Dubai Events on Track for Strong Growth
Positive 2014 sees buoyant growth in legacy shows, boosting confidence and investment in the industry.
Almasalla, ATP News- Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) continues to see strong visitor numbers in 2014, maintaining solid momentum after record-breaking 2013 results.
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A number of landmark shows in winter and spring performed strongly, including January’s Arab Health Exhibition, the largest healthcare exhibition and medical congress in the Middle East. Arab Health brought in 87,454 visitors and nearly 125,000 participants, which was a marked increase on 81,580 visitors and 112,103 participants in 2013. Visitor numbers to the four-day Arabian Travel Market topped 23,000 in May, up by more than 2,100 on last year. INDEX International Design Exhibition, also held in May, saw a big surge in interest for its concurrent ‘workspace’ series of professional seminars, with a massive 116 per cent year-on rise in attendees.
Although not all events have released their 2014 post-show reports, provisional attendance estimates for more recent months remain high. October’s eagerly-awaited 34th GITEX Technology Week, for example, is projected to have pulled in more than 100,000 visitors when final numbers are calculated.
Ahmed Alkhaja, Senior Vice President of Venues for DWTC, said pushing for more ambitious targets was a top priority in keeping the successful run on track.
“Dubai’s upgrade to emerging market status, as well as its awarding of Expo 2020, has driven significant global interest in the destination,” Mr Alkhaja said. “Exhibitors and visitors alike are seeking to capitalise on Dubai’s momentum to further their interests in the region. Recognising the business value that events deliver to the region, we are set to push key industries forward with a calendar of events that drive growth in a variety of key strategic sectors. Dubai World Trade Centre continues to create a strong business case to attract major global congresses to our shores, as evidenced by the successes of our robust 2014 calendar.”
Dubai’s economy is widely seen as having returned to growth since its downturn amid the 2008 to 2009 global financial crisis. 2013 clearly showed the events’ market was improving, and the industry has responded by investing in enhanced offerings and expanded capacity.
One of the emirate’s landmark lifestyle events, Dubai International Boat Show – staged by DWTC at the Dubai International Marine Club – saw a 20 per cent increase in companies and brands attending. It welcomed 131 new exhibitors and reported a 15 per cent year-on-year rise in UAE exhibitors. Careers UAE 2014 also increased its exhibition size – up 27 per cent compared with 2013. Gulfood, the world’s largest annual food, beverage and hospitality trade event, extended its running time to five days, as well as taking up an extra 27,000 square metres, and welcomed 10 new countries.
More recently, Cityscape Global, the region’s biggest real estate event, was at its largest for five years and extended to cover two additional exhibition halls – totalling more than 30,000 sq m of exhibition space at its event in September. The upward trend in exhibition space was not just reserved for long-running events – the second-ever spring edition of GITEX Shopper grew by 10 per cent compared with 2013.
Strong results extended beyond exhibitions to encompass all aspects of the MICE industry, and also live entertainment. As business moved into the autumn period, DWTC welcomed more than 275,000 visitors in September to a busy schedule of 12 trade shows, consumer shows, and conferences, plus six dazzling live events.
The growth of 2014 enhances a bumper 2013, when DWTC saw a record 2.2 million visitors – the first time figures had broken the two million mark. DWTC hosted a total of 373 MICE and business events across 2013, up from 302 in the previous year, and also saw a 55 per cent growth in entertainment and live performances, which drew in more than 631,000 guests.
MICE tourism has been identified as one of the key pillars of Dubai’s 2020 tourism plan. A recent report by leading investment bank Alpen Capital Group predicted the GCC’s $1.3 billion MICE industry is set for continuous growth and expansion, with the UAE developing as a top-tier MICE destination because of its hi-tech infrastructure and facilities, and world-class venues such as DWTC. In tourism generally, a report from credit agency Moody’s showed the emirate hosted 11m visitors in 2013. Visitor figures have risen again this year, as Dubai welcomed 5.8m tourists in the first six months of 2014, the highest number ever achieved in this period for the destination.
