Dignitaries 'ambushed' at congress

Dubai: "Ambush marketing" is what they call it in the advertising world.

Several dignitaries accompanying His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, during the tour of the exhibition at the IAA Congress were bombarded with requests for interviews and business discussions.

They were ambushed by impeccably dressed women trying to shake hands with the dignitaries and thrusting their business cards into their hands at the venue.

"Couldn't they wait? They were doing ambush marketing during the official tour," said an exasperated top IAA official.

Normally journalists chasing stories are known to ambush officials on such occasions. It seems marketing people are adopting some of the media's tricks of the trade.