Dubai World Trade Centre wins bid to host 10 new international congresses

Dubai (WAM): Dubai World Trade Centre, DWTC, has won bids to host 10 new international congresses at the venue from 2015 – 2018, underpinning an already robust calendar of confirmed conferences scheduled over the coming years. Spanning across strategic industry sectors including healthcare, energy, aviation, engineering, and insurance, these high-profile events will welcome over 28,000 delegates from around the globe, and are expected to deliver an estimated Dh275 million (US$72 million) economic boost for the emirate. "Dubai has established itself globally as the regional link for organisations and industries seeking to increase their footprint in the MENASA region. We aim to complement the emirate’s growth by strategically targeting congresses in growth sectors to drive maximum benefit and return on investment," said Ahmed Alkhaja, Senior Vice President – Venues, DWTC. "Through these new congresses, in addition to our existing portfolio, we will continue to foster platforms for knowledge-sharing, attracting quality businesses and delegates who see the unique appeal this city brings." Health and Safety will drive the agenda at the beginning of the year with Global HSE Conference (Health and Safety Environment) taking place in February. With the global healthcare services market forecasted to reach US$3 trillion by 2015, Nuviun Digital Health and Medical Technology Conference 2015, taking place in May, will put Dubai at the heart of the global healthcare conversation, as the U.A.E. invests extensively in healthcare infrastructure. Rounding out the summer will be the 11th Worldwide China Insurance Congress and Dragon Awards Ceremony, taking place in August. With an anticipated 7,000 delegates in attendance, this will be one of the larger congresses of the year. Other key events that will take place in the second half of 2015 include The International Federation of Consulting Engineers 2015 and Consumer Rights Conference. Confirmed congresses for 2016 include the 61st Distripress Annual Congress, the 34th International Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion, which was won through a competitive bid process that included Paris, Rome and Copenhagen, and the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition which itself will bring in 10,000 visitors. World Congress for Brain, Spinal Cord Mapping will be held in March 2017 and The Institute of Internal Auditors Conference will take place in May 2018. In line with Dubai’s Vision 2020 for the tourism sector, DWTC has been a key driving force in boosting business tourism in the emirate. In 2013, DWTC welcomed 2.2 million trade visitors – a 20% year-on-year increase, supporting tens of thousands of jobs as a result. DWTC is part of the ‘Bid Alliance’, which is a collaboration of the emirate’s stakeholders that have united to create a communal approach to handling international congress bids. The group is part of the Dubai Business Events – The Official Convention Bureau, a division of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/economics/1395271248673.html