It’s good to talk

The Middle East is renowned for its lack of transparency. By that I mean the reluctance to share ideas, meaningful data and results of market analysis.

With competition so fierce in many industries, there is more often than not, a culture of mistrust and the players in those industries adopt a policy of individualism.

In the long-run this dog-eat-dog mentality hinders progress and this applies to the meetings industry where there has been little camaraderie shown amongst its members.

Firstly, until recently, the industry has been unaware that it is an industry and so it was unaware of other players in the market. This situation has been exacerbated by the number of titles used to describe those participating in this sector.

But 2008 has seen the market mature and at last, we are starting to see more event planners come to the fore as an increasing number of companies set-up-shop in the region, including big blue-chips and international conglomerates.

The industry has also piqued the interest of international meetings organisations with Meeting Professionals International (MPI) staging its inaugural Gulf Meetings and Events Conference in Dubai in April.

The time is therefore ripe for planners and those involved in planning or staging meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions and events to come together.

Only by engaging in meaningful dialogue, exchanging examples of best practice and by challenging one another to think outside the box, can the industry better itself and become a force to be reckoned with on the global stage.

A community spirit speaks volumes and is far more powerful than the voice of a single entity.

Gemma Greenwood is the senior group editor of ITP Business' travel & hospitality magazines.

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