Independent earned-led culture agency Example expands to the Middle East

After nearly a decade shaping the cultural and commercial success of APACʼs leading brands, venues and precincts, independent earned-led culture agency Example has expanded into the Middle East, launching its Dubai office to lead hospitality, beverage and tourism projects in the region.

Founded in 2017 by hospitality leaders Andy El-Bayeh (left) and Rebecca Jarvie-Gibbs (right), Example redefines how brands build cultural connection, blending earned-led strategy, storytelling, placemaking and PR into a single model of influence. From concepting and designing story-driven hotels and restaurants to shaping campaigns that become cultural moments, Example builds ideas that create conversation, drive loyalty and deliver real-world impact.

Example arrives as the region rewrites the global playbook for hospitality and luxury. With more than $1 trillion in development and 300,000 new hotel rooms projected by 2030, the Gulf is building a tourism economy with scale and ambition unlike anywhere else.

To lead this new chapter, Example has established a global leadership structure that reflects both its ambition and founder-led approach. Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Andy El-Bayeh has relocated to Dubai to lead Middle East operations while overseeing global creative and strategic direction. Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Rebecca Jarvie-Gibbs remains based in Australia, driving global operations and ensuring strong delivery across markets.

They are joined by Chief Strategy Officer Chris Loukakis, who anchors Exampleʼs strategic product across APAC and the Middle East, and Daniel Goldstein, Head of PR for both regions.  Together, theyʼre backed by a global bench of senior strategists, PR specialists, chefs, drinks and music experts, interior designers and brand builders already working across Example projects – a multi-disciplinary collective that can now be dialled into Middle East work from day one.

Andy El-Bayeh, CEO and CO-Founder, said: “The Gulf is building the future of hospitality in real time. Our role is to ensure the hotels, venues, brands and products that show up here arenʼt just impressive on the surface, but rich in story and deep in soul. We want to sit with owners, operators, brand teams and creators to define the true role a brand should play in peopleʼs lives – then translate that into experiences and moments that become the stories people tell afterwards. Weʼre not here to drop in a Western formula; weʼre here to build something with the region that feels local, proud and built to last”.

Joining El-Bayeh in Dubai is Sarah Knowles as Client Relationship Director, a strategic marketing leader with a background spanning agency and client-side roles in luxury spirits and experiential brand building.

Formerly leading the global experiential account for The Macallan, Knowles has since delivered high-impact work for brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Glenfiddich, FIX Chocolatier and EA Sports.

Example Middle East marks the beginning of an ambitious new chapter, with a locally based team expanding across strategy, PR, social, content and placemaking. The first wave of hires will focus on research, PR and social as the agency builds its presence in the region.

The Dubai office launches with foundation clients including Bacardi-Martini, for which Example will lead Patrónʼs AMEA and Pacific culture strategy, with the first work driving strategy, concept design and communications for the brandʼs involvement at Sole DXB. Example is also leading creative and amplification projects for Blue Coral Concepts, an emerging hospitality group with several new venues set to launch in 2026, and place strategy, concept and branding for Addmind, one of the regionʼs leading operators in nightlife and hospitality.

The expansion follows a period of impactful growth for Example in Australia. The agency recently announced its partnership with Accor Pacific to create Table For,  a new in-house F&B group to set a global benchmark for hotel dining, and welcomed a series of high-profile clients including Fink Restaurant Group, Etymon, InterContinental Hotels, QT Hotels and Toga.

Rebecca Jarvie-Gibbs, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, said:  “Weʼre passionate about hospitality in its fullest sense, where every part of the experience is the brand. This expansion is a proud moment for our team – a group of sharp, creative and culturally-attuned minds working across continents who care deeply about the work and the impact it can have. Weʼre bringing a global perspective, local appreciation and a shared ambition to shape experiences that resonate deeply now and define hospitality for the future.”

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