Situated eight hours from two-thirds of the world’s population, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is ideally placed for international exhibitions. It may not have a large domestic market, and consumer events are tough to get off the ground, but its function as a portal into the Middle East is a clear selling point.
Stability in a region where neighbours are making headlines with tales of civil unrest also pays dividends. But this stability is not confined to politics. The UAE is very much an economic stronghold, sitting behind only Saudi Arabia and Iran in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in terms of productivity. Its nominal GDP for 2012 is about US$360bn, up from US$342bn in 2011 according to the International Monetary Fund. This puts it almost on the same level as Thailand and above countries such as Denmark and Colombia.
While the UAE currently comprises the emirates Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah and Umm al-Quwain, it is Dubai, Sharjah and the capital Abu Dhabi that host its international exhibitions. Industrially, the UAE is a big player in the construction, IT, energy, healthcare, financial and education sectors, and the success of trade exhibitions in these sectors reflect this.
The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) is evolving its international petroleum exhibition and conference ADIPEC, organised by DMG Events, into an annual event from 2013.
The Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, the largest event for the industry in the Middle East, began life as a biennial in 1984, a platform for oil and gas professionals to discover new ideas and debate core industry issues. But Abu Dhabi’s role at the heart of the oil and gas industry, helped by ADIPEC’s significant role in positioning the UAE capital as a key destination for this sector has necessitated the event’s growth. More than 1,600 exhibitors and 45,000 attendees attended the 2011 show.
The 2013 edition of ADIPEC, which takes place in November, will have a strong focus on gas, reflecting its increasing share of the global energy mix and heightened regional gas demand for power generation.
DMG Events vice-president Matt Denton says the fact ADIPEC will be annualised is “hugely exciting” for DMG’s business. “Infrastructure-wise, Dubai has cemented its position as a regional hub and this makes it easy to create truly regional shows attracting exhibitors and visitors internationally and from across the region,” he says. “The UAE understands exhibitions and the benefits they bring to the emirates. It’s not just trade shows at the main venues, you only have to look to the success of Turret’s Taste of Dubai in Media City and Clarion’s GulfBike at Festival City to see the level of support on offer.”
ADNEC chief sales and marketing officer Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, says the company is delighted with the growth not just of exhibitions like ADIPEC and defence show IDEX, but of the World Future Energy Summit and other large conferences. These have been helped by the launch of the International Conference Centre (ICC Abu Dhabi), added to the venue earlier this year. The venue can now attract more leading international events with a strong conference element.
“We have welcomed more conferences this year, including the Emirate’s largest ever event, the World Ophthalmology Congress, which attracted more than 10,000 visitors, and World Routes 2012 which attracted 3,000 delegates from more than 80 countries,” says Al Dhaheri.
Building on success
Energy aside, construction is huge business in the UAE. Dubai, for those who have not visited the emirate, is essentially one huge development site overseen by soaring towers and plush residential and commercial areas.
DMG has seen many successes in the UAE and other parts of the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC). The Big 5 continues to dominate as the region’s largest construction and building exhibition, a strong feature in the Middle East calendar over the years, and has seen off many other events looking to enter the market.
“It continues to grow,” says Denton. “Housing spin-off events such as Middle East Concrete attracts a targeted audience that want a showcase and features designed specifically for them. The Hotel Show is also seeing great success, harnessing the demand for cutting edge hotels and hospitality solutions, not just in Dubai and Abu Dhabi but across the GCC and Middle East.”
Technology and security have also proven strong markets capable of attracting international, rather than regional, exhibitors. Epoc Messe Frankfurt, organiser of the three-day security, safety, fire and rescue event Intersec, claims attendance at the January 2012 event was boosted by more national pavilions. The event, held at
the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, based at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), drew 910 exhibitors from 52 countries, with 13 country pavilions contributing to 2,000 brands.
General DL Berlijn, former chief of defence and commander-in-chief of the Dutch Armed Forces, helped organise the Dutch pavilion. He calls the Middle East “strategically important” for the sector because it brings together players from all over the world. “The UAE has proven to be a place where people want to meet and Intersec has proven to be a platform for people to network so it is a good place to establish new contacts from all over the world,” he claims.
Germany’s Messe Frankfurt, which has about 2,000 employees worldwide, has been operating in Dubai since 2002 and in addition to Intersec organises Dubai events including Automechanika Middle East, Beautyworld Middle East, Paperworld Middle East and Playworld Middle East.
