Dessie
Valencia
Born in 1981, Philippines
Senior Marketing | Brand | Events Manager
Results-driven Senior Marketing Manager with over 20 years of leadership experience across hospitality, fitness, wellness, and entertainment industries in the UAE. Expertise in 360° marketing strategy, digital transformation, brand development, campaign execution, experiential events, influencer marketing, and stakeholder partnerships. Proven track record of building brand equity, driving measurable growth, and leading cross-functional teams to deliver impactful results.
Personal
| Name | Dessie |
| Surname | Valencia |
| Marital status | Married |
| Birthday | 26 September 1981 |
| Nationality | Filipino |
Contact
| Address | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Mobile | +971 56 7343254 |
| hello@dessievalencia.com dessievs@gmail.com |
|
| Website | dessievalencia.com |
| linkedin.com/in/dessievalencia |
Core Competencies
360° Marketing Strategy | Digital Strategy and Content Marketing | Venue Launches and Brand Development | Experiential Events and Activations | Influencer Marketing and PR | Agency and Stakeholder Management | Performance Marketing and Analytics | Budget Management and Revenue Growth | Business Concept Development | Leadership and Team Building
Accomplishment
Experiential Venue Openings, Concept Curation, Brand Campaigns, Succesful Launches, Content Creation Commercial Gym Openings, Strategic Planning & Execution, Event Conceptualization Implementation
- The Bay by Social, Dubai Festival City | Season 1 & 2
- The Hub by Social, Masdar Park, Masdar City Abu Dhabi
- Social Distrikt, Dubai Mall Fountain Views
- Fitness First Middle East
- Gold’s Gym, UAE
- METROFITT, UAE
- Café Ceramique – a Taste for Art, Franchise outlets in UAE, Oman, Qatar & Bahrain
Awards & Industry Recognition
- EMEA Best Marketing Campaign – Precor, 2022
- Employee of the Year – Fitness First Middle East, 2009
Selected work
Professional
Experience
Marketing Manager
Limestone Lab Holding
Dubai, UAE
Nov 2023 – Present
As Marketing Manager for Limestone Lab, I lead the integrated marketing strategy across a portfolio of hospitality, F&B, and entertainment venues including Social Distrikt, The Bay by Social, and The Hub by Social and other hybrid brands. Oversee brand development, digital marketing, events and entertainment, promotions, partnerships, and agency coordination.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and manage the implementation of the annual marketing, entertainment, and events calendar across all venues
- Developed and led a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, enhancing brand visibility and customer engagement across all platforms
- Oversee vendor relationships and brand communications for 43 partner brands
- Lead a cross-functional in-house team across content, design, social media, events, and live entertainment
- Manage external agency relationships across PR, influencer marketing, digital strategy, web developers, seo and media buying agencies
- Plan, track, and report on campaign budgets and marketing performance metrics
- Support the development of new brand concepts and lead business proposal creation in collaboration with internal stakeholders
Managed the multi-phase launch of three flagship venues:
- The Bay by Social, Dubai Festival City Mall – Seasons 1 & 2 Developed and delivered integrated campaigns and activations with a combined marketing budget of AED 1.6M for 2 seasons, in partnership with Al Futtaim Group.
- The Hub by Social, Masdar Park, Masdar City Shaped the brand identity and rollout strategy, creating a marketing and events plan valued at AED 1.5M to position the venue as a community and culinary destination.
- Social Distrikt, Dubai Mall Fountain Views Managed the full pre-opening and relaunch strategy with a campaign budget close to AED 500K, including PR, digital, events and onsite branding.
Marketing & Operations Manager
Al Yousuf Sports Equipment (Al Yousuf Group)
Dubai, UAE
Mar 2019 – Oct 2023
Led marketing and supported operational execution for one of the UAE’s longest-standing companies. Represented international brands including Precor, Keiser, Eleiko, Therabody, and Hydrorider ensuring regional marketing aligned with global brand standards.
Acted as brand custodian across all principal partnerships — managing strategy, communications, and campaign localization to reinforce Al Yousuf Sports Equipment’s leadership as a top-tier fitness distributor.
Key Achievements
- Initiated and led to securing over AED 20M in project value through targeted B2B strategies
- Led the launch of a new service and maintenance division, contributing AED 1.4M in new revenue
- Delivered regional marketing campaigns and business proposals for government, hospitality, and corporate clients
- Awarded the EMEA Best Marketing Campaign by Precor in 2022, acknowledging the commercial and creative success of our regional marketing execution
Marketing Manager
Jump Boxx & MetroFitt
Dubai, UAE
Apr 2016 – Nov 2018
Managed dual marketing roles for Jump Boxx, a family entertainment venue, and MetroFitt, a homegrown gym brand introduced to fill a gap in the affordable fitness segment.
At Jump Boxx, I led the marketing initiatives that positioned the venue as a go-to destination for families, schools, corporates, and community groups. Through tailored promotions, birthday party packages, outreach activations, and school collaborations, the venue achieved annual revenue growth to AED 11M.
In parallel, I was responsible for building MetroFitt from concept to launch. This included brand creation, marketing strategy, and execution across multiple club openings and promotional rollout—ensuring alignment between marketing, sales, and operations to meet aggressive pre-opening membership targets.
Marketing Operations Manager
Gold’s Gym UAE (Al Ahli Holding Group)
Dubai, UAE
March 2013 – April 2016
Managed the marketing operations for 16 Gold’s Gym locations across the UAE. Delivered acquisition and retention campaigns in coordination with sales and operations. Oversaw the launch of new clubs and executed over 190 in-club events annually as part of the retention strategy with integrated marketing campaign.
Supported CSR partnerships, seasonal promotions, outreaches and activations to strengthened brand presence within the community.
Marketing & Events Manager
Fitness First Middle East (Landmark Group)
Dubai, UAE
June 2010 – Aug 2012
Led marketing and events strategy across the GCC for Fitness First Middle East, overseeing a regional budget exceeding AED 6M. Managed brand campaigns, sponsorship activations, and CSR programs while supporting operational growth across 21 clubs during a period of regional expansion.
Oversaw the pre-opening marketing, branding, and launch campaigns for 18 new clubs, delivering member acquisition strategies and venue visibility plans tailored to each market. Executed more than 252 monthly in-club events, in addition to supporting over 20 major events per year including the Dubai Marathon, wellness expos, and corporate activations—strengthening brand engagement and loyalty.
Education
Patcher's Inverstment
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Hobbys
Drawing
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Books
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ASG
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About me
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