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NEWS / REGIONAL ICCA makes its presence felt


Representative office in the Middle East highlights the international association meeting sector's increasing strength


The Middle East meetings industry is celebrating a new milestone with the estab- lishment of the International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) represent- ative office in the UAE. The new venture, which opened on September 1, allows the association to provide greater support to its local members, identify new opportunities and work with city and national government to develop a deeper understanding of the strategic importance of association events. “The expansion demonstrates the associa-


tion’s confidence in the Middle East, where the meetings and congress association sec- tor has seen consistent revenue and mem- bership growth over the past few years,” said Martin Sirk, CEO of ICCA. “There is enormous value in having a local


contact who can attend regular chapter meet- ings and administer chapter events. We have very active volunteer leaders in the Middle East, but if they’re managing a major inter- national congress or dealing with a major promotion, ICCA has to take a back seat. Our new Regional Director Gamal Sadek can ensure that every great idea from our volun- teers can be developed and driven forward.” Based at Al Ketbi Consultancy in Dubai,


ICCA’s new representative office will seek to increase its existing membership, which consists of 30 companies and organisations from six countries. Around 30 prospective new members have already been identified.


While ICCA is a supplier-only member-


ship organisation, about a third of its Middle East members are professional conference organisers and DMCs, which also act as cli- ents to other supplier sectors. “The clients we connect our members with


are international associations whose events are held on our extensive global database. While few of these associations are based in the Middle East, there is enormous interest in the region by global associations, particularly those based in Europe and the US. Members of these associations want to do business in the region and to transfer knowledge and accreditation standards,” Sirk added. With many countries in the region still


in the early stages of development in terms of their meetings industries, ICCA’s Middle East presence will also help raise global awareness of the region in general, initiate government partnership and provide hands- on support to frontline professionals. “High-level recognition of our industry is


essential at the early stages of development and nowhere is this more significant than in the Middle East,” said Sirk.


BENEFITING THE INDUSTRY In its first few months of operation, the new ICCA Middle East office will focus on strengthening ties with its members, understanding their business objectives and ensuring that they are maximising business opportunities. “A high retention rate is the foundation


of success for any association and happy, active members generate new members from among their business networks,” said Sirk. “The office will then work very closely with our Head Office Membership Development team to identify and recruit suitable companies that have the right experience and long-term commitment to the international meetings market. The final priority will be to take on more of the day-to-day management of the Middle East


30 Martin Sirk


prospective new members have already been identified by ICCA's Middle East office


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chapter to help with regular communica- tion and to expand its networking and education programmes.” In order to generate global awareness of


the Middle East office, Sadek will join an ICCA-organised congress in Puerto Rico in October and attend EIBTM in Barcelona, Spain, in November. In January 2013, Sadek will also take part in ICCA’s annual meeting in Amsterdam, Netherlands, to help draft long-term development plans. Jerad Bachar, Director of the Dubai


Convention Bureau, believes that ICCA’s presence conveys a strong message that the Middle East is an important region in the industry. He expects this development to further unite industry professionals. ICCA has also recently inaugurated


its African representative office in Johannesburg, South Africa. This brings the association’s worldwide offices to five, with established operations in Asia Pacific, North America and headquarters in Amsterdam.


OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND Investments in meetings infrastructure by local governments and private companies, countries such as Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia offer massive untapped potential for the regional meetings and conference indus- try, according to Sirk. “It is true that up to now only a few coun-


tries have grasped the strategic opportu- nities that our industry offers: economic development, tertiary education opportuni- ties, knowledge transfer, new trade links and investment in research and development, for example,” said Sirk. “Meetings are not just a sub-sector of


tourism, but a key driver of the knowledge economy. Many Middle East destinations are committed to knowledge economy strat- egies, but few have made the connection to the role of meetings.” He added that having a local presence


is anticipated to help bridge the informa- tion gap between industry professionals and policy makers. Once this issue has been addressed, institutional support will likely pour in and fuel growth in the sector. Asked about ICCA’s future growth plans,


Sirk said the organisation will continue to offer a global platform for senior execu- tives to exchange knowledge and experience across regions and industry sectors.


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