Category Archives: Exhibitions

A show at The Dubai Fountain and a three-minute projection on Burj Khalifa began the countdown for Expo 2020 Dubai that will run from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021 in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. The event is expected to attract 25 million visits, with 70 per cent of visitors projected to come from outside the UAE – the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.The milestone moment in the countdown to the biggest event ever to be held in the Arab world attracted thousands of people to a free public celebration at Burj Park, Downtown Dubai. The community event included five hours of interactive live music performances, illuminations, lessons in dance from around the world, stellar artistic exhibitions and activities, global cuisines and more. Three energetic flash-mob routines, synchronised to music inspired by the international cuisines created during an entertaining cooking show were a surprise feature. Visitors also had the opportunity to sign up as an Expo 2020 volunteer, joining more than 15,000 UAE nationals and expats who have already registered their interest in joining the Expo family.

The Health Tourism Department at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and Emirates Holidays recently held a roadshow in Kuwait as part of its efforts to promote Dubai’s leading hospitality and healthcare services and offer a wholesome new experience to many travellers in the country planning their health rejuvenation and wellness treatments abroad. The roadshow was aimed at raising awareness within the travel sector on Dubai’s wide range of carefully-curated wellness holiday packages which include return flights on Emirates – a three-to-four-day stay at a hotel property renowned for its health and wellness facilities; a selection of spa and wellness treatments, including a health and wellness programme tailored to the client’s specific needs and daily meals. The group showcased during the roadshow the luxurious health and wellness facilities available in Dubai, including the DNA Health Center and the The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel. The DNA Health Center is luxurious health clinic independently located within the Talise Spa at Madinat Jumeirah which provides a range of lifestyle medicine for wellness, healthy aging, beauty and a serene environment under one roof.

ITB Asia 2018 has begun with over 1,000 exhibitors and buyers each, under the theme “Travel Reimagined” at the the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Compared to 2017, the show has seen a 20 per cent increase in new exhibitors following the growth in demand from Asian and European participants. ITB Asia 2018 has also experienced more than 125 per cent growth in the number of hotel groups signing up as part of the Buyers Programme Partners. At the three-day conference concluding on October 19, top industry leaders will deliver insights on the key trends provoking disruption across the travel industry and how brands are innovating to stay competitive. Commenting on the event, Katrina Leung, Managing Director, Messe Berlin (Singapore) -Organiser, ITB Asia, said, “ITB Asia continues to maintain its position as the leading travel trade show in Asia. It remains one of the top business platforms for connecting exhibitors and partners with key decision makers in the MiCE, corporate and leisure travel industry. Working in close collaboration with our partners and exhibitors, we are delighted to unveil one of our most engaging and exciting programmes yet. We look forward to welcoming visitors to this year’s show.”

The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) has announced hosting four major weddings, with more than 2,000 guests arriving via Gulf Air. Dr Ali Hassan Follad, Adviser to the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, said, “We are pleased to be hosting four major Indian weddings in the upcoming months which will contribute USD$5 million to the Kingdom’s GDP and further promote Bahrain as a prime wedding destination. The weddings will be held between November 2018 and February 2019. The BTEA aims to provide the needed support to seamlessly host weddings in Bahrain by providing turn-key solutions, including organising logistics, venue selection, in addition to liaising with suppliers and industry professionals such as Gulf Air.” Bahrain boasts a number of four- and five-star hotels with a dedicated service sector that is able to offer all services from food and beverages, entertainment and unique wedding concepts.

The fifth edition of The World Green Economy Summit (WGES) 2018 is set to be held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister, UAE and Ruler, Dubai, from October 24-25 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre with the theme ‘Driving innovation, Leading change’. At the press conference organised in Burj Al Arab, HE Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, UAE; HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), Managing Director and CEO, DEWA and Chairman, WGES were present, along with many other dignitaries. During the press conference, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer announced that the summit will be attended by prominent leaders including HE Francois Hollande, former President, France; HE Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE; HE Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of Environment and Energy, Maldives; Nezha El Ouafi, Secretary of State to the Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, in charge of Sustainable Development, Morocco and Christiana Figueres, Former Secretary General, UNFCCC, along with an elite of global experts, thought leaders and executive officials in green economy and sustainable development.

The Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) has announced that the Dubai Shopping Festival Mega Raffles promotions – the Infiniti Mega Raffle and the Nissan Grand Raffle – have begun on October 15, 2018. The two popular and much-awaited mega raffles, offering incredible prizes every day, will run in cooperation with Arabian Automobiles, the flagship company of AW Rostamani Group and ENOC – two strategic partners of DFRE. The upcoming edition of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) will run from December 26, 2018 to January 26, 2019. Shoppers can buy raffle tickets for the Infiniti Mega Raffle and participate in the ongoing Nissan Grand Raffle promotion more than two months in advance. At the Infiniti Mega Raffle, one lucky winner will be chosen daily to take home an Infiniti QX50 plus AED 150,000 in cash. To enter the daily draws, customers need to purchase a raffle ticket for AED 200 from October 15 onwards at selected EPPCO and ENOC petrol stations, zoom stores, metro stations, kiosks at main streets, shopping malls, Gold Souk and the Global Village. In addition, five lucky raffle ticket holders will get a weekly chance to win AED 20,000 each over a period of five weeks during the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), totaling AED 100,000 per week. Besides, one raffle ticket holder will also get a chance to win a mega cash prize of AED 500,000 as DSF concludes. Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) said, “The Dubai Shopping Festival’s continued success rests on its three pillars – shopping, winning and entertainment. Shoppers eagerly wait all year round for DSF to arrive to grab incredible opportunities such as the mega raffles which have …

