Mastering in MICE Business: Dubai

"INDIA IS seen as an important focus for not just travel perspective but also for business events," says Steen Jakobsen ( Assistant Vice President, Dubai Business Events DBE). In an interaction with BW Hotelier, Jakobsen pointed out that India is the largest source market for international visitation to Dubai.

Dubai Business Events, the city’s official convention bureau, has a dedicated representative office and team in India that is always working and connecting with planners, buyers and industry professionals from across the country to extend more efforts to provide a comfortable and luxirous lifestyle for the tourist at Dubai. One of Dubai Business Events (DBE’s) goals is to further build advocacy, and continuously communicate the evolution of Dubai’s business events and wider tourism propositions for visitors It has also been taken into notice that the DBE team will visit cities in India including Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and New Delhi, in order to expand the opportunities to engage with the industry in more locations in the future.

Dubai the city that caters a luxurious lifestyle , with ultramodern architecture , jawdropping scenic beauty also provides cultural and historical sites to the visitors . In Dubai, this can mean using unique spaces for events, such as Etihad Museum, where the nation’s foundation is detailed, or desert camps, where spectacular gatherings can take place amid breath-taking backdrops.

The area around Dubai Creek, which is where the city originally grew from, is also becoming a popular stop for groups, whether that’s in the Al Fahidi and Al Shindagha Historic Districts, or at the Gold, Spice and Textiles Souks that were the original retail hotspots in the city.

Steen Jakobsen also understands that the sporting scene in Dubai and the wider UAE is becoming an important driver for groups, with planners organising itineraries and movements around major events such as international cricket, major club football games, F1 races and tennis tournaments.

In a similar vein, DBE promises to prepare itineraries tailored around Expo 2020 Dubai from October next year. Taking place in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa region for the first time, the event’s overall theme will be ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, with groups able to explore dynamic, innovative and creative solutions around the sub themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.

The emirate welcomed 15.92 million international overnight visitors in 2018, the culmination of growth of 12 percent over the past three years. India led the momentum for the 4th consecutive year as the number one source market, with over two million overnight visitors in 2018.

The team at Dubai Business Events continuously works with hotels, airlines, attractions and many more stakeholders in the city in order to ensure that planners have access to offers and special deals. There are initiatives that are taken specially for Indian travellers Organisers of meetings, conferences and incentive programmes have the opportunity to benefit from our free services and our support programmes that are specially developed and customised considering the strategic importance of India and its significant contribution in terms of business travellers to Dubai.

Jakobsen also provided some future planning programs as well he points that there is a number of new offerings that will provide with a better experience to the visitors, which are going to be particularly important for business events.

Dubai will soon be home to a new conference and exhibition centre which will be co-located on the Expo 2020 Dubai site. With state-of-the-art facilities, world-class hospitality services and an electric atmosphere, the Dubai Exhibition Centre will create a unique and unforgettable experience for business delegates, exhibitors and visitors.

In addition to its 28,000 sqm customisable exhibition space, the facility will also feature two theatres/auditoriums with respective capacities of 2,500 and 400 guests; two 2,000-plus-capacity multipurpose halls that can be combined for larger events; and 10 meetings rooms. The venue will also be able to accommodate audiences of up to 15,000 for indoor concerts. Another major events venue, Dubai Arena, is scheduled to open in the second half of 2019. A 17,000-seat indoor arena located right in the heart of Dubai, it will be capable of holding international sporting events as well as large scale business events.

Another new option already available to planners is the E2 Dubai South Event & Exhibition Center. Located in Dubai South district, E2 is a short drive from the world's largest airport in the making - Dubai World Central. With more than 40,000 m2 of exhibition space, a width of 150m, a length of 270m, and a height of 12m, it has been developed with a specialised understanding of the requirements of international business events.