Business & Money | Wednesday 22 May, 2019 3:20 am |

Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has announced that it is participating in IMEX 2019, a global meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) event, as part of its efforts to diversify its portfolio and help consolidate Abu Dhabi’s position as a hub for the MICE industry. 

Running from 21 to 23 May in Frankfurt, Germany, IMEX 2019 features more than 3,500 exhibitors, ranging from major hotel groups and venues to the latest event tech providers, showcasing their business tourism-related offerings. ADNEC is promoting its specially designed, spacious halls and world-class infrastructure that ensure a seamless experience for event organisers and the two million visitors it welcomes every year.

This year’s show offers an ideal platform for ADNEC to connect with other leaders in the field. The company plays an instrumental role in providing Abu Dhabi with a competitive edge and promoting the UAE capital as a regional business tourism centre.

Last year, ADNEC’s impact on the economy of Abu Dhabi registered AED3.41 billion. Since the company’s inception in 2005, this number has reached a whopping AED32 billion. The strong results of 2018 followed a 14 per cent growth in the number of events hosted at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) and Al Ain Convention Centre (AACC). The two venues collectively notched up a record 502 events in 2018, compared to 442 events in 2017. 

Since 2005, ADNEC’s venues have welcomed more than 17.5 million visitors. The company marked multiple achievements at the local and international levels, and helped generate around 500,000 guest nights for the emirate’s hospitality sector last year alone.

ADNEC’s uncompromising focus on excellence, passion for innovation and adoption of best international practices resulted in a four-star rating from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) in 2017. The venue became the first entity in the MENA region to attain the recognition.

Participating in IMEX 2019 is another important step in the company’s endeavours to attract more international exhibitors and visitors to the UAE capital. ADNEC has significantly increased its market share within the region’s fast-growing event industry and continues to support Abu Dhabi’s vision to develop business tourism, one of the key sectors identified in Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 and the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.