Exhibition World Bahrain will be hosting the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry to hold its annual UFI Expert Day on the 1st of October, 2023. The one-day event, which takes place at the end of each year in one of the association’s member host countries, anticipates hosting event industry experts from the region. The venue is proud to host such an event for the first time in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The day will unfold with a panel on the status of the MICE industry within the country. Experts from across the region will be invited to take part, as well as the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Nasser Qaedi, and Dr Debbie Kristiansen, Exhibition World Bahrain’s General Manager, for their ideas on the industry’s steps towards strengthening the Kingdom’s economic development through the MICE industry.
As for the panellists, to name a few who will be taking part: Naji Al Haddad, Regional Director of the Global Association of Exhibitions Industry; Gulf Air Group’s CEO, Dr Jeffrey Goh; and General Manager of Al Areen Palace & Spa, Marie Berengere-Chapoton. The discussion will reflect upon the country and its position as an attractive destination in the region for hosting large events, conferences, and seminars. This event will enable attendees to participate and obtain updates on the industry’s latest regional shifts and trends.
The venue is itself a proud UFI member and aims to make the most of such an affiliation by allowing for active knowledge transfer and networking with international MICE contacts. The venue’s membership indicates a level of professionalism and competence, as the Kingdom’s driving force to place it at the forefront of the MICE industry regionally and internationally. With a strategic location and being a cross-cultural hub, it is an added value to be part of an international association that will open doors with other MICE Centres across the globe.
On the occasion, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, Dr Nasser Qaedi, commented: “We aim to have such events to highlight the role of Exhibition World Bahrain in supporting the tourism sector, alongside other related economic sectors, and to encourage the growth and development of other related service sectors. By attracting such opportunities, we continue to showcase the Kingdom of Bahrain as a regionally key location within the MICE industry. We also look to grow towards such a position internationally.”
Dr Debbie Kristiansen, the General Manager of Exhibition World Bahrain, said: “It is an honour to open our doors and welcome industry experts and peers from Europe and across the region. We look forward to building on the country’s legacy within the MICE industry and extending our warm welcome to our fellow MICE industry colleagues. Our long-standing relationship with UFI has been and will continue to be a driving force towards our plan of transforming the Kingdom’s most prominent sector, contributing to the development and growth of the national economy.”
Naji Al Haddad, Regional Director of the Global Association of Exhibitions Industry, stated, “We look forward to being hosted by Exhibition World Bahrain for our Expert Day. The venue is a true reflection of innovation and I foresee it being the executor of many international exhibitions and conventions that look to take place within the Middle East. When it comes to such events, diversification is key, and so we are very assured that there will be a successful outcome of such a meeting.”
Exhibition World Bahrain looks to explore new opportunities and grow through such memberships for the first time in the Kingdom of Bahrain at the region’s newest exhibition and convention centre. This is part of the venue’s objectives to host large-scale international events to benefit the Bahraini community and the region.
About Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB)
Inaugurated in November 2022, Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB) is the Middle East’s newest exhibition and convention centre and the largest in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Spanning over an area of 309,000 SQM, EWB encompasses 10 versatile exhibition halls of different ceiling heights and a total area of 95,000 SQM, all of which are equipped with the essential technical services and storage spaces for each hall, together with independent exits and entrances, which makes it an ideal spot for most types of occasions. Exhibition World Bahrain is owned by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), and it’s operated by BTEA’s strategic partner, ASM Global, the world’s leading venue management company with over 350 venues under its portfolio worldwide.
