Dubai World Trade Centre Authority virtually convenes industry leaders.

As Dubai’s economy re-opens amidst the backdrop of COVID-19, the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA) kick-started efforts for an accelerated restart of the city’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, as one of the key contributors to Dubai’s tourism and events economy.

In a virtual stakeholder forum that convened some of the world’s leading event organisers, DWTCA focused the agenda on preparing a roadmap for the industry to navigate past the immediacy of the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing economic turmoil, to resuming event activities and host a full-fledged and content rich business events calendar for Dubai ahead of global peers.

A key priority of the discussions centred on readiness measures to guarantee, first and foremost, the health and wellbeing of all visitors, instilling a much-needed sense of confidence in the city’s ability to host them without compromising their personal safety.

To this end, DWTCA emphasised upcoming deployment of new regulatory standards, and encouraged collaborative efforts to ensure effective adoption of the highest international safety and hygiene protocols, as well as preventative and precautionary measures with stringent deployment across all upcoming events and exhibitions, aligned with the guidelines issued by the Government of Dubai.

The meeting was chaired by Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, DWTCA and Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), with attendance from: Abdul Salam Al Madani, Chairman, INDEX Holding; Geoff Dickinson, CEO, DMG Events; Peter Hall, President, Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA) Informa; Dawood Al Shezawi, Chairman of Strategic Marketing; David Beguely, Managing Director, Middle East Terrapinn; Simon Mellor, Managing Director, Middle East Messe Frankfurt; Vasyl Zhygalo, Managing Director Middle East Reed Exhibitions; Trixie LohMirmand, EVP, Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC); and Mahir Julfar, EVP Venue Management, DWTC.

Industry leaders acknowledged the significance of the MICE sector for Dubai’s GDP, and discussed strategic initiatives for a prudent, yet accelerated resumption to normalcy for the region’s most prolific calendar of global mega business and consumer events and conferences.

The meeting highlighted the pivotal role of DWTC as a platform for instilling business confidence across sector participants, catalysing international business growth and accelerating regional value creation for exhibitors, delegates, buyers and visitors, particularly at the present time when businesses are actively seeking support to ramp up operations and regain market share as world travel begins to recommence.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai World Trade Centre Authority and Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: “Under the directives of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and the announcement from Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, to reopen business activities, we are gearing up to resume events and exhibitions at DWTC shortly in this second half of the year.