But it’s not just Abu Dhabi and Dubai hosting the big internationals. Sharjah too is getting in on the action, having opened its doors to international organisers at the beginning of 2011.
“In recent years we have opened up to other organisers to either organise shows alone or through joint ventures with us,” says Expo Centre Sharjah director general Said Al Midfa. “Kuwait International Fair co-organised Parfam, an event in the perfume industry, with us last year and Oman International Fairs will organise its first show Brandex with us this year [2012].
The venue also partnered with Messe Munich for its show Conmex. “That is a hugely successful partnership – and there are many other offers that we are studying as well,” added Al Midfa.
Other recent Sharjah success stories include the launch of a new show this year with the Indian association for the plastics industry, AIPMA, using Expo Centre Sharjah to internationalise its triennial show Plastvision India. “This year it was exported to Sharjah as Plastvision Arabia, focusing on the plastic industry,” says Al Midfa. “That was a major success in its first launch and a successful venture with India that shall be organised every two years.”
The UAE government is investing in key strategic sectors in the Emirates, with many projects already under way. Key sectors for strategic investment and growth include energy/petrochemicals, metals, aviation/aerospace, defence, pharmaceuticals/biotech, life sciences, tourism, healthcare, education, transport/logistics, media, financial services and telecommunications. According to Al Dhaheri, this creates a “secondary supporting industry” for each sector.
“Abu Dhabi TCA’s ‘Advantage Abu Dhabi’ initiative is a three-year programme functioning as a catalyst, a seeding innovative for viable business events in sectors aligned with the emirate’s vision,” he comments. “It allows event organisers to apply for start-up financial grants, government endorsement, leadership patronage, cost rebates and marketing support. ADNEC works closely with TCA to support the development of the emirate and help events organisers reach their audiences.”
Fitting in with regional goals
DMG Events’ Denton says the shows that work best in the UAE are ones the region ‘owns’; those that represent the region’s aspirations and garner local support.
“The Big 5 is a Dubai event. Yes it services the region but it is part of Dubai – and Dubai is construction,” he says. “The UAE has published plans, its 2030 vision, and events that recognise and reflect this will be supported and flourish.
“I’ll be honest and say consumer shows are a struggle, but with a growing population and a time-rich, affluent society it is only a matter of time before that changes.”
Event Advantage Solutions (EAS), which has an office in Dubai, works with companies such as Reed on its Arabian Travel Market (6-9 May 2013) at DICEC. For this single event it will be challenged with managing the registration and accreditation process for more than 25,000 total attendees from more than 70 different locations. The company has been in the UAE for 10 years and MD Mark Elliott says the UAE’s location and international catchment means a good idea can take a company a long way.
“The UAE has a really motivated audience for exhibitions,” he says. “If you get the right hook, with the right subject, you’ll get a good audience. What you have in the UAE is a real hub. If your targeting and messaging is right, you’ll attract the rest of the GCC countries.”
A magnet for investment
The UAE is one of the most stable economies in the world. It is fortunate to have a combination of natural resources, a stable political climate, and strategic investments delivering diversified revenue streams. The stability of its economy also helps attract foreign direct investment when other markets around the world look less certain.
“It’s easier to arrange exhibitions in the UAE than in neighbouring countries for many reasons,” says Al Midfa. “The UAE is a very cosmopolitan, modern and open market with more than 200 different nationalities living in a place smaller than a single state in US.
“But it has more diverse nationalities and cultures than the whole of the US. The political stability of the UAE makes it an attractive destination for business, it has state-of-the-art airports, roads, trains and hotels and free trade zones [where Emiratis are not required to have 51 per cent business ownership] to attract general business.”
Denton says the situation looks very positive. “We are emerging strongly from the global financial crisis, business is continuing to grow and opportunities arise. Abu Dhabi’s plans are coming to fruition and the UAE as a whole is positioned as a must-visit destination on the map; the gateway to the region.”
The icing on the cake, he claims, would be for the hard work of the team behind Dubai’s bid for the Wolrd Expo 2020 to bear fruit.
“This event would showcase to the world-at-large everything the emirates have to offer and be a massive shot in the arm for the exhibition and business travel industry,” he says.
With such a strong support network and its fast-growing global profile, it’s not unlikely.
This was first published in the Issue4/2012 edition of EW. Any comments? Email exhibitionworld@mashmedia.net
