The Dubai Convention Bureau (DCB) - Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) have taken the aggressive promotional and marketing drive a step further with the selection of Janet Sealy Partnership (JSP) to market Dubai as a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) destination in Europe.

The UK-based company was chosen from the four organizations short-listed for the coveted project. The agreement was signed by the DTCM Director Director, Mr. Khalid A bin Sulayem, and Ms. Janet Sealy, Partner of Janet Sealy Partnership, in the presence of the DTCM Director Operations and Marketing, Mr. Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb, and Director of Dubai Convention Bureau, Mr. Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi.

Mr. bin Sulayem along with Mr. Awadh Seghayer Al Kitbi, held discussions with the short-listed companies in the UK recently before finalizing the agreement with Janet Sealy Partnership.

The Janet Sealy Partnership’s (JSP) portfolio of clients includes Melbourne Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre and The Greater Vancourver Convention & Visitors Bureau.

It has been response for the European hosted-buyer programmes to the AIME (Asia-Pacific Incentive and Meetings Expo) for the past 10 years. The company has also done projects for the Istanbul Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, the Greater Glasgow Convention Bureau and the Scottish International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Mr. bin Sulayem said: “The arrangement will go a long way in our efforts to market Dubai as a MICE destination of choice. Europe has been a major source market for the Dubai’s fast-growing tourism industry and we consider it still holds immense potential for growth, especially in the conferences and conventions industry.”

Mr. Awadh said: “We have succeeded in promoting Dubai in the incentives market as well as the events destination. We are preparing ourselves to secure enough business for the future. The new arrangement will contribute towards achieving the goals we have set for ourselves. We are bidding for conferences and conventions until the year 2020 keeping in mind the infrastructure and facilities that the emirate will have during this period.”

In a latest report, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) said Europe had the largest global market share in 2004 with 60%. 

The US still holds more international association meetings than any other country. Germany and France both rose two places, respectively, from 4th and 6th to 2nd and 4th place. The other Top 5 countries are Spain, who are 3rd and the United Kingdom, who are 5th. The Netherlands rose from number 10 to number 6. Italy was 7th in 2004.

The DTCM officially announced the opening of Dubai Convention Bureau (DCB) on 31st March 2003 to meet the growing demand of MICE industry. It was also establish the emirate as an international business tourism destination. It supports all the convention hotels and venues of Dubai by marketing their facilities regionally as well as internationally and bids on behalf of Dubai at the international events.

DCB has been a member of International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) since April 2003.

Dubai is also one of the eight members of the BestCities, world’s first and only convention bureau alliance. Its other members are Boston, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Melbourne, Vancouver, Cape Town, San Juan and Singapore.

The destinations represented by BestCities alliance partners have the facilities, attractions, and infrastructure to ensure a successful convention. Partners adhere to a service charter that measures success in five key areas: reliability, assurance, innovation, empathy, and responsiveness.

The order for setting up the bureau was issued by His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE Minister of Defense and DTCM Chairman, in October 2001 with the aim of marketing and selling Dubai internationally as a leading business tourism destination.

The DCB has fixed a target of attracting around 750,000 additional guest nights from the international rotating meetings market by the year 2008, generating cumulative revenues for Dubai's hotels in excess of $200 million.

Dubai, to put it straight, is now ready to take on any MICE event of any size.

DCB is a member of this SITE Summit since 2003.  The department operates ‘Dubai Synergy’, a year-round public-private sector initiative to raise the international profile of the emirate as a round-the-year MICE destination. Dubai will also host the SITE Congress in April 2006.

Dubai will be the venue of the 40th World Congress of the International Advertising Association (IAA) in March 2006.

Dubai's bid was chosen unanimously over competition from Miami, Bucharest and Sydney at the Asian Advertising Congress in Jaipur, India.  Dubai has been selected as the venue for hosting the World Association of Cooks Societies (WACS) World Congress in 2008.

Dubai will receive over 2,500 visitors – chefs, hoteliers and restaurateurs – from all over the world for this gathering.  The other bidders were Norway, China, Mexico, Italy, Scotland and Egypt.

Dubai will also host the Federation of Dentist International (FDI) in 2007.