210 CATHY BREDEN
Chief Operating Offi cer of the Dallas-based
International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), an 8,000-member association for people and
and organisations an ons
directly involved in the planning, management and production of exhibitions.
What’s your experience of Saudi? In November 2013, I was honoured to be invited to present a session at the inaugural event for the Saudi Exhibitions and Conventions Bureau (SECB) on the importance of certifi cations in enhancing the professionalism, industry standards, ethics and best practices of the exhibitions and events industry in Saudi Arabia. It was my fi rst visit and I was
appreciative of the hospitality the SECB extended to me during my visit.
Why is Saudi strong for this sector? A key factor in making exhibitors and delegates vote for a destination is its business potential in terms of providing the desired participants, so that the right buyers and exhibitors connect with each other. Both parties also want to attend an event at an attractive destination; they want to be entertained and have options for dinners and get-togethers. They also want to feel safe and want good air connectivity to the destination. Jeddah, and Saudi Arabia as a whole, enjoys several key attributes of a successful destination. The country has a rich history with several heritage sites and antiquities.
What are the challenges? The main challenge to capitalising on the kingdom’s obvious strengths is the diffi culty to obtain visas for both business visitors and tourists. Opening the country to tourists who want to just visit and giving them a positive experience is the best possible advertising. Saudi Arabia needs to promote itself better.
The future: The SECB’s strong staff are wonderful advocates of Saudi Arabia’s value as a destination for exhibitions and events. From a geographical perspective, the country is centrally located and easy to get to from Asia, as well as the Middle East.
“AS AN ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE DESTINATION, SAUDI ARABIA HAS A STRONG BASE OF SCIENCE AND CONTENT”
HUGO SLIMBROUCK Brussels-based Director of Strategic Partnerships at Ovation Global DMC, a global organisation providing associations, corporations and agencies with
destination management expertise at more than one hundred international locations across four continents.
What’s your experience of Saudi? Among the recent events we have organised in Saudi Arabia are healthcare conferences together with the kingdom’s Ministry of Health and the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre as well as a variety of corporate meetings and events, including product launches, corporate symposiums and marketing events for the healthcare and IT sectors across the kingdom.
Why is Saudi strong for this sector? As an association conference destination, Saudi Arabia has a strong base of science and content, apart from having a large market size, particularly for the Gulf
region. Another positive is the richness of content in its conference sector, which is what delegates are primarily looking for. The kingdom’s ample population is also a big advantage in developing an organic conference portfolio, as is the fact that the government is investing in the education and other verticals such as tourism and healthcare, which are strong business drivers in the region.
What are the challenges? Saudi Arabia needs to support the sector further with certain measures, especially in reducing the diffi culties visitors face in obtaining visas. A lot of time and money can be lost in the process. The culture has its own distinctive characteristics, which need to be respected. This demands careful training and coaching for speakers and delegates.
The future: The government is realising the importance of providing fi nancial support or alternative incentives to the meetings and events sector in order to attract more business to the kingdom. It now needs to consider educating future clients on the cultural perspective and the dos and don’ts of operating in Saudi Arabia.
29
T e number of exhibitions to be held in
Saudia Arabia in 2014, according to Tariq Al Essa, Executive Director at Saudi Exhibition and Convention Bureau
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