ASM Global, the world’s leading venue management company and producer of live experiences, is celebrating its inauguration ceremony of the Exhibition World Bahrain—the largest exhibition centre in the Middle East, which is now under its management.
The Kingdom’s ‘Exhibition World’ launch is a milestone in the Kingdom’s economic development and is expected to play a key role in advancing the economic competitiveness and positioning of Bahrain as a major global destination for regional and international conventions.
ASM Global’s president and CEO Ron Bension said: “This moment is the culmination of our plan developed during the pandemic leveraging our belief that this part of the world would be the quickest to not only return to normal but move quickly to dramatically increase its convention and exhibition market share.”
The opening extravaganza was attended on behalf of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, by His Royal Highness prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and prime minister of Bahrain.
HRH prince Salman bin Hamad noted that the tourism sector's growth had been a key driver of the kingdom’s comprehensive development.
During the ceremony, Bahrain tourism minister H.E. Fatima Al Sairafi said that the inauguration of the venue reflected the kingdom’s commitment to expanding cross-sector development in line with Bahrain's sustainable development goals.
Exhibition World Bahrain features 10 halls with a combined total of 95,000sqm. The Grand Hall has a capacity of 4,000 seated guests and is supported by 94 meeting rooms as well as 25 F&B and retail outlets throughout the exhibition concourse.
Exhibition World Bahrain is owned by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), which plans to utilise ASM Global’s wider network within the MICE industry to create unique experiences built on years of expertise.
ASM Global APAC and Gulf Region chairman and chief executive Harvey Lister AM congratulated BTEA on the inauguration of Exhibition World Bahrain, one of the Middle East’s largest exhibition and convention centres.
“ASM Global is proud to be working in partnership with BTEA helping to ensure Bahrain will be at the forefront of attracting tourism investment, international conventions and exhibitions and world-class live events to the Gulf region,” Lister said. “This iconic landmark venue will further position Bahrain as an international destination, helping to drive diversification of growth, benefiting the local economy and further enhancing the kingdom’s global standing.”
Exhibition World Bahrain general manager Dr Debbie Kristiansen said she was extremely proud of her dedicated and committed team and their passion and determination to “give back” to the beautiful country of Bahrain, helping to create long-term legacies for the future. Dr Kristiansen highlighted the importance of mentoring and building the talent and skillset of young Bahrainis describing it as a “privilege”.
Following the grand opening, Exhibition World Bahrain immediately opened to the public with three concurrent events expected to see well over 100,000 visitors over the span of five days: Jewellery Arabia, the premier jewellery and watch show celebrating its 30th edition; Scent Arabia’s first-ever exhibition; and Cityscape, the region’s largest real estate summit and exhibition.
ASM Global’s network hosts 20,000 events and welcomes 165 million guests every year. Other flagship exhibition and convention centres in its portfolio include McCormick Place in Chicago; Moscone Center in San Francisco; ICC Sydney; Shenzhen World in China; and P&J Live in Aberdeen, UK.
