Dubai targets larger events and reports $330m meetings impact

Dubai is targeting larger-scale business events and says its 2018 wins are set to deliver AED1.2bn (US$330m) in economic impact over the coming years. The emirate’s CVB, Dubai Business Events (DBE), says that 153,000 delegates will visit the emirate as a result of business event wins in 2018. The bureau also reports growth in winning bids last year when it helped secure a total of 261 successful bids for meetings, conferences and incentives. The total includes bids submitted in previous years. Throughout 2018, Dubai submitted 557 business event bids, up from 354 in 2017. Issam Kazim (pictured), Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: “We look forward to hosting a number of significant events in the city over the next few years as a result of the outstanding performance in bid wins we have secured in 2018.” He added that Dubai had become a flourishing business events destination and knowledge hub catering to a range of event types and sizes. “Our strategy will continue to align with Dubai Tourism’s Vision and in 2019 our goal is to build on this momentum and attract events that leave a lasting legacy for delegates and the city. To achieve this, we will continue to engage with business events professionals globally, while working with stakeholders and partners in Dubai to identify and pursue opportunities to bid for major business events,” the CEO added. Key bid wins from 2018 include the World Congress of Gastroenterology set to take place in 2021 with a total of 6,000 delegates in attendance; the Mary Kay China Incentive set to take place in 2019 with 800 delegates, as well as the World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress, set to take place in 2020, scheduled to bring 1,000 delegates to Dubai. The World Chambers Congress has also been secured for 2021 with 1,500 delegates set to attend and the Congress of the Societe International D’Urologie will bring 2,000 delegates to Dubai in 2021. In November 2018, Dubai hosted the 57th edition of the ICCA Congress, which brought 1,156 meeting industry professionals from 79 countries to the Middle East for the first time. The convention bureau also hosted nine international study-missions in 2018, bringing in more than 302 hosted buyers from key markets across Southeast Asia, India and Europe.