrated marketing hub in the Middle East has opened its doors in Dubai. YKONE, the internationally renowned influencer marketing agency, is behind the first-ever YKONE House, a unique multi-purpose space. The 500sqm hub, found in the heart of the buzzing Dubai Design District, combines a creative production studio, co-working space, connected meeting rooms and a mixed-retail and café space, all under one roof.
Wih a mission to become a revolving door for the region’s most creative minds, YKONE House is designed to merges digital connectivity and co-working with retail and production. YKONE CEO Olivier Billon’s vision for the space, launched in early December 2021, was inspired by the new ways of working that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Although we were all far from the office while working from home, I couldn’t help but notice YKONE employees’ enhanced wellbeing and proactivity during their time away from the office. In a time of stress and uncertainty, the one comfort was the ability to work remotely and connect from anywhere, at any time,” Billon said. “Digital nomadism was no longer a figment of the future, it was now a must in our everyday lives. As an entrepreneur, I also saw an opportunity for our business to become more agile, offering multi-disciplinary services and solutions - for our clients but also for our teams. This is how the idea for YKONE House was born. We knew we wanted to be a part of the change, and this meant becoming pioneers in defining the future of the workspace, creating a place where creativity, retail and co-working could all coexist in perfect harmony.”
YKONE House, designed by Lebanese architect Fadi Sarieddine, has 9.5m-high ceilings in the studio that allow for the production of horizontal and vertical video formats. Plus, there’s oodles of natural daylight that provides beautiful opportunities for content creation and imagery. The bespoke studio caters to everything from TikTok creation to editorial shoots for luxury brands. On one side, the chic 75sqm space can be used by luxury brands and influencers, while on the other side a co-working area provides all the comforts of a home away from home, such as complimentary coffee. The café area also doubles as a food studio that allows F&B outlets and brands to produce content and viral recipe videos, accompanied by an on-site kitchen for any technical requirements. To make the set up complete, an on-site hair, make-up and fitting room is conveniently located behind the studio for models and influencers to get glam. In addition, there’s an equipment room housing five Sony cameras and an array of lights, soft boxes and reflectors for photography and videography.
On the same floor, YKONE House boasts a connected meeting room that can be used for remotely managed productions. The high-speed connection and state-of-the-art equipment makes it possible for creative directors abroad to effortlessly lead international shoots in the studio, with the click of a button. What’s more, the studio space can be converted into a 50-person amphitheatre and event space to host brands and influencers alike. The adaptable area can be used for panel discussions, masterclasses, trainings, meet and greets, as well as brand events and pop-ups. A world-class sound system by French audio experts Devialet rounds out the experience, ready to fire up any playlist with high-quality sound.
Meanwhile, the upper level has a one-of-a-kind co-working space, featuring a handmade marble table that seats up to 15 people. YKONE team members as well as content creators can reunite here to brainstorm, work and chat over coffee. There’s another kitchen and connected meeting room as well, allowing for maximum comfort and productivity.
Since opening in 2014, YKONE Middle East has quickly evolved into a strategic regional connector of the GCC, Asia and Europe. Composed of a team of 16, YKONE Dubai oversees the offices of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bangalore and Mumbai as the regional headquarters. Over the past decade, the agency has accompanied the region’s most prestigious brands including Miu Miu, Gucci, Dior, Chalhoub Group and Visit Dubai, among others. And thanks to the agency’s triple-digit growth, YKONE Middle East could take on a huge expansion of its services and location with the opening of the first-ever YKONE House.
