GIBTM Supporting the MICE Industry in Asia

The Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meeting Exhibition (GIBTM) is the leading event for the rapidly developing Middle East MICE and business travel industry. It brings together a combination of regional and international industry buyers and suppliers for three days of business opportunities, networking and professional education.

in an interview with MICEtalk shares her views on expectations from the Indian market, strengths of Abu Dhabi as a venue and challenges faced by the exhibition industry. 2013 is going to be a strong year for the exhibition industry globally. With regard to the Indian exhibition industry, recent research conducted by Reed Travel Exhibitions confirmed that 40 per cent of regional hosted buyers attending GIBTM have a direct interest in placing outbound business into Asia. This confirms the substantial impact that GIBTM has in supporting the MICE industry in Asia/India.

Further to this, we have seen a substantial increase in European exhibitors this year – their presence on the show floor has quadrupled since last year with 19 European destinations and companies exhibiting. New European exhibitors at GIBTM 2013 include Serbia Convention Bureau, Visit Brussels, Athens Convention Bureau, Circuito Ascari, Marmara Collection, Adile Sultan Sarayi, Georgian National Tourism Agency, Madrid Convention Bureau, and Cnidus. This confirms the role that GIBTM plays in pushing global business and demonstrates that it is the platform in the Middle East connecting international destinations with lucrative Middle Eastern buyers. Abu Dhabi offers a combination of world class infrastructure, extensive conferencing facilities and high quality venues, a range of 4 and 5-star hotels, competitively priced travel packages, and excellent global flight connections.

Abu Dhabi and the wider Middle East, has benefited from investments by the meetings and events industry in recent years and now boasts world-class facilities and conference centres in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which are attracting outbound business from countries all over the world. ADNEC, where GIBTM is held, is the world’s most modern and the Gulf’s largest exhibition centre. In 2012, ADNEC hosted 360 events, up by 49 per cent from 232 in 2011. The facility welcomes up to 1.5 million visitors a year and incorporates 55,000 sqm of fully interconnected exhibition floor space spread over 12 halls, plus outdoor exhibition space. There will always be benefits of exhibitions and conferences as they bring exhibitors and buyers from all over the world to the same place at the same time – there is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting and we can see that people are realising this through their continued support. The potential to generate business at a show, such as GIBTM, is priceless for exhibitors and buyers, which is why they continue to return and we are seeing new exhibitors every year. One obvious challenge, faced by the industry for some time, is the global economic climate. However, having said this, there is no doubt that companies have changed their marketing behaviour in light of the economic crisis and many businesses have