Dubai, United Arab Emirates Sep 23, 2022 (Issuewire.com) - The exhibition industry is bouncing back very fast in the Gulf region after a dark, long pandemic. All thanks to the government’s swift and efficient response to Covid 19.
Gilson Manuel, the CEO, of Strokes Exhibits, LLC, an exhibition industry leader in Dubai and UAE with over 20 years of experience in stand design and building, says his company has recorded a huge jump in sales post-Covid. “During the pandemic, we had to let go of a few of our employees. But post-pandemic our business is showing an upward climb, and we have started slowly bringing back our former employees as well as recruiting new ones,” says Gilson.
A recent survey only reaffirms his claim. It shows the quickening pace of Dubai’s exhibition industry’s recovery in 2022, mostly driven by global expos and business events. The exhibition industry’s recovery is accelerating and the show revenues are expected to reach 71% of 2019 levels this year, says the survey.
Gilson attributes the business boom post covid to the success of Expo 2020. “It gave a big boost to the exhibition industry in the wake of Covid, bringing positivity and hope. Not only businesses in the UAE, but the global exhibition industry is looking at Emirates with a lot of optimism for a bright future. The general mood in the region is quite positive with mega-scale exhibitions taking place very successfully and safely in the UAE, such as IDEX, GITEX, Arab Health, Gulfood, Arabian Travel Market, and The Hotel Show,” says Gilson.
A new era for MICE and events industry post-Covid
After two years, people are eager to travel again and Expo 2020’s success is a testimony to that. But it’s not just Expo 2020, but plenty of other events are giving a boost to the exhibition industry in the UAE.
Industry experts believe that doing business by meeting in person is the best way to network in the MICE and events industry. After the pandemic, people are more focused than ever on productivity and stealth networking. “It is expected that in-person events will become highly sought after in the future,” says Gilson.
Easing of access restrictions
With the bouncing back of the exhibition industry, demand for hotels in Dubai is at an all-time high. There is a general easing of ‘access’ restrictions in Dubai. Now, hotels have gone back to 100% occupancy and in Abu Dhabi, there is no quarantine for visitors. On February 24 Dubai was close to selling out its 138,346 rooms available, which was a new record! “The Middle East, in general, is recording high hotel occupancy and the demand is continuing unabated in 2022,” says Gilson, whose event management firm has been roped in to manage everything from planning to logistics by several international companies post-Covid who are eager to gain a footing in Dubai.
In Dubai, Expo 2020 has undoubtedly contributed to this demand, boosted by the plethora of parallel events throughout the city. The city has succeeded in filling any demand gaps by masterfully weaving into the calendar and keeping the destination buzzing.
The exhibition industry is rebounding
According to Gilson, they had a lot of canceled events, redundancies, dropped revenues, and other challenges, but despite all that, the exhibition industry is rebounding. “The industry is determined to restart and thrive again. And we at Strokes Exhibits have already started devising new strategies to manage any future disruption with ease,” he signs off.
Media Contact
Gilson Manuel cmgilson@gmail.com +971506281187 Strokes Exhibits LLC, EO 316 Building 3, Dubai Design District, Dubai https://www.strokesexhibits.com/
