MAJOR meeting destinations, venues and suppliers from the Gulf, Middle East and across the globe are to participate in the first Incentives Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) in Abu Dhabi from March 13 to 15. The event will take place at the new exhibition centre ADNEC.
Exhibitors from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Cyprus, Egypt, Qatar, Sharjah, Oman, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka will be at the show, as well as major industry players such as Starwood, Kempinski, Leading Hotels of the World, Etihad and Jumeirah.
Over 200 hosted buyers have already applied for registration representing meeting planners, incentive travel buyers and business travel decision makers.
Thorsten Meier, managing director of Leading Group Sales, said: “At Leading Hotels of the World we are certain that GIBTM will become a key international MICE industry event for this region. Even though this is the inaugural event, we are already convinced that it will exceed our expectations
“The Gulf region is a fast growing destination so we are looking forward to flying in our main MICE clients from around the world to sample Abu Dhabi and our member, the Beach Rotana Hotel & Towers. We have already spoken to several of our key accounts and they are all looking forward to the new show and visiting the up-and-coming destination of Abu Dhabi.”
An industry wide research study to establish the current and future net worth and opportunities for the meetings and incentives industry for the developing Gulf and wider Middle East region is also now live at www.gibtm.travel. The outlying objectives of the survey, the first of its kind for the industry in the region, are to measure the inbound and outbound flows of business from the supplier and the buyer markets. It will address the current gap in market information and lift the lid on the region’s potential.
Graeme Barnett, exhibition director for GIBTM commented; “Following on from one of the most successful EIBTM events since its move to Barcelona, we have had a surge of interest from both potential exhibitors and those wishing to attend either as a hosted buyer or as a trade visitor. We are delighted with the response so far and pleased to deliver an event that will bring together the Gulf and Middle East with international suppliers and buyers to create a vital forum for discussion, networking and education. Our research will be able to add some clarity for the sector and act as a base for debate and discussion leading up to GIBTM 2008.”
Education Programme
Organised in conjunction with key professional industry associations (MPI, ICCA, and SITE), the GIBTM professional education programme encourages learning and development through targeted seminar sessions aimed at all industry sectors. Throughout the three days key issues will be addressed by industry figures, inspiring new ideas and thought processes. The programme will focus on current and future trends within the worldwide and regional Gulf meetings industry and will include such topics as technology in the meetings industry, how to win international association’s business, crisis management, the importance of recognition of the meeting’s professional and a session on measuring the economic importance of the meetings industry.
There will also be a Middle East Symposium held alongside GIBTM.There will be a combination of skill-based sessions, hot topics and how to work with Europeans plus how to do business with the Middle East.
“Our aim is for GIBTM to become a debating chamber for the sector in the Middle East,” says Paul Kennedy MBE, group exhibition director, Reed Travel Exhibitions.