ORGANISER INTERVIEW
food and hospitality will significantly strengthen our position and create new opportunities in the specialist B2B Foodservice market .
Saudi Arabia is a big emerging market for many industries , including the exhibitions sector . What is the Kingdom ’ s appeal ? We have long operated in the Middle East – for several decades in fact – and have progressively built relationships , positions , talent and operating capability in and across several countries . Saudi Arabia is one of a number of countries and city-states that recognise the value that large-scale exhibitions and live events can bring to their economies and populations , in terms of international trade , innovation and the exchange of ideas , jobs and support for the supply chain . Saudi Arabia has that focus , as part of its Vision 2030 diversification and transformation programme . It is also coupling that with tangible investment and support from a range of partners , funds and ministries . We all know that to operate large-scale events successfully , you need the infrastructure , venues , airports , contractors and suppliers , and so on , to help stage the event , and all of those elements are being invested in and fully supported in Saudi Arabia .
Tahaluf of course has been working as a joint venture for a while . Why is now
“ Tahaluf ’ s growth plans mean that there are significant career opportunities as the business builds at speed ”
the time for more major investment and what do you hope it will achieve in the short to medium term ? When Tahaluf was announced at the end of November last year , it was an Informa joint venture with the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security , Programming and Drones ’ ( SAFCSP ) backing and support . The announcement on 27 July , of EIF acquiring a stake in the business and Sela ’ s future investment , will supercharge Tahaluf ’ s expansion and impact . We have significant ambitions for Tahaluf , centred around building a portfolio of thriving events and complementary worldclass digital experiences in Saudi Arabia within five years . This plan is designed to maximise the opportunities to provide employment and training to local communities and support the promotion and accelerated development of strategically important industries in the Kingdom , as well as provide international businesses with access to new markets . All of the partners involved in Tahaluf share this vision for the business and its role in support of Saudi Vision 2030 .
Which sectors will be reflected in future Tahaluf exhibition activity ? Are they likely to be sectors of particular interest to the region and its economy or do you envisage some geocloning perhaps ? We are already seeing a range of B2B event brands launch and see significant interest . These are in globally important sectors such as technology , real estate , pharmaceuticals , food , health and beauty , tourism and hospitality and are attracting both international businesses and regional and national businesses . LEAP 2023 for example was the most attended technology event in the world , with over 172,000 attendees , and was an entirely new launch , where we have also brought the renowned cyber security brand Black Hat to Saudi Arabia . Later this year , Tahaluf will be bringing our Cityscape Global real estate exhibition to the Kingdom as well as the Middle East editions of our CPHI and Cosmoprof brands , and will also be launching the new food and hospitality show InFlavour .
What does the investment mean for staffing levels and opportunities for company growth ? The Tahaluf team , led by CEO Mike Champion , is currently a mixture of Informa colleagues with event and sector expertise and local talent . Tahaluf ’ s growth plans mean that there are significant career opportunities as the business builds at speed and I would encourage anyone interested to reach out to the team to find out more . Its objective is to make the most of the potential of young Saudi Arabian talent , particularly in the tech arena , so local recruitment is definitely a priority for the venture too .
Where else is Informa looking to expand and invest around the world in particular ? Are more investments imminent ? Across the company , we have a clear focus on growing our positions in specialist markets and doing more for our customers , whether that ’ s through new or improved services , greater value , or more ways to connect , learn and grow , and you can expect that to continue to be our focus .
Which markets are you finding are performing best for you at this time ? Presumably , you must be pleased to see activity resuming apace in China . We ’ re seeing the full return of live and on-demand event brands in all major regions of the world and markets too . It has been great to see China return and our teams in China have been working at full pace and energy to serve that demand . Progress has been rapid since Covid restrictions started to be removed earlier this year , what ’ s being called ‘ fast China ’.
28 — Autumn