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Beat the recession: attend an exhibition

Trade shows vital to securing and maintaining business during economic downturn

DUBAI: International Expo-Consults (IEC) has seen a sharp upturn in business results from its portfolio of trade shows following the economic slump, as companies look for cost effective ways to promote their brands, establish new business leads and cement long-term relationships.

IEC, a division of Falak Holding Group , an internationally recognised trade show management company with an impressive track record of over a decade of operations in the Middle East and Asia Pacific region, offers a series of five annual exhibitions in Dubai covering a wide spectrum of industry sectors, from entertainment to franchising, chemicals, sign and graphics, and sports equipment.

"In this time of recession trade shows have become more vital at securing and maintaining business relationships. They remove the gap between the client and the supplier," says Abdul Rehman Falaknaz, President of IEC.

"Our trade shows are really industry focused - B2B. The supplier and the buyer get to source business partners under one roof and this is crucial at this time as companies are facing cash flow problems. Exhibitions are about 'connecting opportunities'. Companies from the West need to take advantage of the opportunities available in the Middle East as this part of the world is growing at a fast pace compared to already established markets."

IEC's Dubai Entertainment, Amusement and Leisure (DEAL) expo, held at Dubai World Trade Centre April 25-27, showed strong market resilience with nearly 5,000 visitors from over 50 countries attending. DEAL showcased 150 exhibitors throughout the three-day event.

The seventh annual edition of Franchising Middle East (FME), the region's leading exhibition for the franchise sector, proved a huge success in 2010 with 62 exhibitors representing a wide range of regional and international brands. More than 3,000 visitors from 20 countries attended the event.

Sign and Graphic Imaging (SGI) Middle East, which took place at Dubai Airport Expo in January, provided the perfect showcase for new product innovations, with large-scale industrial print technology demonstrated at the show.

In addition to the shows all presenting strong numbers of exhibitors and visitors, IEC has worked hard to diversify each exhibition's offering, with industry accolades and education central to development.

"We just launched industry awards for two of the exhibitions - DEAL and SGI. The educational programme at DEAL is also growing and we hope to make this an annual industry conference, to run alongside the exhibition. For DEAL we are also expanding the profile to include more exhibitors. Looking at the positivity of the market, we are also looking at expanding the profile of SGI," says Mr Sharif Rehuman, CEO, International Expo Consults.

Looking forward to the rest of 2010, IEC predicts further growth for its upcoming shows. Debuting in 2010 is Chemical Process Plant and Machinery Middle East, which will showcase the latest technologies and cutting edge products of the industry. CPPM ME will be held alongside CHEMSPEC from November 29-30 at Dubai World Trade Centre.

Sportex, IEC's last exhibition of the year, will showcase the latest in sporting goods and services at Dubai World Trade Centre from October 31^st till November 2^nd 2010.

"All the shows IEC organises are unique. Whether it is DEAL, SGI or Franchising Middle East, they are longest running shows in their sectors. Each show is tailor made for a specific industry in this region," Sharif adds.

-Ends-

International Expo-Consults LLC (IEC) is an internationally recognized trade show management company with an impressive track record of over a decade of operations in the Middle East and Asia Pacific region.

IEC excels at creating high profile, highly focused business exhibitions and expositions, which serve as effective business interfaces for buyers and suppliers from around the world. For more information, visit www.iecdubai.com

PRESS CONTACT
Upasna Barua Kumar
Global Media Solutions
Email: pr@gmsadv.com
Tel: +9714 8846228
Fax: +9714 8845405
Mob: +971 50 7185895

Siddarth Nanthur
Senior Project Manager
International Expo-Consults
Email: siddarth@iec.ae
Tel: +971 4 3435777
Fax: +971 4 3436115
Mob: +971504576356

© Press Release 2010