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has announced hosting the PATA Annual Summit from May 15-18, 2020, organised by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). The four-day event will bring together international thought leaders, industry shapers and senior decision-makers who are professionally engaged with the Asia Pacific region. The summit embraces a global forum for enhancing the sustainable growth, value and quality of tourism and includes a one-day conference, the PATA Annual General Meeting and the PATA Youth Symposium that allows students and young tourism professionals an opportunity to engage with senior industry leaders. As part of the event programme, PATA in partnership with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will also once again organise the UNWTO/PATA Leaders Debate which brings together senior executives from both the public and private sector to address thought-provoking issues currently affecting the industry. Dr Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA, said, “Ras Al Khaimah has committed to supporting cultural, natural heritage and environmental preservation across the Emirate, activities which are aligned with PATA’s mission in acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. That is why we are honoured to be working with RAKTDA in bringing together our public and private sector members and partners to discuss the challenges and issues faced by our industry.” Commenting on the announcement, Haitham Mattar, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said, “We look forward to hosting the PATA Annual Summit 2020 in Ras Al Khaimah and introducing the destination to key international industry leaders and delegates from the travel and hospitality sector in the Asia Pacific region. Strengthening the Emirate’s MiCE offer by showcasing our world class …

The 57th ICCA Congress is set to take place from Nov 11-14, 2018 at Dubai World Trade Centre under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince, Dubai and Chairman, Executive Council of Dubai. The event will be familiarising delegates with the ICCA “Outside The Box Sessions” by introducing them to curated tours and site visits, showcasing the city’s cultural offerings, ground-breaking innovation and talent development. Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, “The 2018 ICCA Congress is a key event for the global business events community and provides Dubai a platform to showcase itself as a business and knowledge hub. We hope these experiences, which involve some of our key stakeholders and partners across the city, will inspire delegates and allow them to consider future opportunities in the Dubai. They will also complement the strong core educational programme that ICCA has put together for delegates, as well as the networking and social events throughout the congress.” To help delegates build a more cohesive picture of Dubai, delegates can expect to explore the Expo 2020 Dubai site and see first-hand the scale of the global event and how it is set to provide opportunities for meeting industry professionals. The “Outside The Box Sessions” will also see delegates take a tour of the Emirates airline crew training academy and experience the development of skills as well as the importance of aviation to the city’s development. During the tour, delegates will have a first-hand look at the Emirates airline’s safety and emergency evacuation simulators, service training simulators, as well as the A380 cabin service simulator, among many others.

Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) will be back for its 24th edition from December 26, 2018 to January 26, 2019, attracting shoppers from all over the world. Organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), DSF will kick off with innovative initiatives and memorable experiences built around the three pillars of the festival – shopping, winning and entertainment. Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) said, “As Dubai gears up to host yet another successful edition of Dubai Shopping Festival, we are focused on creating a vibrant ambience for visitors to further enhance the emirate’s position as a leading tourism destination that offers unforgettable and rewarding shopping experiences. With DSF being a key pillar of Dubai’s retail sector, we are keen in keeping up the momentum, provided by the previous edition, to help boost business in Dubai during this period. We are grateful to the government and the private sector for their enormous contributions to DSF year after year, and with the 24th edition of DSF set to dawn in December, we are working closely with all our partners to ensure that DSF truly lives up to its reputation as a global attraction.”  

Cutting-edge technology and innovation will be adopted as the theme for Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019, to be held at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 28 to May 1, 2019. According to a latest research conducted by Colliers International, personalisation Artificial Intelligence (AI) could increase hotel revenues by over 10 per cent and reduce costs by more than 15 per cent – with hotel operators expecting technology such as voice and facial recognition, virtual reality and biometrics to be mainstream by 2025. The research also estimates that 73 per cent of manual activities in the hospitality industry have the technical potential for automation, with many global hotel operators including Marriott, Hilton, and Accor already investing in automating elements of their human resources. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “It is important to highlight that the GCC is one of the fastest-growing regional hospitality markets on a global scale and an innovative technology-reliant industry. Its impact on hotels and travel and tourism is multi-dimensional, ranging from voice and facial recognition, chatbots and beacon technology to virtual reality, blockchain and robot concierge. Throughout ATM 2019, the spotlight theme will be launched as a platform to create awareness and inspire the travel and hospitality industry about the next generation of technology, while bringing together senior travel executives to meet and conduct business with innovative tech providers. With technologies like AI and automation quickly maturing, the hospitality and travel and tourism industry must prepare for a wave of disruption in order to reap the overall benefits of these technologies.”