The Bahrain International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) is planning a fresh campaign to persuade Western exhibition and conference organizers to choose Bahrain as a venue for their conventions.
The new approach will feature some innovative and aggressive incentives, according to BIEC general manager Ahmed Al Shamlan.
"Wewill send a sales and promotion team to Western Europe in late September," he explained.
"Weare now coordinating our schedule in Frankfurt and London to directly meet some of the major players."
Mr Al Shamlan declined to reveal specific points of the campaign but revealed that BIEC's new strategy would concentrate on drawing specialized activities to Bahrain, a trend which would continue until the next century.
Headmitted the era of general products shows, which once filled the local exhibition and events calendar, had been exhausted.
MrAl Shamlan said Bahrain met all the infrastructure and support facilities criteria for hosting world-class activities but needed a higher level of exposure to better position itself in the global arena.
"The only way to do this is to meet face to face with the decision-makers and toshow who we are and what we can offer them," he continued.
Mr Al Shamlan said BIEC was in a much stronger position to market its 1999-2000 season which will feature more than 12,000 square metres of exhibition space -double the current capacity.
The construction of BIEC's additional exhibition halls has now reached the halfway mark.
MrAl Shamlan said the BD 2.5 million project, which began last November, is onschedule and within the original budget. It will be completed next May.
"However,the new facility will not be dedicated until the opening of our 1999-2000 exhibition season in September, 1999," he continued.
The 6,400-square metre extension will make the BIEC the second largest exhibition centre in the Gulf, after the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Located east of the existing 6,000-square metre main hall, it will feature shaded walk-ways linking both facilities, as well as an additional 150-vehicle parking lot.
Meanwhile, BIEC's 1998-1999 calendar falls four short of the number of shows staged last season, Mr Al Shamlan said he expected at least four more bookings to be confirmed by September.
He said this year's decline was partly due to Ramadan, which will begin in the middle of December during the height of the traditional exhibition season.
"Weknow it is nearly impossible for us to attract non-Moslem activities to theregion during Ramadan," explained Mr Al Shamlan.
"While the Holy Month may be a business inconvenience for outsiders, we must keep in mind that local life and work should not come to a halt."
MrAl Shamlan stressed the need to generate Ramadan-oriented activities, adding that two of the four unconfirmed events were designed to accommodate the HolyMonth's anticipated evening crowds.
"For example, one of the suggested events is a month-long family-oriented book fair,which is always a popular show," he explained.
The three-day Petrotech exhibition, which is being organized by Arabian Exhibition Management (AEM) will open the season on September 14.
Itwill be followed by the four-day Middle East Lighting Fair, which opens on September 23. The show is being organized by UAE-based Arabian Resources.
The season's third show will be the four-day Gulf International Travel and Tourism Exhibition, which begins on October 5. The show is being organized by International Trade Exhibitions (ITE).
The Syria Products exhibition commences on October 28. The 10-day show is being organized by Masri Exhibitions and Marketing.
Jewellery Arabia starts on November 4. The four-day show is being organized by AEM.
BIEC's sixth show is the Human Resources Middle East exhibition, which begins on November 16. The four-day event is being organized by AEM.
The nine-day Autumn Fair, which is being organized by AEM, opens on November 26.
The four-day Middle East Oil Show, which opens on February 20, is being organized by AEM.
The Middle East Communications Show starts on March 6. This year's event is acombination of two exhibitions, Middle East Broadcasting and Middle East Information Technology, both of which are being organized by AEM.
BIEC's upcoming season will conclude with the nine-day Bahrain Fair, which opens onMay 27. The show is being organized by AEM.
Gulf Daily News, Wednesday 22nd July, 1998
