After reporting extraordinary growth in first half of the year, the region's premier exhibition organiser and events venue, Expo Centre Sharjah, is gearing up for a busy second half, presenting some of the most sought-after consumer and trade exhibitions in the region and the world.
Expo Centre had a phenomenal start to 2014, when the first show in its events calendar, SteelFab 2014, added 50 percent more exhibition space to accommodate a 25 percent rise in the number of exhibitors. The increase in visitor turnout too saw a significant surge of 25 percent, an unprecedented rise in the 10-year history of SteelFab.
"The impressive growth continued with the next event, the International Education Show, which recorded a 34 percent rise in the number of visitors, and the other shows that followed. Now, after the summer break, we are ready for the new season, when some of our flagship events will be held," said Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah.
During the first half, Expo Centre hosted 12 trade and consumer events, attracting over 380,000 trade and general visitors.
The key events were SteelFab, International Education Show, National Career Exhibition, Perfect Wedding Show, Middle East Motor Tuning Show, Arabia Mold, Plastivision Arabia, Print Pack Arabia and MidEast Watch and Jewellery Show.
With the U.A.E. economy being propelled by rising GDP growth and accelerating activity in trade, tourism, property, manufacturing and logistics, Expo Centre is expecting better exhibitor and visitor interest in its upcoming events.
"The new season will start with the biannual MidEast Watch and Jewellery Show, which broke all previous records in terms of total number of buyers as well as percentage rise in visitor turnout for its spring show earlier this year. Most of the remaining shows too are major events for their respective industries and consumer base and are expected to perform well," said Midfa.
The events line-up, which also includes MidEast Watch and Jewellery Show, International Automobile Show, Sharjah International Book Fair, Chinese Commodities Fair Sharjah, Halal Middle East and Kitchen Equipment Middle East, has generated immense interest within the country and the region, prompting Expo Centre to look forward to phenomenal growth in existing and new shows in the coming season.
Source: WAM