Dubai Convention and Events Bureau attends business event exhibitions in United States

Dubai: A delegation from the Dubai Convention and Events Bureau (DCEB), a division of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), recently attended two of the premier exhibitions of the international business events sector as part of its continual strategy to build partnerships within the sector and further Dubai's reputation as a major business events destination. Attending the BestCities Client Workshop, held in Houston, Texas, and IMEX America, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the delegation met with prospective clients and shared knowledge and experiences with other leading groups from around the world. The BestCities Global Alliance Workshop provided the opportunity to liaise with some of the world's leading practitioners in the planning of international association meetings and to share knowledge and best-practices with other leading groups from around the world. DCEB were given the opportunity to bid for at least five significant medical congresses, demonstrating Dubai's growing reputation as the host of events within the global medical industry. The delegation then travelled to Las Vegas for the 3rd edition of IMEX America, one of the world's most prominent exhibitions for the incentive travel, meeting and events sector. Leading a group of 19 partners from Dubai's business events sector, including hotels, destination management companies and professional congress organisers, DCEB highlighted Dubai's status as the regional events hub for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. A highlight of DCEB's participation in the exhibition was partnering with Emirates Airline to host a cocktail reception and Cirque du Soleil show for selected planners, demonstrating the close partnerships which exist between private and governmental entities within Dubai, a key strength of the Emirate's destination offering. Hamad Mohammed bin Mejren, Executive Director of Business Tourism for the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) commented, "These two events presented a wonderful opportunity to both share and understand the latest advances in the international business event sector and to promote Dubai's superior business events destination offering. Our location, accessibility, infrastructure, hospitality facilities, integrated city-wide approach to hosting events and knowledge-base, provides us with the opportunity to move beyond being the regional events hub and become known as a global destination for business events." He continued, "Our on-going strategy is to position Dubai as the destination of choice for businesses within the Americas to exhibit to and trade with businesses in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region and further afield to China and India. We were delighted to share and exchange our thoughts, insights and ideas with our BestCities Global Alliance partners and to join with our partners from the Emirate to represent Dubai at IMEX America, continuing a busy year for the DCEB, which will have taken part in more than 32 international road shows by the end of 2013." Dubai is ranked as first in the Middle East by the International Convention and Congress Association (ICCA). So far in 2013, Dubai has hosted prestigious events such as Sibos, which is the world's premier financial services event with more than 7,500 delegates and the World Congress on Low Back and Pelvic Pain. In 2014, Dubai looks forward to events such as the Congress of the International Society for Gynaecologic Endoscopy and the World Engineering Education Forum. – Emirates News Agency,