A luxury trade show will give agents access to ‘unGoogle-able’ ideas and contacts at its upcoming event in Dubai, after noticing a demand from its membership for more exclusive product.
Private Luxury Events will host its second Ultra event in January 2026 at Atlantis The Royal, Dubai for four days of intensive networking and bespoke experiences.
The event is set to welcome more than 100 luxury travel designers, including family offices, executive assistants and personal assistants who cater to UHNW [ultra-high-net-worth] individuals.
Each buyer will have the opportunity to meet with luxury exhibitors from the likes of Four Seasons, Cheval Blanc, Airelles, Reschio House, Beno, Fregate Private Island, and Sha Wellness Clinic, as well as a number of highly-discreet luxury brands.
The idea for Ultra was born after Private Luxury Events realised its travel advisors weren’t fully satisfied with the content of its existing trade shows.
It surveyed its members to ascertain exactly what they were looking for, and found an overwhelmingly high demand for access to the top luxury product that couldn’t be found online. Essentially, the advisors were after the ‘unGoogle-able’ properties and experiences.
“In ultra-luxury travel, it’s about who you know,” Christy Kuplic, managing director at Private Luxury Events, tells TTG Luxury. “But often, you have to be in a certain high-net-worth group to access these people. The agents wanted a black book of product, which is why we created Ultra.”
Private Luxury Events held its first Ultra last January, bringing together 200 members of the luxury travel market. Exhibitors, such as luxury hotel and wellness brands, were only invited if they met strict criteria, which was set by the company’s expert advisory team.
“While everyone defines ultra-luxury differently, there were three pillars for us that every ultra-luxury product has: service, distinction, and discretion,” explains Kuplic. “Those pillars created our top 1% of product within the luxury community and those are the ones that get an invite to Ultra.”
Kuplic is quick to emphasise the importance of the final pillar, which is often a key distinguishing factor between luxury and ultra-luxury.
“A lot of these places don’t even want to be known because they’re already high in demand and they also know whoever stays there wants privacy,” she says. “They’re offering services like private security, private elevators, and private transportation.”
Unsurprisingly, the standard of advisors invited to Ultra is equally high. Of the 3,000 buyers that applied to attend the 2025 event, only 100 were accepted – and the upcoming event will be no different.
“You can’t just be a new player in our industry to attend Ultra. You need to be established,” Kuplic explains, before adding that the quality of the bookings is far more important than the quantity.
It’s also a tight verification process; candidates must submit a lengthy application, which is then reviewed by Ultra’s advisory board. In this eight-page document, buyers are asked to disclose details such as the calibre of their clients and the type of trips they’ve booked.
They are also required to have a reference from another person in the ultra-luxury travel space, who can vouch for their reputability in the industry.
Successful applicants will join over 100 exhibitors at Atlantis The Royal, Dubai for a week of pre-scheduled meetings between 25 and 29 January, 2026.
Suppliers and advisors are matched based on preference, with the former group allowed to see who will be attending the week beforehand. The afternoons will be dedicated to demonstrating luxury product, including experiences that clients would not be able to book as a regular tourist.
“Agents will be able to gain private access to really special places because we know people in important government seats, or to exclusive dinners because we know the owner of a certain palace,” Kuplic says. “It’s showing them how they can unlock keys with the right relationships.”
Applications for Ultra will be open in June.
