GIBTM: Finding the missing pieces

zoom

Paul Kennedy.

zoom

Pre-audited attendance figures recorded 1667 visitors over the three days of the show.

The absence of certain Middle East exhibitors and a shortage of regional corporate buyers showed there is still room for improvement for GIBTM.

The second instalment of the Gulf Incentives, Business Travel and Meetings exhibition (GIBTM) was hailed as a success by organiser Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), but some visitors felt that certain key issues were still to be addressed.

Attendance figures showed a significant increase in the size of the show compared to 2007; pre-audited figures counted 1667 visitors - a 41% growth from the inaugural show last year - including 229 hosted buyers.

"We have been delighted at the way the second GIBTM has been received by the industry and the region," said exhibition director Graeme Barnett.

"The feedback from the show floor has been very positive, with everyone noticing the increase in size, but most importantly the number of pre-scheduled appointments taking place was some 40% up on 2007 at just short of 5000."

As well measuring the success of the event in terms of business opportunities, Barnett said that GIBTM provided an insight into the Middle East region for many of the international hosted buyers.

"If you look at some of the hosted buyers - those who travelled from Europe and America - for many of them this is the first time they have visited the Middle East," he explained.

"They are now going back home with a completely different view of the Middle East; the culture and the differences between each of the emirates in the UAE and the other GCC countries. That for me is a by-product of the core of doing business."

According to Barnett, media exposure in the local consumer press as well as business titles helped raise the profile of the event, which led to an increase in the number of visitors compared to last year's show.

"People are starting to understand what we are trying to do with this event and understanding that it is not a general leisure show but that it has got a specific niche and it is specifically designed for business tourism and the meetings industry," he said.

"That is the general sense that I have; we have moved the show from being a launch event to something that is starting to be recognised as more than just a trade exhibition - it is a driver and shaper of an industry."

Satisfied customers cited the growth in size of GIBTM and the top-quality hosted buyers as the key highs of the show, but some visitors and stakeholders believed that the number and selection of exhibitors and visitors was still not enough when compared to other industry events such as EIBTM and CIBTM.

"We still have a long way to go; we have Saudi Arabia to attract; Kuwait, Bahrain and other Arab countries," said Ali Abu Monassar, executive chairman of Net Group, the official ground handler for GIBTM.

"We have Oman and Egypt, but we also need Lebanon, Syria and Morocco for example. On the other hand you want to show not only the GCC as a product but the regional spread of exhibitors.

"It is a start - I am not satisfied in the sense that I want bigger results and I am sure that we will obtain it."

Print | Email | Discuss this article |

USER COMMENTS (0 COMMENTS)

POST A COMMENT

CLICK HERE TO POST A COMMENT

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Security Code *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.