How will GIBTM 2011 differ from last year’s show?
With GIBTM now in its fifth year we are creating more content on the exhibition floor. We have relocated the Seminar Theatre there and a number of joint networking events will help us educate and identify additional regional Middle East buyers about the benefits of the show. This is helping to boost international participation of exhibitors, as there will be more regional decision-makers for them to meet on site.
We are also working closely with tourism boards in the region. We have been carrying out a series of educational presentations jointly with them to their private sector partners on how to get a better return on investment from GIBTM.
What are you most proud of over this year’s campaign?
The RTE meetings portfolio now has an official presence in the UAE in myself and our Regional Sales Manager and this allows us to work much more closely with our key event partners, stakeholders, exhibitors and associations, to help raise the profile of both GIBTM and the meetings industry in the region. We have also recruited a local PR agency in the UAE to work alongside our international team to increase awareness within the Middle East. We are also communicating in Arabic, so are reaching a wider audience.
Are you still finding resistance from some destinations in the region regarding exhibiting?
This year we have been working closely with a number of regional destinations. During the second half of 2010 we completed a regional sales/educational tour where we worked closely with destinations like Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria to identify their key Meetings/MICE private sector members.
This included an educational presentation on the meetings industry within the Middle East and why GIBTM would benefit them.
How has the education and seminar programme been approached?
We continue to ensure that the education topics at GIBTM remain relevant to the market. We take on board feedback from the attendees from last year and this helps us identify topics and trends which we research throughout the year. We continue to conduct the annual industry research report as this has given us a great insight over the years into the changing shape of the meetings industry in the region.
The education changes each year to keep up to speed with the trends in the region and this year we will look at CSR strategies, social media and the future trends of the meetings industry among other topics.
How has support been this year from international meetings industry associations. Meetings Professional International (MPI) seems to have wound down its conference that ran alongside the show?
As well as our strong international relationships with industry associations such as MPI, ICCA and Site, we have been committed to supporting the activities of the regional chapters of Site and ICCA at a grass roots level. We will be working with them at GIBTM this year.
What can you say about the development of the meetings industry in the Gulf?
Due to the infrastructure development, the Middle East has presented itself as a premier location for holding meetings that are relevant, not just for the region, but on a global scale.
The abundance of venues in the region is helping to grow the sector.
The region’s status as an emerging hub for business, especially within the energy sector, pharmaceutical and financial industries, is also a key strength.
What else is new for the show and the region?
Abu Dhabi’s business tourism, meetings and incentive infrastructure has expanded significantly over the past year. Business tourism currently accounts for around 70 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s hotel guest profile with 10 per cent of this emanating from the MICE segment.
What are your expectations and ambitions for the show this year?
We are targeting a 15 per cent growth on exhibition space this year and are looking forward to attracting over 2,000 visitors, as well as over 300 international and regional hosted buyers and around 250 exhibitors.
