Pavilion are all reopening .
Expo 2020 Dubai , which was visited by more than 24 million visitors has seen its exhibition site transform into Expo City Dubai . Later this year , the Opportunity Pavilion will become the Expo 2020 Dubai Museum .
Expo City Dubai will retain 80 % of infrastructure and buildings that have been constructed , including 123 LEED-certified buildings . Expo City Dubai is already attracting interest from commercial tenants including DP World , Siemens , as well as start-ups and Small and Medium Enterprises .
New hotels include the Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah , W Dubai – Mina Seyahi and Atlantis The Royal .
What added value can Dubai offer international organisers for their big events ? One of the main things we can offer planners is the wider destination experience . Whether that ’ s exploring local culture and heritage , travelling
out to the desert , or scaling the world ’ s tallest building , we can connect planners to the right stakeholders here – to make these ‘ only in Dubai ’ experiences possible .
There is also the opportunity to connect with local knowledge clusters and take advantage of Dubai ’ s easy access to and from key growth markets . The region ’ s young population has a thirst for knowledge and education that associations are well-positioned to meet . And with Dubai at the forefront of developments in fields such as renewable energy , artificial intelligence , and the metaverse , there is rich culture of innovation to tap into .
What do you see as your major challenges in marketing the destination for international MICE events ? Competition from other cities and while Dubai may have been able to resume events far sooner than most of our peers in the wake of the pandemic , we understand that this impact of this first-to-market advantage has now diminished .
Another challenge we have worked hard to tackle has been the perception of Dubai as a purely ‘ modern ’ city . There is also plenty of culture and heritage to explore here .
How is the calendar looking for international conferences and meetings ? Dubai attracted 9.12 million visitors in the first eight months of the year , approaching the 10.86 million that came in the corresponding period in 2019 .
Successful bidding activity has also seen us build a strong calendar of conferences , with the pipeline extending up to 2028 . Dubai benefitted from a number of global events being relocated from other destinations that weren ’ t able to play host due to Covid restrictions .
Atlantis Dubai
Ian Renton , director of sales at Atlantis Dubai , says his resort and its new addtion is leveraging the city ’ s position as a global geographical hub for business and events .
Atlantis Dubai resort ’ s two hotel properties can create such experiences that clients don ’ t need to leave the resort . Atlantis Palm and Atlantis The Royal together offer a wide celebrity chef presence , unparalleled attractions , top wellness offerings and an innovative nightlife scene .
Atlantis , The Palm is set up for incentive groups and , says director of sales Ian Renton , offers the world ’ s biggest waterpark and diving with 65,000 marine animals . “ In today ’ s fast paced world our clients look to incorporate opportunities for guests to enjoy the resort while conducting business ,” says Renton , who notes the ‘ safety ’ credentials of Dubai , which was one of the first in the region to offer in-resort PCR testing for guests .”
There has been a $ 3.1m refurbishment of the conference centre and The Atlantis , The Palm offers one grand ballroom and two junior ballrooms and its Asateer Tent spread across 4,200sqm . The grand ballroom can accommodate up to 2,000 guests . The new Atlantis The Royal will offer 795 ultra-luxury rooms and suites and expects its first guests in January 2023 .
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