EVENTS ACCELERATING ABU DHABI ’ S VISION TOWARDS A BIG NEW PICTURE
The MICE industry has been growing in the emirate of Abu Dhabi for many years and nowhere in the world was it more resilient than in this region during the Covid crisis .
Now business events are returning apace and dovetailing with the goals central to Abu Dhabi ’ s 2030 Vision government programme .
Examples of this post-Covid comeback at speed for the emirate ’ s MICE industry include the 2022 edition of the world ’ s largest annual gathering of energy specialists , ADIPEC . The show drew 15,000 attendees and generated an estimated $ 8bn plus in business thanks to the 2,200 exhibiting companies .
The International Defence Exhibition and Conference , IDEX , and its co-located Naval Defence Exhibition and Conference NAVDEX , held this February under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan , president of the UAE , is a more recent example underlining the strength of appetite for F2F events . The shows , held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre ( ADNEC ), drew 1,353 companies from around the world ( up from 900 in 2022 ), and 132,507 visitors ( more than double last year ’ s figure ). The largest defence event in the world covered 165,000sqm and welcomed 41 country pavilions .
Organisers said deals worth AED23.34bn ($ 6.36bn ), were signed during the event , a number 12 % up on the previous edition .
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair , meanwhile , in May 2022 brought 1,130 publishers from 80 countries and saw 650 cultural and educational events take place during the week-long event . The 2023 edition in May 2023 is tipped to turn over just as an impressive page in the emirate ’ s major event history .
The MICE industry is central to Abu Dhabi ’ s Vision 2030 programme which aims to diversity the emirate ’ s economy beyond oil and into a knowledge-based economy as the emirate positions as a global business events hub .
MICE as a catalyst for recovery Responsibility for guiding and building the local MICE industry in the emirate lies with the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau ( ADCEB ), set up in 2013 as a division within the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi ( DCT Abu Dhabi ).
ADCEB director Mubarak Al Shamisi says the bureau can help organisers via a variety of programmes . “ Abu Dhabi sees MICE as a catalyst for the recovery of the tourism sector and the overall economy ,” Al Shamisi says . “ Hence , we developed a 10-year strategy to grow and position the emirate as a global business events hub and our goal is to double the sector ’ s size by 2030 .”
The ripple effects of a thriving MICE industry cross over into many economic sectors and the government is ‘ walking the walk ’ with major investments going into key tourism infrastructure , including hotels and many cultural projects .
One recent announcement of investment in the cultural sphere is The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi ( DCT Abu Dhabi ) MoU signed with Japan ’ s Inpex Corporation , for a ¥ 1bn Japanese yen ( US $ 7.6m ) multi-year sponsorship of the upcoming teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi , an experiential art space , set for completion in 2024 . teamLab Phenomena is located in Abu Dhabi ’ s Saadiyat Cultural District , home of Louvre Abu Dhabi , Berklee Abu Dhabi , and Manarat Al Saadiyat . It is also the site of several key cultural projects being developed , including Zayed National Museum , Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi .
New events This year , new events coming to town include the Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week , 7-9 November 2023 . The ADGHW is a partnership involving dmg events and is set to bring together 20,000 + attendees , 1,900 delegates and 300 + exhibitors . Leading world healthcare partners will discuss the challenges and changes to the global health ecosystem . The Fortune 500 Global Forum will come to the Middle East for the first time since 1995 , when it visits Abu Dhabi , 27-29 November 2023 . The Forum creates a valuable opportunity for the CEOs of the world ’ s biggest multinational companies to discuss complex global issues .
The Forum follows hot on the heels of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and on the cusp of COP28 .
Another top level international gathering in the calendar later this year is the Future Hospitality Summit which returns in September 2023 to Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island , following a successful 2022 edition which saw 1,072 attendees from across the globe .
In terms of venues in the emirate , the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company has a portfolio that includes the flagship venue Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre ( ADNEC ), spread out over 153,678sqm and which offers 1,827 hotel rooms on site . The company also runs the nearby Al Ain Convention Centre , and its interests abroad include owning ExCeL London , the largest exhibition and convention venue in the British capital .
“ Our tourism business , catering business and ADNEC all work together and this one-stop-shop approach makes it easy for organisations to come to Abu Dhabi and run an event ,” says Graham Stephenson , director of sales at ADNEC .
The venue ’ s recently opened Marina Hall
32 Issue 2 2023 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk