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Exhibition World Bahrain ’ s first year quantum leap
Dr Debbie Kristiansen , GM of EWB , tells EW about a rewarding first year of operation at the Middle East ’ s newest venue
ongratulations on
C completing your first year of operation ! Can you provide an overview of the past year ’ s highlights and achievements for Exhibition World Bahrain ? Dr Debbie : We are extremely delighted to celebrate Exhibition World Bahrain ’ s ( EWB ) inaugural year . Since its inauguration in November 2022 , EWB has proudly positioned itself as the Middle East ’ s ideal venue for hosting major local , regional , and international events , being the newest and one of the largest exhibition and convention centres across the Middle East and North Africa ( MENA ) region .
In the span of nine months , EWB has hosted a total of 138 events and is targeting multiple sizeable local , regional , and international exhibitions and conventions for the rest of this year .
For the first time in five years , the
Kingdom of Bahrain has re-entered the top 100 in the International Congress and Convention Association ( ICCA ) Global Rankings , claiming the 89th position for international events held in 2022 at EWB , which is considered the highest ranking for Bahrain in the last decade .
Moreover , EWB and the Bahrain Tourism & Exhibition Authority ( BTEA ) were declared winners of the Eventseum Hall of Fame ’ s 2021 Global Innovation Award for Convention and Conference Centres in two separate categories : new construction and sole winner for the EMEA region during the IMEX 2022 Exhibition
In addition , EWB has been nominated as the Middle East ’ s leading exhibition and convention centre for 2023 through the annual World Travel Awards . Recognised globally as the hallmark of industry excellence , the World Travel Awards
Dr Debbie Kristiansen
are one of the most prestigious awards in the travel and tourism industry .
How has Exhibition World Bahrain performed in terms of visitor attendance and exhibitor participation during its inaugural year ? The venue recorded a robust footfall , offering an exceptional experience for all visitors , exhibitors , and event organisers . EWB has received more than half a million local and international visitors since opening .
EWB encompasses 10 versatile exhibition halls of different ceiling heights 10,12 and14 metres , with a total area of 95,000sqm , all of which are equipped with the essential technical services and storage spaces , together with independent exits and entrances .
The Convention Centre at EWB includes an extraordinary Grand Hall that offers world-class flexibility in design with multiple configurations to incorporate and customise every type of event , from conferences to large weddings , graduations , theatrical performances , gala celebrations , and so much more . It features retractable seating with rows of multiple tiers , with up to 4,000 guests ’ capacity .
Can you share some insights into the types of exhibitions and events that were hosted at EWB over the past year ? Were there any standout themes or trends ? EWB managed to host a fully packed agenda of large exhibitions , conventions , forums , and congresses with top topics that range from financial services , real estate , oil and gas , trade and retail , manufacturing , tourism , ICT , luxury ( Jewellery Arabia ), logistics , youth empowerment , sustainability , women ’ s empowerment , agriculture , health care , education , and much
76 Issue 5 2023 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk