Category Archives: Exhibitions

The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) hosted Saudi wedding planning agencies from Jeddah and Riyadh from the October 21-23. Seven agencies were selected to attend the forum held at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIECC) on October 23, where they met 30 various companies from the Kingdom of Bahrain to discuss future opportunities in the sector. The companies included major hotels, wedding planning agencies, travel logistics companies and banquet halls. “We are delighted to host the largest Saudi Arabian wedding planning agencies to promote the wide range of wedding services and amenities available in the Kingdom. The BTEA strives to host such events that aim to showcase the Kingdom’s offerings as a wedding destination as well as the international luxury hotel chains and boutique offerings,” said Dr. Ali Hassan Follad, Advisor to the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority.

Ashwin Singh, Managing Director, Plus Point Hospitality organised ‘Travel Tuesday’, an ROI-driven networking event with Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Airlines for corporates, MICE and travel trade decision makers. It was the first event that took place on October 17, 2017, at the Taj Hotel Dubai Business Bay. The event was divided in two parts- the first one included decision makers from the various Corporates and MICE organisers attended a presentation by the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Airlines where they received valuable information about the destination and the airline. The attendees stated that  it was a very good meeting point as they were able to obtain a lot information and it was a very personalised meeting with the two partners and they looked forward to another event in two months.

Dubai’s growing business events offerings and increasing support for associations were key developments at IMEX America, the leading exhibition for incentive travel and events, held at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, USA in October 10-12. Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s official convention bureau and a division of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, once again had a strong presence at the show. DBE was joined by 10 co-exhibitors, including Emirates Airlines, Jumeirah Hotels, JW Marriott Marquis and Arabian Adventures, to showcase the city’s opportunities available for planners and organisers seeking to host small, medium or large-scale business events. DBE also highlighted the upcoming Dubai Association Conference, scheduled to take place in Dubai from December 11-12. Themed ‘Building a Community’, it is set to welcome association executives from around the world, in addition to government representatives, university faculties and students, as well as professionals seeking to develop associations.

The International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC), the Greater Mekong subregion’s international travel event, concluded its 13th annual event in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A total of 5,282 meetings were conducted between the buyers and sellers during the three-day event, a 45 per cent increase from last year, reaffirming the importance of the event as the key bridge in the tourism industry for both inbound and outbound markets in Vietnam and the region. Endorsed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, Vietnam, and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, the event was organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Informa Exhibitions, and the Vietnam Trade Fair & Advertising Joint Stock. ITE HCMC 2017 continued to be the leading travel trade event for the international and local travel businesses, creating unparalleled networking opportunities for them to keep up with the travel trends and establish connections with new business partners, further boosting the tourism potential of the country and the ASEAN region. ITE HCMC 2017 showcased the strong participation of 300 international and local travel companies, including international promotion agencies from Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey.

The just-concluded fifth MICE Middle East Forum at the Lapita Hotel Dubai witnessed a record 300 participants including buyers, sellers, speakers and panelists from the Middle East. The sessions offered interesting insights in to the MICE industry in the region and the various technologies which provide ample support to the industry. Nayab Rafiq, CEO Pinnacle Middle East, welcomed all the participants and appreciated the efforts of the sponsors for enabling the event. The opening remarks were given by General Manager of Lapita Hotel, Sanne Emborg followed by a very interesting presentation on the importance of meetings, conferences, exhibitions and events on the oil and gas industry and its effects on GE. A panel discussion was also held on the role of events in effective product launches and marketing campaigns attended by some of the stalwarts of the industry. The sessions engrossed the audience and the iPads that were kept on each table for each participant proved to be a very effective tool for interaction. Thought leadership was a key word that was stressed by the speakers and panelists about today’s high-tech world and best practices. The panel discussion on the importance of events as thought leadership drivers for the B2B industry was something that got the participants to discuss even during their networking sessions. Pedro Pereira, Digital and Innovation Leader at SAP brought in a whole new world of technology to the forum with his presentation on how secure you can make your customers travel bookings as well by using blockchain technology which is the next level of authentication.

The 13th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) 2017 is scheduled to be held from September 7-9 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC). The expo will provide marketing opportunities and backdrop to enhance participant’s brand equity in the eyes of the travel trade professionals and discerning end consumers. Hundreds of exhibitors and regional and local tourism stakeholders have benefitted from this largest global tourism platform in the Mekong region through the extensive networking opportunities, exclusive access to major stakeholders and gain key business insights in this growing industry. The event is only open for travel trade professionals on September 7 and 8.

Tourism Authority of Thailand recently held the Amazing Thailand Health and Wellness Showcase 2017 at Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld to encourage Thailand’s health tourism business, by demonstrating the potentiality and readiness of its health service products at international level. With the theme ‘Thailand a Paradise for Longevity’, the event saw about 44 sellers of Thai health and wellness products meeting around 80 buyers and health tourism business representatives from around 22 different countries, to showcase their items. Some of the health innovative services showcased at this event were regenerative medicine, anti-aging medicine, cosmetic dentistry for beauty, cosmetic surgery and cell therapy. There was strong presence of members from the Middle East, Scandinavian countries, South East Asia, UK and USA.

Vietnam’s International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) is excited to return for the 13th time, from September 7-9, 2017, at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC). The confirmed exhibitors currently include airlines, hotels and resorts, tour companies, and travel representatives from countries like UAE, Turkey, Australia, Cambodia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. More than 3,600 meetings were conducted between buyers and sellers last year, and the organisers expect the number to grow by 15% this year. Pre-registration is now open, and trade and public visitors are strongly encouraged to pre-register at the ITE HCMC’s website before the event to skip last-minute rush.

Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai sent a team on a special sales mission to China for the 2017 Dubai China Roadshow organised by The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). They visited Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Guangzhou to explore the various colours of China and locate opportunities to extend their hotel business. Dubai is witnessing unprecedented demand from Chinese visitors. China is among the Top 5 source markets for Dubai. Elaborating on the success of the mission, Binu Varghese, Director of Sale and Marketing, Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai, said, “China is a growing market for us and holds strong potential. This year’s roadshow was hugely successful and gave us the opportunity to meet over 300 buyers from four key cities. FIT market development was a key focus for us along with continuous promotion of group business. In addition to highlighting our various offerings to buyers through one-on-one table talk, we got fantastic networking opportunities with local travel industry opinion leaders.”

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Emirates Group and Chairman of the Higher Committee of Expo 2020 Dubai, inaugurated the UAE pavilion at Expo 2017 Astana. Covering more than 980 sq. m., the UAE Pavilion is the largest at the Expo and has been designed to receive up to 7000 visitors per day. A virtual host will guide visitors through the experience, with the overall tour of the pavilion taking nearly 20 minutes to complete. H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum was accompanied by Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Directors of National Media Council, the government entity that built, managed and supervised the country’s pavilion. Mohammed Ahmed bin Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Mansour Al Mansouri, Director-General of NMC and Kairat Lama Sharif, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the UAE, were also in attendance.