Connecting key trade leaders
Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) will be held at Madinat Jumeirah Dubai from April 26-28, 2016. The patron of the event is His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Airports, President of Dubai Department for Civil Aviation and Chairman and CEO of Emirates. Jennifer Pettinger-Haines, Managing Director Middle East-Bench Events (co-organisers of AHIC 2016 with MEED) shares details about the event. Q What are your expectations from the event this year?
AHIC 2016 looks to be one of our best and most crucial events yet. With all the macroeconomic, geopolitical and security factors affecting the region, we have listened diligently to the numerous questions and concerns that are being raised by our industry. With the help of our advisory board we have put together an agenda that aims to provide answers and solutions to the industry in a period of high uncertainty. We are anticipating a lot of critical discussions to take place and shed some light on what to expect for the future.
Q What are the targeted markets and who are the key players?
AHIC focuses on markets from the GCC and wider Middle East re- gion, while including international markets from Europe, Africa, and Asia. With the lifting of economic sanctions on Iran, AHIC will pay special attention to the opportuni- ties emerging in the second-largest economy in the Middle East region. The programme will also focus on the performance and pipeline for Egypt, and the impact of oil prices on Saudi Arabia’s tourism investment and flows.
Q How does AHIC contribute to the growth of the region?
AHIC is an expert driven, peerdesigned conference, providing attendees with a platform to reinforce relationships, hear from industry’s most senior executives, and create new business opportunities. In the words of our chairman Jonathan
Worsley, “With so many critical factors influencing our industry simultaneously, there is no certain future other than the one we create.” We are happy to deliver a conference that facilitates collaboration within the industry which works to create a better future.
Q How is this year different from last year?
New challenges have emerged in the past year with operator consolidation, downward pressure on rates and an expected spike in supply facing the industry. We have devised a programme that will focus on these key issues and encourage conversation on oil prices, security and travel and tourism trends. The conference will kick off with hard-hitting sessions on the uncertainty of the present while looking ahead at the opportunities and challenges of the future.
With more keynote presentations and high-profile panel discussions than ever before, AHIC 2016 is bringing in more than 30 new speakers to share their insights on the shape and direction of the tourism and hotel sectors. While still covering regional industry topics, AHIC 2016 will also host speakers from outside the industry to provide fresh perspec- tives on the global forces shaping the region. Amongst other things, this year we are delighted to have interviews with a variety of leaders, such as His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena, President, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, amongst others for an exclusive insight into their visions for the future.
With the help of our advisory board we have put together an agenda that aims to provide answers and solutions to the industry in a period of high uncertainty. We are anticipating a lot of critical discussions to take place and shed some light on what to expect for the future