16th Dubai Entertainment, Amusement and Leisure exhibition gets underway at Dubai World Trade Centre
H.E Khalid Bin Sulayem, Director General of The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing opened the 16th edition of the Dubai Entertainment, Amusement and Leisure (DEAL) expo at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) this morning.
The leisure industry show, one of the first exhibitions to be held in the new halls at DWTC, offers a number of new attractions this year, pointing to the continued growth of the region’s entertainments sector. More than 150 companies from 30 countries are exhibiting their products and services this week.
“The entertainment and amusement industry continues to go from strength to strength with new and more creative products, family entertainment centres and theme parks coming to the market. DEAL is the ultimate showcase of this market creativity and we look forward to w
itnessing a number of new product launches and product innovations at the show, ” said Abdul Rehman Falaknaz, President of International Expo Consults (IEC), organisers of DEAL 2010.
Testament to this market growth is the recent opening of two new family entertainment centres in Dubai. Kidzania opened at The Dubai Mall in January. A dedicated city where children work, learn, play and even earn, spend and save, KidZania spreads over 80, 000 square feet on two levels, making it one of the largest family entertainment centres in the region.
KidZania is conveniently located in the entertainment precinct of the mall near Reel Cinemas, the 22-screen megaplex, and SEGA Republic, the largest of its kind indoor theme park in the Middle East.
Other new-to-market entertainment facilities include the Mirdiff City Centre mall, which boasts aquaplay – a water-based edutainment centre for 2-8 year olds. The shopping mall also boasts iFly Dubai, a unique attraction consisting of two three-metre diameter transparent vertical wind tunnels, where guests can experience indoor skydiving.
DEAL sees the return of a number of regional and international exhibitors, as well as new-to-market participants.
UAE-based Amusement Services International (ASI) has been participating in the show since its inception. According to company Director Prakash Vivekanand, the show is a must attend for anyone involved in the Dubai entertainment, amusement and leisure sector.
“We represent a number of brands and DEAL is the ideal platform to promote these, as well as launch new brands. There are a lot of international visitors attending the show, and here they can see the latest cutting-edge technology being promoted, ” said Vivekanand.
“We have watched this show grow. Each year, it attracts the right kind of visitors and showcases the latest business trends. We have used it as the launch pad for many new products.”
ASI is involved in a number of projects across the Middle East, most recently working on the new Mirdiff City Centre family entertainment centre. The company has also been involved in projects in India, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
International exhibitors such as Huss Park Attractions are also confident of business success this week.
“The Middle East is one of the future markets for our sector with a continuing strong development in tourism and entertainment. This is true despite the current economic problems worldwide, which may slow down the speed of development but will not hinder it. Dubai is still at the forefront of visions and development plans, which makes this place so interesting, ” said Michael Hesse, ?Vice President, Director Sales, Huss Park Attractions.
“We have exhibited in the past and DEAL has been a great communication platform to talk to many of the parties and peoples involved in current or future projects, ” he added.
DEAL 2010 will also feature the second annual DEAL Seminar Programme, which will cover a two-day workshop offering regional and international business insight.
Substantial industry support for DEAL is given by the Amusement Industry Council of Europe, including Association Fabricantes Y Exp. Maquinas de la Foia de Bunyol (Spain) Associazone Nazionale Costruttori Attrezzature, Spettcoli Viaggianti (Italy); Amusement & Leisure Equipment Suppliers of the UK; American Amusement Manufacturers Association); International Association for the Leisure & Entertainment Industries; India Association of Amusement Parks & Industries; and the World Water Park Association.
DEAL is organized by International Expo-Consults LLC (IEC), an internationally recognized trade show management company with an impressive track record of over a decade of operations in the Middle East and Asia Pacific region.
IEC excels at creating high profile, highly focused business exhibitions and expositions, which serve as effective business interfaces for buyers and suppliers from around the world. For more information, visit www.iecdubai.com
