UAE gears itself up to be centre of global events

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The UAE, which is already seen as the Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) hub of the region, is now ready to promote global events here and take the sector to greater heights, say experts in the business.

Elisabeth Brehl, Managing Director, Epoc Messe Frankfurt, which holds major events such as Intersec, Beauty World and Toy Fair, among others in the country, told Emirates Business: "Dubai has already emerged as the definitive Mice hub of the Middle East.

"Not only that, it is still growing and presenting several new opportunities to the industry. The international demand is huge, and initiatives are already being undertaken, as we speak, to meet these needs," she said.

"Dubai's bid for Olymic 2020 and World Expo, Abu Dhabi's recent win with Irena - all are shining examples of the continued work which is being done to promote global events here. It is phenomenal that such advancements are being made amid an international economic downturn.

"Validating Dubai's position as the most important exhibition hub in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) is the figurative value placed on it's leadership in this sector. According to UFI, the global association of the events industry, the Mice sector in the Mena region is valued at Dh12 billion a year and is set to grow more in 2009. The Mice industry, including DWTC, continues to work towards increasing its target of one to 1.5 per cent contribution to Dubai's GDP, on par with global benchmarks such as Singapore and Hong Kong.

"Another factor which encourages Dubai's standing as a leading international hub for the Mice industry is that it's a very safe place to be in. The emirate is considered as one of the safest places in the world by Interpol. Dubai is very cosmopolitan and safe - an ideal combination for not making tourists feel foreign here, and to initiate international business negotiations."

Louisa Theobald, Group Exhibitions Director, Streamline Marketing Group, which is responsible for holding events such as FM Expo, Big 5 PMV, Global Space Technology Forum and Commercial Vehicles Middle East in the country, said: "The UAE, especially Dubai and Abu Dhabi, are popular as a Mice destination as they have good facilities and the ability to hold major world-class events.

"Apart from this the fact that doing face-to-face business, meeting people, speaking to them before making any major business decisions is extremely important in the region as opposed to the other parts of the world where it is not considered that vital, is another factor that is making it the Mice hub as meetings and exhibitions provide that platform.

"A lot of countries want to do business in the Middle East and they know that if they come down for events, conferences and exhibitions here, it will be beneficial to them as the people in this region see the value of coming out of their office, talking to people, see products before doing business, unlike elsewhere in the world where they prefer to do their research on the internet. I have worked in the Mice sector in the United Kingdom and I have seen major shows and events being reduced there as it is difficult to get people out of their offices.

"So the three or four days in the UAE at an event are well spent as most major events here bring people in droves, which is good for those looking to do business here.

"Whenever we hold an exhibition in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, the response is always tremendous from global businesses and countries alike. In fact, for the Facilities Management Exhibition that we held in Dubai in May this year, we raised our global exhibitors by 60 per cent as compared to last year. Exhibitors came from Spain, Germany, Malaysia in droves. However, the contents of the show, the requirements of the region and the sector also matter.

"Also, Dubai has a lot of advantages over the other places in the region. There is a major curiosity about it globally and it is a major tourist attraction. So when there is talk of a Mice event in Dubai, people are more willing to come here as they want to see the place and can combine business with pleasure," said Theobald.

Brehl added: "Dubai is rightly positioned to attract business from Europe, the US and Asia. We have almost 120 airlines flying into Dubai every week. While Hong Kong, which is also a Mice hub, has half of that, only 50-60 airlines fly in every week there.

"The air access is highly developed here; more than 200 destinations in the world can be reached. In fact it is much more convenient to come here for a global event than somewhere such as Las Vegas, Barcelona or Sydney. We can fly in almost 45,000 people to Dubai within three days for an international event.

"Add to the above, the emirate's leading accommodation, infrastructrure and convention facilities, which are the most advanced in the region, and you realise that Dubai is truly a global destination," she said.

Dubai too is conscious of the advantage it has and is doing its bit to promote itself as a global Mice hub by holding inaugural events here. In February 2009, DMCC and the Dubai Pearl Exchange held the first World Pearl Forum at the Atlantis hotel in Palm Jumeirah, Dubai.

As many as 200 registered delegates representing pearl retailers and wholesalers and manufacturers from various countries and sectors around the world attended the forum in Dubai.

The countries such as Australia, Philippines, Tahiti, Japan, China, India, the UK, France and the USA participated in the forum.

Earlier, talking to Emirates Business about the reasons for holding the forum in Dubai, Gaiti Rabbani, Executive Director, Coloured Stones and Pearls, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, said: "The World Pearl Forum 2009, an initiative of the Dubai Pearl Exchange, was part of a long-term strategy to guide the future of the pearling industry.

"As such, the primary objective of the forum was to foster lasting professional relationships with international and regional players in the pearl industry that will ultimately lead to new business opportunities among participants.

"Currently, the global pearl industry is rather fragmented and divided into specific geographic regions where pearls are produced alongside key trading centres such as Hong Kong and Japan. In the absence of a global industry body that synergises pearl production and trade-related initiatives on an international level, the Dubai Pearl Exchange has taken the initiative to create a forum for the global pearl trade. This is one of the very first steps in re-asserting Dubai's role in the global pearl trade."

Talking about the benefits that being a Mice hub bring to Dubai, Brehl said: "The Mice market is a significant economic sector for Dubai and the growth in Mice travel has led to a considerable increase in the number of business/high-yield visitors coming to the emirate every year.

"The events hosted in Dubai provide a platform for increasing entrepreneurship and facilitates negotiations on synergistic partnerships between businesses and government institutions, while advancing investment and information exchange, and elevating Dubai's competitiveness in the international forefront. Even peripheral and support industries are real winners when it comes to local exhibitions and conventions.

"Also the Mice industry plays an important part in encouraging the diversification of the UAE's and particularly Dubai's economy. It also cultivates continued growth of the local economy year-round, fuelling a significant amount of capital into various local industries."

Talking about the benefits for the region, Brehl said: "Dubai is an easier place to do business as compared to its neighbouring regions. Most of the countries from the Middle East and Africa look towards Dubai to source the latest services and products.

"While most of the cities and countries in and around Dubai can trade easily with the emirate, for the same countries to trade with foreign destinations, many accessibility restrictions are placed.

"So Dubai becomes a sort of common ground for global as well as regional companies to do business with each other," said Brehl.

By Reena Amos Dyes

© Emirates Business 24/7 2009