ORGANISER INTERVIEW |
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Greenish , driven by its Vision 2030 programme launched by the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman . The country aims to improve its infrastructure across all areas , including 30,000 new factories by 2030 . “ For a business like dmg , where we ’ ve got shows across industries such as hospitality , construction , energy , interior design and food , we have to tailor them to the local market based on how mature or immature that market is compared to Dubai , the UK or other parts in Europe ,” he continues . In Saudi Arabia , dmg has gone from a handful of events to well over 20 in just two years .
“ I ’ d say nine out of 10 of those events are derived
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“ We might geo-move the brand , but we have to geo-tailor the activity ”
from those that we ’ ve done elsewhere already - but they don ’ t look very similar ,” says Greenish . “ They ’ re really receptive in Saudi at the moment because the demand for everything is absolutely massive . It ’ s a very exciting market .” In many cases , Greenish continues , it is not just about the market ’ s maturity but also culture
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and politics . “ The majority of international shows that operate in Riyadh run from 4pm until midnight , whereas most other events we run are normal daytime events . You only learn this when you are on the ground , speaking to attendees and advisors .
“ We ’ re lucky in that we ’ re in the hub of the Middle East . If we were only headquartered in London , gaining that local knowledge would be very difficult .”
Looking forward , Greenish expects further activity to occur in Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC ) countries such as Egypt , Nigeria and Ethiopia . “ We ’ ll look further east as well at slightly more competitive markets including India , China and
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Singapore ,” he says . “ There are opportunities there , but not for cloning , definitely for adaption .”
As for tips for someone looking to geo-adapt , Greenish says : “ Talk to people . Having come [ to Dubai ] I love the fact that I ’ m learning about GCC and African markets by being here and speaking to people . You can pick up the phone but by spending two hours together face to face in a room , the quality of that conversation and relationship vastly improves . Getting to know the local politicians and the local stakeholders in any particular market or country is crucial so you can then shape your event to match the needs of that country .”
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Autumn — 15 |