The greatest show on earth
Paul Colston visited Dubai Expo2020 and much more besides in the emirate as it positions its events industry to fully exploit the show ’ s vast legacy potential
he world ’ s Expo is
T turning extra global attention on Dubai , 1 October 2021-31 March 2022 . It is not only a global showcase of 192 countries ’ achievements in the fields of innovation , opportunity and sustainability – the three big themes of the show – but a six-month standing advertisement for all that is good about the exhibition format .
By the end of January , Expo2020 ( the name has remained faithful to the original pre-Covid planned date ) had attracted over 10m visitors in person and over 40m virtually .
The staging is powerful testament to human achievement and aspiration , and a dazzling array of pavilions brim with technology and innovative concepts .
Our sector is well positioned to make full use of the Expo2020 legacy , with a new Dubai Exhibition Centre ( DEC ) at the centre of the experience . Over the next 10 years it will expand to offer 180,000sqm and be the heart of a new District 2020 events and convention hub . The venue is next to the Dubai Metro Route 2020 , connecting visitors directly to a host of hotels .
Above : An emirate on the move thanks to events
Dubai is well positioned to take on the legacy . Already Dubai is the world ’ s fourth most visited city and has 132,000 rooms to offer visitors . Business travel accounts for 3 % of the United Arab Emirate ’ s GDP . And while DEC will bring online more exhibition space post-Expo2020 , the existing Dubai World Trade Centre ( DWTC ) offers 120,000sqm of space and is the biggest venue in the region .
DWTC was one of the first major venues in the world to bounce back after the initial wave of Covid , reopening for business on 1 July 2020 and making a great success of GITEX in October 2020 .
Messe Frankfurt Middle East alone , which returned to the live events landscape at DWTC in September 2021 , has since organised eight face-to-face exhibitions in the emirate , welcoming over 64,000 trade visitors . DWTC has six hotels on its complex and organises 20 ►
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