TCA Abu Dhabi director of promotions and overseas offices Mubarak Rashed Al Nuaimi outlines the significance behind the launch of Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau and explains how the emirate’s all-time low hotel rates are attracting big business
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) launched the Abu Dhabi Conventions Bureau and website last month. The entity, formerly referred to as the authority’s Business Tourism Department, currently employs a team of seven with multi nationalities, and has been given an unspecified budget to boost the emirate’s ranking in the world’s top destinations for MICE.
“In 2011, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranked Abu Dhabi 234 in the world for the eight major meetings held in the destination. We have more than doubled that last year and realistically expect to be within ICCA’s Top 150 when the rankings are announced in the next few months,” TCA Abu Dhabi deputy director general HE Jasem Al Darmaki said upon the bureau’s launch.
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Abu Dhabi Conventions Bureau hopes to secure a spot in the top 50 destinations within the next five years by “forging closer links with the industry and providing financial and non-financial support”.
“We will provide free, and non-biased assistance and support to professional convention, incentive and exhibition planners, corporations and associations so they can bid for, win and hold conferences, major business events, business meetings and congresses in Abu Dhabi,” added Al Darmaki.
The bureau is targeting six major business wins in 2013, followed by eight in 2014 and 10 wins during 2015. TCA Abu Dhabi director of promotions and overseas offices Mubarak Rashed Al Nuaimi tells Hotelier that the authority is “on the verge” of signing one event related to the tourism industry. He adds that all six bids for 2013 are for events expected to attract less than 5000 delegates each.
“There’s another related to the medical industry which should be announced in the next three months,” says Al Nuaimi. The emirate has already secured the 20th Asia Pacific Congress of Cardiology, which will be staged at ADNEC in 2015. It will bring an anticipated 3000 medical specialists to the city, delivering estimated direct, indirect and induced economic impact of AED 60 million (US $16 million).
“These events won’t be as big as the World Ophthalmology Congress 2012 in Abu Dhabi [which took place from February 16-20 and attracted around 12,000 delegates], but there will be more senior-level professionals,” adds Al Nuaimi.
“That event has given us more confidence to go on and bid on bigger events. All of the departments came together [for the Congress] — the departments of transport and immigration — the government and private sectors came together to make it happen. All of us had a good experience and all the hotels in Abu Dhabi were very successful.”
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