First half 2010 performance results released recently by venue operator and events organiser Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) show a year-on-year visitor growth of 13 per cent, topping last year’s 12 per cent increase. Visitor traffic at its venues surpassed 630,000 in the first six months across exhibitions, conventions and conferences.
“The sustained pace of growth of our events business portfolio is evidence of the ‘real’ value that international businesses and regional buyers derive from participating in trade shows in Dubai,” says DWTC chief executive, Helal Saeed Al Marri. “Our venues have continued to attract the ideal profile and scale of top-tier visitors from the Middle East, North Africa, CIS and the Indian Sub-Continent, driving tangible returns on investment for exhibiting companies - consequently enabling our organisers to grow their shows into truly global sector leaders.”
The 59 exhibitions and conferences in the first half drew 22,000 companies from over 85 countries, claims the DWTC, a trend “reinforcing the role of the event industry as a key contributor to Dubai’s economy”.
In healthcare, DWTC has hosted 12 major shows to date in 2010, attracting over 133,000 visitors and over 5,000 of the world’s leading healthcare manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors. Arab Health 2010, the largest healthcare exhibition in the Middle East and the second largest in the world, grew by 20 per cent to occupy the entire exhibition space at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), including the 25,000sqm provided by the new Sheikh Saeed halls.
Gulfood 2010, meanwhile, recorded a 22 per cent growth in visitors over 2009.
New additions to the first half of DWTC’s 2010 calendar included exhibitions and events within aviation, ICT, trade and healthcare, drawing over 90,000 new visitors and delegates. Among the new exhibitions hosted so far this year were the Aerospace Defence and Training Show (ADTS), the China Homelife Show, Commercial Vehicles Middle East Show, and the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Exhibition and Conference.
Al Marri sees it as a priority for the DWTC and the events industry to increase its contribution to Dubai’s GDP and stimulate regional investment.
“Our decision to invest in facility expansion with the Sheikh Saeed Halls last year was to ensure that we delivered the optimal hosting infrastructure for Dubai,” Al Marri says.
DWTC was built 31 years ago as a gateway for trade to the region and Al Marri says it continues to support Dubai’s Strategic Agenda, as laid out by Dubai’s ruler and UAE premier and vice-president, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Al Marri is confident DWTC is on track to attain its goal of “becoming the world’s leading destination for major exhibitions, conferences and events”.
It seems the DWTC is standing on solid foundations despite Dubai’s recently shifting sands.
