Over US $ 100 Million worth contracts sealed,Exhibitors pleased with outcome
"The Exhibition is both the platform for showcasing converging industry interests and spring board for propelling future growth,"--Mohammed Al Noori, Head of Advertising Section, Dubai Municipality
Dubai: The 7th Edition of Sign & Graphic Imaging Middle East 2005, the region's only specialized signage, graphic imaging & screen printing Show and the largest B2B event in its category concluded on a positive and gratifying note. The three-day event which was inaugurated on Tuesday, 1 February 2005 by Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, President of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, reported record lucrative deals--rich pickings for local, regional and international exhibitors and witnessed a record number of professional visitors from over 50 countries.
According to Abdul Rahman Falaknaz, President, International Expo consults, organizers of the event, visitor levels topped the 10,092 benchmark, registering a phenomenal 30 % surge over 2004 figures. Visitors to this landmark show that mirrors the progress of this USD $ 2 billion regional industry represented a multinational mix from over 50 countries. Over 200 companies from 24 countries exhibited at the show that has progressively grown and registered a 1000% growth since its inception in 1999.
Falaknaz was elated with the success of the latest edition of the Show. "Sign & Graphic Imaging Middle East 2005 is now clearly on a roll and has to date been the best in the series in every parameter of evaluation. The figures speak for themselves and we have had all-round growth in terms of exhibitors, exhibition space, visitor turnout, and in both the number and value of deals clinched by participants, buyers and sellers at the Show," remarked Falaknaz. Buoyed by the tremendous showing at the current exhibition, Falaknaz is confident that Sign & Graphic Imaging Middle East 2006 will now be even bigger and better.
As with the past editions, Dubai Municipality's Advertising Section lent its full-hearted support to Sign & Graphic Imaging Middle East 2005, with a ringing endorsement of the event. Mohammed Al Noori, Head of the Department commended the accomplishments of the show. According to Al Noori, the Exhibition was the platform for the outdoor advertising to showcase technology, innovation and progress of the industry. "The positive indicators coming out of Exhibition in terms of participation and results is a positive reflection of the industry that is now coming into its own," commented Al Noori who had words of praise to the trade participants and show organizers for putting Dubai on the industry map.
There has been favourable feedback from participants who flocked to Sign & Graphic Imaging Middle East 2005. Several deals were finalized and many are in the pipeline according to an Exhibition spokesman. Sam Ally, Managing Director of UAE-based Al Hamoudi Trading Enterprises expressed his delight at the company's performance at the show. "This is our best showing in the last three years. We have already sold 15 machines--printers, routers, laser cutters and moulds. We are also in the process of finalizing some major contracts and the show has provided us a focused target audience. Our participation has been fruitful and our expectations have been exceeded," said Ally.
Another contented participant was Ernest Azzam, Business Development Manager at Hewlett Packard Middle East, a big player in the industry. "This is our biggest participation in 5 years of our association with Sign & Graphics Middle East. We had 6 partnering companies showcasing a variety of solutions from large format digital printing, silk screen solutions, proofing to photography," said Azzam whose company has already sold 30 machines besides other sophisticated machinery.
The International Sales Division of Roland, Japan, another major participant was also pleased with the outcome at the exhibition. "We have displayed our new generation of large format digital printing machines for the Middle East markets. We now have 30 confirmed orders and the response in general has been very encouraging," affirmed Kohei Tanabe, International Sales Division for the company.
Similar accolades have also come from other companies that found the Exhibition beneficial. Among these is SuperWide Digital whose Regional Managing Director Peter Afeiche was upbeat about his company's participation. "Sign & Graphic Imaging Middle East 2005 has been very rewarding for us and we have had some excellent leads and deals which will pursue. Professionally, it also helped our networking and served to update participants on the latest the industry has to offer," stated Afeiche.
The show attracted a lot of regional interest for an industry that sees Dubai as a trendsetter and a barometer for growth in the region. With increasing demand for outdoor advertising and ballooning requirements by the industry following intense competition between rival brands and the steady influx of new brands, the projected growth for the trade varies from 40% to almost 100 %, depending on the region, according to industry experts. The industry is here to stay and the sustained growth is indicative of the bright prospects for business ahead. The industry certainly has reasons to shout out from the roof tops!
-Ends-
Note to Editors:
International Expo Consults (IEC) is part of the Dubai-based, multi-faceted Falaknaz Group of Companies, a Corporate Group with successful businesses as diverse as sports retailing, furniture, real estate, medical diagnostics and more. IEC excels in creating high profile, highly focused business exhibitions and expositions, where buyers and suppliers from around the world converge to conduct business.
IEC's growing Trade Show portfolio serves a diverse range of industries spanning the Visual Communications, Leisure, Entertainment, Petrochemicals, Automotive Aftermarket, Sports, Franchising, and Manufacturing sectors.
For further information contact:
Mr. Amit Arora
Corban Advertising FZ -LLC
Dubai Media City
Building 8
Suite 311
Tel - 04 3902326
Fax - 04 3908862
Mob - 050 8585728
© Press Release 2005
