ADNEC Showcases World-class Facilities for Leading MICE Players at IMEX America 2013

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 28 October, 2013 – Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has concluded an emphatic participation in the third edition of IMEX America, the USA's largest domestic and worldwide exhibition for the incentive travel, meetings and events industry. The event was held at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas and was attended by some 2,694 exhibitors.

The ADNEC delegation included representatives from event management and hospitality organisations in Abu Dhabi, collectively grouped under the umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA). The participation was geared towards attracting key events to the capital by promoting it as an attractive MICE destination with exceptional offerings to international communities.

Khalifa Al Qubaisi, Head of Sales Congresses and Conferences at ADNEC, said: “We are keen to take part in events that contribute to achieving our strategic goal of highlighting Abu Dhabi's status as a premier MICE destination in the world. IMEX America provided an ideal platform to network with industry leaders, share knowledge and experiences, and attract potential clients to our venue. The opportunity allowed us to showcase our advanced infrastructure to global communities.

“This year's edition witnessed a 17 per cent increase in exhibition space following a significant growth in the number of attendees. The year-on-year growth of the show will enable us to continue attracting networking opportunities and eventually help us penetrate new markets, exchange innovative ideas with existing and new players in the industry, and develop our capacities and offerings.”

He added: “One of our core strengths as an organisation has been our continuous endeavour to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in the industry. IMEX's sessions, forums and workshops are uniquely customised for specific categories to ensure participants get the most of what they are interested in and add value to areas that are relevant to them.”

IMEX America reported an increase in the number of hosted buyers to 2,700 as compared to 2,400 last year. Appointment numbers among buyers and exhibitors are also up by 27 per cent compared to 2012, with 50,000 individual appointments being made in 2013, in addition to 9,500 buyers participating in group appointments over the three-day trade show.

Over 170 education sessions were offered across IMEX America on topics such as Smart Monday, Association Focus, the Executive Meetings Forum, the Women's Leadership Forum, Inspiration Centre and Sustainability Hub.