Morgane Dugros, Managing Partner International, leads the International Travel Accounts at YKONE. She oversees the growth of travel and hospitality as a high potential market in Abu Dhabi. She is surrounded by an exceptional team that aims to offer more than just an experience to influencers traveling to the destination – a team that is committed to creating memorable travel experiences for a strong storytelling on social media. She graduated from Law Bar School of Versailles, after obtaining her lawyer degree from the French-German University of Law in 2013 with 7 years of education entirely in German, English and French. She first joined the music industry as a specialist in Intellectual Property & copyrights, before moving to the Partnerships department where she grew international experiences in marketing & strategic operations. After five years growing YKONE international accounts and working with best in class brands, she is now helping brands and tourism boards grow their international marketing operations.
“Opening an office in Abu Dhabi was key for our international and travel expertise growth. With more than 11m visitors per year, the destination has become a key leader in the industry, and a key client for Ykone. Growing our local presence and accompanying our clients and partners on a daily basis was evidence for us. I’m really happy to see our team of experts contributing to this exciting moment for the Emirate, and participating in its growth.”
Leah Chernick is a Client Partner on the international team, based in the Paris HQ. She holds a degree in Communications from Quinnipiac University. Prior to joining YKONE, she interned in New York for several fashion brands and at Harper’s Bazaar. Over the past years at YKONE, she’s worked on a variety of accounts across the fashion, beauty, luxury and travel industries. As part of the international team, she has a strong expertise across markets, executing large scale international campaigns. Her most recent focus has been in travel & tourism, developing the Visit Abu Dhabi, Brand USA and GoTurkey accounts at YKONE.
“I’m very pleased to see our growth and expansion in Abu Dhabi with our campaigns with DCT and Ykone’s presence. Both have high ambitions to grow the market and position the destination in the best way possible.”
Qasr Al Hosn – Abu Dhabi
Vishma Nanaiah is a Senior Project Manager on the International travel team of YKONE. She graduated from the Center of Management Studies in Bangalore with a degree in Business Administration and a specialization in Marketing. She went on to study Digital Marketing in greater depth, learning a 360-degree methodology. She has experience working with Europe, the Middle East and the Asian tourism and travel industries. In the last four years with YKONE, she has been involved in the planning, execution, monitoring and controlling stages of 20 projects with the travel, hospitality, fashion and luxury industries, leading to desirable outcomes of campaign expectations.
“YKONE has been working with Visit Abu Dhabi for the last 2 years and we expect to increase the scope of our projects in the region. Now setting up the office is a physical proof of how the team has exceeded our client’s expectations. We look forward to continuing this level of excellence.”
Damian Castell, graduated from Escuela Internacional de Protocolo in Barcelona with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism from Universitat Jaume I in 2014. Since then, he has been working for several luxury hotel brands like AC Hotels, Autograph Collection and EDITION by Marriott International in Spain and the UAE over the past eight years, giving him a notable experience in travel management and guest services. Based in Abu Dhabi, he joined the travel team as a Project Manager in 2020 and is helps grow a variety of YKONE International accounts, including Visit Abu Dhabi and Go Turkey, as well as other regional campaigns.
Founder’s Memorial – Abu Dhabi
Michelle Cordova is part of the Travel Team based in Abu Dhabi. She graduated in Lima in the field of Hospitality Management and has lived and worked in many countries, including Peru, US, UK and UAE since December 2019. Working in the hospitality industry allowed her to gain experience with luxury brands from Belmond and Marriott, where she has won awards for best Associate of the trimester. Joining the YKONE team has brought her a great opportunity to continue developing her skills into the Social Media and Marketing segment
“Exciting times ahead keep coming with the campaigns brought to live by YKONE & DCT. I’m thrilled to be part of the process on how Abu Dhabi would turn into the favourite destination for solo travellers, couples and families.”
Haya Alresheq is a Project Manager based in Abu Dhabi. She holds a degree in hospitality management from California State Polytechnic University. Prior to joining YKONE, she was part of pre-opening multiple luxury hotel brands such as The Ritz Carlton in Jeddah, The Abu Dhabi EDITION, and SLS Dubai. Over the past few months with YKONE, her main focus has been executing on ground & travel management for Visit Abu Dhabi Campaign, along with casting & talent management.
“As Abu Dhabi is proving to become a key destination in the Middle East, I am confident that Ykone Abu Dhabi will play a major role in promoting the destination and creating authentic experiences that fit a diverse pool of markets.”
VISIT ABU DHABI CAMPAIGN
YKONE Abu Dhabi builds on the agency’s momentum in the travel and hospitality sector, and has provided strategic marketing solutions tailored for the UAE capital. After the pandemic, YKONE wished to resume its activities and announced the reopening of Abu Dhabi to vaccinated travelers from all over the world. The campaign was deployed in several phases.
The first phase of the campaign announced the re-opening of Abu Dhabi to worldwide vaccinated travelers on September 15, 2021.Here, 36 influencers published throwback posts from their previous trips to the destination, sharing the news of the re-opening to re-inspire travel to Abu Dhabi.
In the second phase of the campaign YKONE wanted to optimize the visibility of the destination.
From November to February, more than 60 top international influencers from 8 international key markets traveled to promote Abu Dhabi as a dream destination and the reopening, creating content around the best experiences in Abu Dhabi.
In parallel, from December to March, 400 content creators from 14 local markets traveled to promote Abu Dhabi’s hidden gems, from cultural sites in Al Ain to adventures on Sir Bani Yas Island to kayaking in Jubail Mangrove Park. All together, the best influencers from around the world traveled to Abu Dhabi to enjoy best in class experiences and create massive visibility and a plethora of content for the brand.
This large scale project required meticulous organization.
Starting with the casting phase, YKONE identified and vetted influencers according to a strict set of KPIs to match Visit Abu Dhabi’s expectations in terms of content and data. YKONE then reached out to the approved profiles negotiating and putting together their travel and experience in Abu Dhabi.
With the objective of creating a real partnership of discovery through the influencers, YKONE managed the entire campaign coordination, from bookings with Visit Abu Dhabi’s local partners (hotels, activities, etc), to sharing a complete travel kit to managing the influencers’ time on ground. YKONE provided support on ground by accompanying influencers as much as possible to ensure the best possible travel conditions and experiences.
In order to guarantee influencers a memorable experience during their trip, YKONE offered a wide range of activities to ensure that all influencers were satisfied with their travel experience. From visiting Qasr Al Hosn, the oldest and most important building in Abu Dhabi, to Ferrari World for a dose of adrenaline, to discovering the royal palace, and of course visiting the famous Louvre Abu Dhabi. The “Visit Abu Dhabi” project and concept aims to build unique and memorable experiences fit for all interests and segments. .
#TheTimeIsNow
Interested in joining the YKONE team? Contact us at contact@ykone.com
