The Middle East sees a rise in budgetary spend on meetings and events held in the Gulf and the Middle East North Africa (GMena) region from last year, defying global trends.
In a sample survey conducted among 50 buyers from the Middle East by GIBTM organisers Reed Expo as part of its ongoing research on Middle East trends in the Mice industry, 85 per cent are of the view that budgets for meetings in 2013 have increased over the previous year, while 15 per cent believe the budgets have remained the same.
Social media gains favour
Social media is now a staple in the regional Mice industry with 72 per cent among those surveyed using social media to communicate with clients and visitors before, during and after a meeting took place. Bucking the trend, 44 per cent also arranged for smartphones and tablets to be distributed among delegates to help share information and communicate during conferences.
Web-based access to conference content during the duration of the meeting was popular as well with 40 per cent approving of the same.
Virtual meetings (any event that provides for live or archived communications among small to large and local to global attendees) also gained favour with 42 per cent promoting the same in addition to face-to-face meetings to extend audience reach.
The Middle East is also managing to attract and retain regional industry players to conduct meetings and events. From those surveyed, 68 per cent participants confirmed holding events in the GMena regions in the past 12 months, 32 per cent hosted events in Europe, while 16 per cent, and 19 per cent held events in the Americas and Asia respectively.
Meetings set to increase
Of those surveyed, 92 per cent are of the belief that conferences in the GMena region will increase in the next 12 months while 8 per cent feel the number of conferences will stay the same. There is also increasing participation in meetings and events staged in the region, proving that the regional Mice industry is making a stand despite global trends indicating otherwise. Of the sample, 62 per cent hosted more delegates in the past 12 months than in the previous year, while 15 per cent stated having hosted fewer delegates.
— GN Focus Report
