Focus on: ADNEC group and my career

Simon Price is general counsel of Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company PJSC (ADNEC) and board secretary to its subsidiary, London International Exhibition Center PLC — known as ExCeL London.

ADNEC is a contributor to the development of the business tourism sector in Abu Dhabi and is playing a vital role in the Emirate’s ambition to become a leading destination for business meetings and events to achieve its long-term goals of economic growth and diversification.

In 2021 and 2022, ADNEC expanded its hotel portfolio to six hotels, implemented the transfer of two Etihad Airways businesses — namely Etihad Airport Services Catering and Etihad Holidays — and set up Tourism 365, a new tourism company which will lead the efforts to promote tourism and facilitating the growth of the tourism industry in Abu Dhabi, aiming to increase the number of visitors to the Emirate.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

Automated contract management and production have come a long way in recent years, and it seems to improve. This frees up a lot of time for in-house lawyers to focus more on adding value in other areas.

What is a cause, business-related or otherwise, that you care about, and why?

The ADNEC legal team is dedicated to the quality and clarity of its advice. Our goal is to quickly simplify advice and then communicate it in the most straightforward way possible.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

Our core businesses of event venues and support services, catering and tourism are demanding and fast-moving. We try to stick to two mantras in everything we do, namely ‘KIS’ – keep it simple; and ‘KIM’ – keep it moving, a reference to not being a bottleneck and responding quickly to the legal needs of the business.