Dubai, UAE: 15 April 2015: As part of the 'City Builders Race Initiative' which was launched by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, the Blue Team held its first event for young entrepreneurs last week in collaboration with Dubai Business Events (DBE) ) - the Official Convention Bureau. Consisting of a number of government entities including - Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA), Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development (SME), and Dubai Culture & Art Authority (DCAA) - the Blue Team focuses on engaging talented students and young entrepreneurs in different mentorship programmes with reputable experts in various domains.

For the first initiative involving mentoring young entrepreneurs, the Blue Team worked with Mr. Martin Sirk, CEO of International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), who was visiting Dubai in preparation for the prestigious ICCA Congress which will be hosted in the Emirate in 2018.

At Sheikh Mohamed Medical Academy in Dubai HealthCare City, Mr. Sirk gave a talk about career development in the international meetings industry, tailoring it especially for the target audience of young professionals from the hotel and conference centre industry.

Ahmad Khalifa AlFalasi, CEO Support Services at DTCM, said, "This stage of the Blue Team initiative is providing invaluable advice and mentorship to young professionals in the travel industry in a way that hasn't been done before. We are pleased to be one of the departments working to ensure that we are supporting young talent and providing opportunities for professionals who are starting their careers in the travel and hospitality sector to be offered guidance by some of the top experts in the field. Ultimately we hope that we're not only encouraging young people to enjoy a career in the industry but also maintaining the highest standards throughout, which in the end will ensure that we're offering the best service to visitors across the city."

Mr. Sirk gave an overview of his experience and career path leading up to his role as CEO of ICCA. Attendees were given a presentation on the success factors of a convention as well as the main priorities and elements to consider when working on a convention.

The event was organised by the Blue Team aiming to provide mentorship to talented young entrepreneurs and to prepare and guide them in their career journey. More students and young entrepreneurs with an interest in art, culture, science, technology and other domains will be carefully selected throughout the year to be part of similar mentorship/orientation programmes.

About Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM)
With the ultimate vision of positioning Dubai as the world's leading tourism destination and commercial hub, Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing's (DTCM) mission is to increase the awareness of Dubai to global audiences and to attract tourists and inward investment into the Emirate.

DTCM is the principal authority for the planning, supervision, development and marketing of Dubai's tourism sector. It markets and promotes the Emirate's commerce sector, and is responsible for the licensing and classification of all tourism services, including hotels, tour operators and travel agents. Brands and departments within the DTCM portfolio include Dubai Convention and Events Bureau, Dubai Calendar, and Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (formerly known as Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment). In addition to its headquarters in Dubai, DTCM operates 20 offices worldwide.

About Dubai Business Events (DBE) - the Official Convention Bureau
Dubai Business Events (DBE) - the Official Convention Bureau, aims to further develop and increase Dubai's share of the international business events market in order to grow economic development, jobs and knowledge creation in the emirate. DBE's main goal, as a division of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, is to establish the Emirate as a premier business event destination by helping organizers of international meetings, incentives, congresses and exhibitions plan and manage every aspect of their event. DBE's service standards are audited by Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance as part of DBE's membership of BestCities Global Alliance that aim to deliver the world's best service experience for the meeting industry.  

For DTCM media enquiries please contact:
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971-4-4507600
dtcm@bm.com 

© Press Release 2015