Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) kicked off its autumn calendar of high-impact events, conferences, trade and entertainment shows with a successful edition of Cityscape Global. Over one million regional and international visitors are expected to attend and participate in the highly charged events line-up of 109 mega-shows and events from September to December 2017. Reflecting the strategic industries aligned with the UAE and Dubai’s economic diversification strategies, the exciting programme covers a wide range of sectors such as technology, hospitality, construction and automobiles and includes: GITEX Shopper; GITEX Technology Week; GITEX Future Stars; Dubai International Hospitality Week, which comprises GulfHost, Specialty Food Festival, SEAFEX Middle East, yummex ME, The Hotel Show and The Leisure Show; The Big 5; and the biennial Dubai International Motor Show.
Ahmed Alkhaja, Senior Vice President – Venues, DWTC said: “DWTC looks forward to hosting a dynamic exhibition season that features a diverse and content-rich calendar of shows, exhibitions and conferences. Our reputation as the most effective platform for connecting businesses from around the world is evident from our significant growth in year-on-year international visitation traffic. In 2016, we crossed a record 3 million visitors milestone and international participation accounted for 70 per cent of total exhibiting companies, reinforcing the rise of MICE contribution to business tourism volumes.”
Cityscape Global kicked off the season with a successful three-day bonanza that unveiled District 2020, the post-exhibition use of the Expo 2020 site and featured more than 300 A-list exhibitors from regional and international markets. Cityscape Global Conference was held on the side lines of the exhibition with industry leaders, veterans and observers discussing the latest trends in urban planning, policy, regulation, technology, financing and design within the real estate sector, reiterating DWTC’s commitment to facilitating a broader exchange of knowledge and innovation.
“DWTC’s events calendar reflects the Dubai government’s long-term strategy to position Dubai as a global platform for innovation-led and knowledge-based businesses. Our priorities are to develop the right profile of shows, curate world-class content and scale up our events to attract quality participation in order to sustainably drive long-term returns for the MICE industry and build on our contribution to the emirate’s GDP,” said Alkhaja.
The inaugural Dubai International Hospitality Week (September 18-20), endorsed by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), includes six co-located trade shows: GulfHost, The Specialty Food Festival, SEAFEX Middle East yummex ME, The Hotel Show and The Leisure Show and will bring together more than 2,000 of the world’s leading hospitality brands covering the entire gamut of services and products relevant to the hospitality industry. More than 50,000 visitors and decision-makers are expected to attend the largest hotel and food service expo in the region, which will enable the region’s players to gather and exchange knowledge and expertise.
The highly-anticipated GITEX Technology Week (October 8-12), one of the world’s leading enterprise and consumer tech events, will run this year under the theme “Re-Imagining Realities: Discover, Transform and Innovate.” The event will showcase 17 specialist technologies, including blockchain, artificial intelligence, drones, robotics, 3D printing, and the Internet of Things. Attendees will also have the opportunity to gain critical insight from more than 80 global practitioners in eight Power Conferences, which will tackle verticals such as Smart Cities, Healthcare, Digital Marketing, Finance, Retail, Transport & Logistics, Tech Leaders, and Education.
GITEX Technology Week will be co-located with GITEX Future Stars, the largest tech and creative start-up confluence of global entrepreneurs, VCs and corporate buyers in the Middle East and Africa. More than 700 innovators from over 75 countries will exhibit, debut and present their ground-breaking ideas and have an unprecedented opportunity to connect to over 250 of the world’s most influential investors, seed funds and business leaders. With the UAE consumer electronics market alone now worth US$ 11.3 billion, GITEX Shopper (September 23-30), a key catalyst to the region’s consumer tech growth, returns with an expanded showcase and unrivalled offers from the top tech retailers, brands and distributors that will include wearable tech and accessible VR/AR hardware.
Bookending the season are the biennial Dubai International Motor Show (November 14-18) and The Big 5 (November 26-29). Held every two years, the Motor Show is gearing up for a spectacular edition that will bring together global manufacturers, distributors, industry specialists, buyers and motorists. More than 100,000 visitors are expected to attend the show which will showcase approximately 600 automobiles, supercars and bikes; numerous global and regional launches; in addition to game-changing technologies that are redefining the automotive vocabulary and industry.
The Big 5, the largest building and construction show in the MENA has served as the gateway to the region’s construction market and brings together more than 78,000 participants from 142 countries. This year’s edition will launch a series of talks, workshops and summits focused on knowledge-sharing in addition to dedicated spaces for HVAC-R and solar power, highlighting the importance of the HVAC-R sector that is valued at US$6.3 billion across the GCC and the growing interest and opportunities in renewables and sustainable energy solutions.
“Content is critical and we are focussed on attracting the brightest minds, personalities and influencers to Dubai through the exhibitions and events hosted at DWTC. Our mega-events have achieved significant growth as consumers and businesses are confident in our ability to connect businesses, facilitate growth, demonstrate content innovation and successfully stage operations,” Alkhaja said.
