March 28, 2024 10:41 AM
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IMEX 2014 expected to give Dubai a boost in events

After declaring its recent showing at IMEX 2014 a major success, Department of Commerce and Tourism Marketing (DTCM) expects to expand Dubai’s growing business events and hospitality sectors.

Held from May 20-22 in Frankfurt, Germany, IMEX is the world’s most prominent exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events. Joining DTCM at the prestigious three-day tradeshow was a delegation comprised of over 50 local travel industry partners that included airlines, hotels and tour operators.

Dubai IMEX 2014

Under the colors of Dubai’s new brand identity, DTCM highlighted the emirate’s proven capacity to host mega-incentive groups following the successful hosting of 14,500 delegates from Nu Skin Enterprises last April and shared details of the recently launched Dubai Association Centre (DAC). Furthermore, it announced an agreement with the International Association of Professional Conference Organizers (IAPCO). DTCM also revealed that the hosting of the group from Nu Skin Enterprises in China – the largest incentive group in UAE history – generated an economic impact estimated at $80 million U.S. dollars (AED290 million) for the emirate.

“The look of Dubai’s new brand has been very well received here at IMEX, and our successful hosting of the 14,500-delegate incentive group from China has shown the world what we in the emirate have long known – that Dubai has the expertise, infrastructure, dynamic leisure attractions and key partnerships to host events and groups of any size and scale, from anywhere in the world,” said Steen Jakobsen, director, Dubai Convention and Events Bureau.

Dubai’s agreement with IAPCO, a global organization whose members include key global events decision-makers, will enable the emirate to attract major international conferences and exhibitions by efficiently providing IAPCO members with the support and information they require to make recommendations to clients.

Lünendonk B2B Service Award 2014Also announced for the first time to a global audience was the Dubai Association Centre, a new legal platform that will allow international associations to establish their regional headquarters in Dubai and grow their membership numbers not only in the UAE, but also in regional emerging markets in the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia. The establishment of DAC will also result in a boost for the business tourism industry, with more major meetings and large exhibitions taking place in the emirate.

With a firm focus on promoting the quality and breadth of the emirate’s tourism offer during IMEX, members of Dubai’s delegation held over 650 meetings with key buyers and conference organizers from around the world with the DTCM team alone meeting with over 100 key clients.  As a result of DTCM and the Dubai delegations efforts at IMEX, officials have received various expressions of interest from groups wishing to organize large incentive trips to Dubai.

The flurry of activity at IMEX 2014 comes following the launch of a new Dubai brand identity and marketing blueprint earlier this month, which prompted the emirate to state its ambition to become the most visited city in the world. After being named a top destination to visit in 2014 by both The New York Times and TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, the emirate is currently looking to enhance its status by implementing a carefully researched marketing blueprint that will help realize Tourism Vision 2020. Under the Tourism Vision 2020 strategy, the emirate hopes to double visitor numbers from 10 million guests in 2012 to 20 million guests in 2020.

With the ultimate vision of positioning Dubai as the world’s leading tourism destination and commercial hub, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s mission is to increase the awareness of Dubai to global audiences and to attract tourists and inward investment into the emirate.

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