MIDDLE EAST Atrax continues to grow
THE 2014 edition of Atrax, Turkey’s only trade show dedicated to the parks and attractions industry, took place in Istanbul from December 4 to 6, with more than 8,650 local and foreign visitors in attendance. Nearly 200 global companies exhibited at the event, including
distributors of major amusement brands and equipment manufacturers. Visitors included tourist facility owners, municipal administrators, shopping mall executives, family entertainment centre operators and theme park owners, among others. Melih Gökçek, the Mayor of Ankara, toured the stands of all companies
Middle East leading the way
INTERNATIONAL Expo Consults (IEC), organisers of the annual DEAL show in Dubai, has stated that the Middle East has the potential to command a major share of the multi-billion dollar amusement industry. Abdul Rahman Falaknaz, chairman of IEC, said: “The industry
registered a revenue growth of seven per cent in 2013 and we believe that it will maintain the momentum through the next four to five years. “Indoor entertainment centres in the UAE and across the region
encompass the latest family entertainment centre (FEC) equipment, video games, redemption games and other innovative game-zones to entertain the young audience,” he added. “Due to our climatic conditions we cannot afford to have outdoor theme parks around the year as in the other parts of the world. However, with the advent of state-of-the-art indoor FECs, people can enjoy the facilities throughout the year, regardless of the climate. Malls in the region are now embedded with the latest FECs and DEAL serves as a platform to further grow the sector each year.” The 2015 edition of DEAL - which takes place at the Dubai World
Trade Centre from April 14 to16 - is already sold out by over 65 per cent, Falaknaz said. “The upcoming entertainment and leisure projects within the region and
especially in the UAE have boosted the confidence of the amusement and leisure industry,” he stated. “We believe that the industry will grow further in the coming years and will set an example for other global markets to follow. We are seeing an encouraging response this year for our show as compared to the previous years and we believe that this trend is set to continue further.”
Dubai Parks to have Metro links
DUBAI Parks and Resorts, the upcoming theme park destination in the UAE port town of Jebel Ali, is planned to be connected to the region’s Metro system and other rail links, reports indicate. Citing the group’s prospectus, investment journal Zawya said: “Dubai
Parks and Resorts will have excellent local access, with both Metro and rail links being planned to facilitate access to Dubai Parks and Resorts.” Opening in 2016, Dubai Parks and Resorts will comprise three theme
parks – Motiongate Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai and Legoland Dubai. The development will also feature a grand entrance plaza and Lapita, a family themed hotel.
for the new theme park called Ankapark, which is planned for the Turkish capital, while industry executives attended a gala dinner featuring themed performances and live music. And in the wake of the show, Atrax organisers Tureks Uluslararasi Fuarcilik conducted a satisfaction survey to gain an insight into the show’s perceived success. “We are proud and happy to see that according to the results of the
survey, all exhibition participants were highly satisfied with the exhibition,” the group stated.
Viacom grows Middle East presence
US broadcaster Viacom International Media Networks is making a major move into the Middle East by launching three new 24-hour branded channels, two of which, Nickelodeon HD and Nick Jnr. in dual language, English and Arabic, are on Dubai-based OSN, the region’s leading pay-TV player. According to entertainment business publication Variety,
the launch
of two children’s and a family channel is likely to appeal to key age demographics in the Gulf region. It also opens up significant inroads for Viacom in the “lucrative consumer products, entertainment theme parks, and live music events sectors” in the Middle East, Variety said. “We have a very broad geographic reach. However in the MENA region
and the Middle East in particular we were relatively underrepresented,” said Viacom International Media Networks president and CEO Robert Bakish.
www.InterPark.co.uk 21
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