Abu Dhabi MICE update
At BBT’s sister title Business Traveller, Marisa Cannon highlights the latest on the meetings & events scene
• The convention bureau’s Abu Dhabi Advantage programme aims to attract business gatherings aligned with Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, the city’s long- term growth strategy, which aims to diversify the UAE’s economy beyond oil and gas, investing in industries such as aviation, tourism and financial services. It offers financial incentives and management and marketing support to events in these industries.
• High-octane experiences: Yas Marina Formula One Circuit – as the final race of the season, it’s one of the most expensive Grand Prix tickets. Corporate hospitality is well catered for with a variety of suites and venues on offer, while groups can organise track hire, circuit tours and
driving experiences all year round. Activities range from drag racing on a National Hot Rod Association sanctioned strip to an escorted whizz around the track in an F1 car.
• Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has revealed plans for 19 new rides. Turbo Track, which opened in March this year, is based on a Ferrari driver training facility – a 180-metre track that extends out of the main building through a glass roof, reaching 62m above the park and speeds of 102km/h. Next door, Warner Brothers has announced plans for a new theme park offering immersive attractions, plus the world’s first Warner Bros-branded hotel.
• For larger events, consider Etihad Towers. This multi-use development on the Corniche contains apartments, offices, a shopping mall and convention centre with a 2,200-capacity ballroom. It includes a Jumeirah hotel with 383 rooms, 199
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi:19 new rides to launch
serviced apartments and a ballroom for 1,400 delegates.
• A two-hour drive from Abu Dhabi, organisers looking for an urban retreat can opt for a day trip to Al Ain Oasis, which opened last year to offer the emirate’s first custom-designed World Heritage experience. The 1,200-hectare site contains more than 147,000 date palm trees with 100 varieties, plus an Eco-Centre visitor experience with interactive exhibits displaying initiatives to conserve its ecosystem.
• Al Jahili Fort is the former headquarters of the Oman Trucial Scouts, who guarded the region’s mountain passes and maintained inter-tribal peace. Today, its north wing has been transformed into a captivating exhibition all about British explorer Wilfred Thesiger, displaying photos from his travels with Bedouin tribes and Sheikh Zayed, whom he befriended, alongside video footage and excerpts from his best-selling book, Arabian Sands.
making it easy to book best-rate hotel accommodation, attractions and activities in real-time with instant confirmation. “It offers complete event and logistical
planning services, delivered by a team of international event experts with experience of working in the UAE, from venue sourcing and delegate registration through
very short lead times. Key growth sectors include ‘fintech’, and the auto industry for incentives and new car launch events. Meanwhile, law, finance and medical sectors are regular conference stalwarts. Another trend he sees is increased twin-centre events, pairing Abu Dhabi with destinations including Oman, the
“The UAE is now becoming top class in the world league for big conventions and congresses, and this will keep growing”
to production and service delivery.” The team offers customised add-ons, including visa processing, travel, accommodation, tours, venue selection and conference logistics, says Peisley. He sees a trend of a “fast-changing marketplace” that can mean event budgets being announced at short notice, with often
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Seychelles and the Maldives. And, he says clients who’ve previously booked events in Dubai are now looking at Abu Dhabi, encouraged by, among other factors, 20 per cent cheaper hotel rates. Marriott’s Kyriakidis adds: “The UAE is
now becoming top class in the world league for big conventions and congresses. We have
great partnerships with both Etihad and Emirates. Working with those partnerships we are pursuing MICE from all segments, from small groups to mega conferences.” He says MICE initiatives with the two airlines “makes it easy for the organiser – we work together to package and offer a one-stop- shop to deal with logistics, and offer a total experience for organisers and delegates.” Collaboration is also the name of the
game at Etihad, according to Peisley, who says recent initiatives include hosting MICE development visits with the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, Yas Viceroy and Ritz-Carlton, and adds that UK events buyers are a key target. Kyriakidis compares the drive to convert
Etihad’s transit traffic to bona fide visitors with Emirates passengers in Dubai, where an increase of just a couple of percentage points makes “a seismic impact on occupancies and rates in the UAE market – that’s the mission.” ◆
BBT May/June 2017 123
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