Dubai becoming a leading centre for prestigious events

In addition to corporate meetings, incentives and exhibitions, in 2011 Dubai hosted 34 international association meetings.
The growth in hosting international association meetings is in line with the Dubai Convention Bureau (DCB)'s vision to position Dubai as a leading global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destination, collaborating with a number of private and public sector organisations to secure some of world's leading conferences and exhibitions for Dubai.
DCB, a division of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), has attracted prestigious events and conferences to Dubai such as the International Diabetes Federation, World Heart Federation, International Bar Association and the World Energy Forum.
Commenting on Dubai's growing success as a destination for business tourism, DTCM Executive Director, Business Tourism Hamad Mohammad Bin Mejren stated "the leadership of the UAE has continually underlined and supported the importance of the development of the MICE industry in the Emirates, recognising that congress development is key to tourism success.
"The strong infrastructure network, air accessibility and abundance of hotel options in Dubai make it an ideal choice for international meetings. Dubai has established a considerable reputation as an exceptional destination for meetings and conferences and has hosted some impressive international events."
Last year the International Convention and Congress Association (ICCA) ranked Dubai as first in the Middle East and as one of the major international meeting destinations globally, with Dubai surfacing as a top contender among well established meetings destinations such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Melbourne.
DCB prides itself on providing its clients with expert assistance in the planning and organisation of virtually any kind of MICE and have played a pivotal role in creating an environment that is conducive to attracting these major conventions. The services they provide include bid assistance, convention planning, building attendance, onsite event servicing, and destination expertise.
Remarking on the importance of MICE tourism, DCB Director Jerad Bachar concluded "the recent volatility in the international financial markets has put a major strain on many facets of the tourism trade.
"MICE is however the one sector of tourism that has bounced back, perhaps even stronger and with great speed. As such, meetings, events, and other business tourism segments have a major role to play in injecting funds into our economy. Apart from the direct revenues that these events generate, there is a more far-reaching secondary effect, as delegates to any conference invariably will return to the destination for other commerce and trade activities or even for leisure vacations."