Dubai World Trade Centre More than 500,000 visitors are expected to visit Dubai World Trade Centre, the region's largest MICE (meetings, incentives conferences and exhibitions) venue operator, in the first quarter of 2014. The strong growth is driven by an enhanced offering from many of the region's leading anchor shows, including Arab Health Exhibition and Congress and Gulfood, as well as a more robust calendar of trade events, conferences and concerts.
"We are starting 2014 right where we left off last year, on a high," said Ahmed Alkhaja, Senior Vice President - Venues, DWTC. "With this calendar and expected visitor numbers, we further cement our role as the significant player in the region's MICE sector, bringing in tens of thousands of visitors every year, and generating billions of Dirhams for the Dubai economy, fuelling substantial growth of the emirate's GDP. Keeping this momentum going as we push for even more ambitious targets is a top priority." The health-care sector, an industry valued at US$80billion globally, is providing the biggest boost to DWTC's Q1 figures, with five core industry events - Arab Health Exhibition and Congress, The U.A.E. International Dental Conference and Arab Dental Exhibition (AEEDC), the Middle East Wounds and Scar Meeting, the International Family Medicine Conference '&' Exhibition (IFM), and the region's leading pharmaceutical event, DUPHAT.
"Dubai's upgrade to emerging markets status, as well as its recent awarding of Expo 2020, has driven significant global interest in the destination," added Alkhaja. "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." In addition to health-care, other core sectors featuring prominently at DWTC include food and beverage, humanitarian, luxury, consumer and technology.
Source: WAM