Abu Dhabi, UAE, 22 November 2011 – Business travel is set to be one of the key focuses of the 2012 Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM), the region’s only event dedicated to the meetings and events industry to be held next March. GIBTM, a REED Travel Exhibitions event, is the largest gathering of meetings industry professionals in the Middle East, attended by over 2750 industry professionals from all over the region, and is a driving force behind the industry offering five star business, networking and educational opportunities.
GIBTM, now in it’s is 6th year, will focus on opportunities in the growing business travel sector.
“The business and corporate travel community is an intrinsic part of the meetings industry and has been expanding steadily, in 2012 we are making business travel a key focus at GIBTM. With the UAE witnessing a 5% increase in air traffic this year* and recording the largest number of hotel rooms under way in the Middle East and Africa region**we expect to see even greater growth in the business travel sector,” said Lois Jane Hall, REED Travel Exhibitions Manager GIBTM. “We are collaborating with The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), to provide unprecedented solutions for business travelers,” she added.
Pre-qualified buyers of business travel from the region will be selected and invited to take part in the well established Hosted Buyer program, a platform providing exclusive business meeting opportunities for regional and international senior level buyers and decision makers. These targeted and pre-qualified hosted buyers will meet with regional and international exhibitors.
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), GIBTM’s partner and supporter, is placing increased emphasis on attracting business tourism and over the past few years has significantly upgraded its meetings and conference facilities, providing businesses with world-class facilities.
“In 2015, we aim to become the number one meetings destination in the region, a top-100 meetings destination in the world, host four times the number of current MICE events and double the number of MICE visitor arrivals and yield,” said Gillian Taylor, ADTA Business Tourism Manager.
ADTA expects an increase of 20,000 business tourists this year. Approximately 1.3 million of the 1.8 million guests across 115 hotels and hotel apartments in the Emirate are business travelers, out of which 215,000 guests arrive specifically for MICE related activities.
Oman Ministry of Tourism and Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts were also among the first exhibitors signing up for GIBTM 2012 and are both keen to engage with business travelers.
“We are pleased that business travel is a key focus for GIBTM 2012 as it is in line with our efforts. Business travellers want to concentrate on making their trip a success,” says Toufic Tamim, VP Sales & Marketing, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Middle East. “They don’t want the detail of extras, they simply want to know everything that they need is included as part of their stay and that motivated us to offer them special business packages such as our recently launched Business Bundle offer,” he added. Highspeed internet, breakfast, late checkout and laundry pressing are the four most requested services by corporate travelers at Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, according to Tamim.
“The planned convention center and airport will have modern facilities and will help position Oman as one of the main business travel destinations in the region,” said Khalid Al Zadjali, Head of Overseas Promotion, Oman Ministry of Tourism. “Our aim for participating in GIBTM 2012 is to recognise new trends, best practices and also benefit from the abundant networking opportunities,” he added.
Held under the patronage of Chairman, HH Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, GIBTM 2012’s distinguished industry partners include Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, ADNEC, Etihad and The Vision. Meetme, published by NPI, is a global media partner and publisher of the Official Show Daily publication.
More information on the event, exhibitors, hosted buyers’ required qualifications, partners, networking and educational opportunities is available on www.gibtm.com.
