The Best of Dubai, UAE - Arabian Travel Market (ATM)
The largest travel and tourism fair in the world
25-28 April 2016 at Dubai World Trade Centre
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Dubai, ATM has grown to become the largest event of its kind in the region and one of the biggest in the world.
25-28 April 2016 at Dubai World Trade Centre
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Dubai, ATM has grown to become the largest event of its kind in the region and one of the biggest in the world.
Photos caption: The opening tour, Arabian Travel Market 2016
Photo Credit: ATM, Sandeep Mathur
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, officially inaugurated Arabian Travel Market 2016, marking the start of the 23rd edition of the show. He was joined by dignitaries including His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group and Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA) and Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and who embarked on a tour of the exhibition as the four-day industry showcase got underway. Nick Pilbeam, Divisional Director – Travel, Reed Exhibitions also attended the event.Leading with a topical mid-market theme, the initial results for the 23rd travel and tourism industry showcase, released by organiser Reed Travel Exhibitions, also recorded a 9% increase in the number of Buyers’ Club members, with a similar percentage hike in the number of other quality visitors such as VIPs, sponsors and speakers, compared to 2015.
Photo copyright: Maria Petrak
Once again, the show welcomed a number of new initiatives including the launch of the ATM Global Stage, which opened the week’s proceedings with a high level panel discussion on the future of tourism in the UAE featuring leading industry leaders including Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation Travel and Commerce Marketing; Sultan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri, Acting Executive Director, Tourism, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority; H.E Khalid Jassim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority; Haitham Mattar, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority; Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO, Shurooq; Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline; Gerald Lawless, Head of Tourism, Dubai Holding and Honorary President, Jumeirah Group and Aligi Gardenghi, VP Marketing EMEA and Commercial Director MEA, Hilton.
Also new for 2016 was the Wellness & Spa Lounge, a dedicated space for 25 exhibitors which connected Middle East wellness and spa buyers with international suppliers; the inaugural Travel Agent Academy; and, in line with the show’s ongoing focus on technological innovation, the first-ever ATM Bloggers’ Speed Networking session, at which 40 travel bloggers met with interested exhibitors.
Held at the new ATM 2016 Global Stage and moderated by Vikram Loomba, Director – Hospitality & Leisure for PwC, the hour-long panel Great Mid-Market Hotel Debate addressed the status of the growing mid-tier accommodation segment in Dubai, including the current landscape, key barriers to entry and potential opportunities. “Dubai will be home to somewhere between 20,000 and 35,000 mid-market rooms by 2020 and this surge in supply supports the PwC research, which flags a growing global movement away from luxury, and towards affordability, even from those for whom budget is not a primary concern,” said Nadege Noblet-Segers, Exhibition Manager, Arabian Travel Market. “This is being driven predominantly by the rising affluent middle class in key markets such as Asia, and with Dubai set to host Expo 2020 and Qatar, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the mid-market segment is the fastest growing in terms of demand and pipeline,” she added. According to PwC, travellers opting for mid-market accommodation are looking for a well-connected location, clean rooms, uninterrupted WIFI, apps and accessibility via various technology platforms. The high profile panel line-up included Mark Allaf, Cluster General Manager, Hilton Worldwide; Oliver Granet, Managing Director & COO, Accor Hotels Middle East; and Chris Newman, Corporate Director of Operations, Emaar Hospitality Group.
Taiwan honored at ATM for show of strength following recent earthquake
Arabian Travel Market New Frontiers Recovery Award 2016 recognises Taiwan for its efforts to repair, rebuild and recover after devastating earthquake in February
Arabian Travel Market has named Taiwan as the recipient of the New Frontiers Recovery Award 2016 at a special presentation that was also broadcast on ARN radio on the final day of the annual event. “We wanted to recognise Taiwan not only for its swift physical rebuilding, but for the way the country has maintained its optimistic outlook with regards to maintaining and growing its tourism industry, particularly when it comes to targeting travellers from the Middle East region.” said Noblet-Segers
“We are pleased to receive this award,” said Arthur Hsieh, Director, TTB Singapore Branch, Taiwan Visitors Association. “We managed to recover swiftly from the earthquake as our infrastructure is so strong. The rebuilding has now been completed and we want people in the Middle East to know that Taiwan is renowned for its national parks and scenic areas full of flowers, fruit and greenery. You can see the mountains and the beach in one day and travel from north to south in just 90 minutes thanks to the 300kmph bullet train.” Now in its 12th year, the New Frontiers Recovery Award was created in 2005 to recognise outstanding contributions to tourism development in the face of overwhelming adversity, supporting the chosen destination by donating exhibition space at the event to the value of US$10,000. Previous award recipients include Nepal, Phuket, Thailand; Cancun, Mexico; Sichuan, China; Baluchistan, Pakistan; Central Visayas, Philippines; and Northern India.
Photo: courtesy of ATM
From left to right: Chris Newman, Corporate Director of Operations, Emaar Hospitality Group, Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline Nadège Noblet-Segers, Exhibition Manager, Arabian Travel Market (#ATM2016)
Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market and World Travel Market
Issam Abdul Rahim Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Ali Abu Monassar, Chairman, The Vision Destination Management
More than 50 seminar and tech theatre sessions took place over the course of the show while the ATM Best Stand Awards returned for a second year, with some delighted winners including The Address Hotels + Resorts, flydubai and Amadeus IT Group. Popular awards programme recognises exhibitor creativity and investment in five independent categories; judging panel of top industry and design professionals select the most eye-catching and innovative stands; winners are now being put to the public vote for the People’s Choice Award. The hotly anticipated winners of the Arabian Travel Market 2016 Best Stand Awards were announced at a photo-call on the show floor on 27th April.
The four-strong panel of judges had toured more than 423 main stand holders across 10 exhibition halls covering the full spectrum of the industry to find those with the biggest ‘wow’ factor. The winners are as follows:
1. Best Stand Design: The Address Hotels + Resorts
“The Address Hotels + Resorts stand stood out thanks to its hotel-like feel, good food and engaging video screen, as well as an impressive scale model of the area,” said Martin. “This is a brand new build being showcased at ATM, which demonstrates a notable investment from their side.” “We are pushed by His Excellency Mohamed Alabbar, our chairman, to be the best we can be and we take this direction very seriously,” said Chris Newman, Corporate Director of Operations, Emaar Hospitality Group. “The concept for the stand was created not just from a visual perspective but we wanted it to be workable, serving good food and offering our guests a lifestyle experience. Winning the award is a fantastic achievement.”
2. Best Stand for Doing Business: flydubai
“The flydubai stand offers everything you need from a low cost carrier,” said McAndrew. “It showcases every aspect of what the product is about, with its business class seats on display, an informative interactive route map, friendly staff and a great space upstairs for meetings.” “I would like to thank everyone who has put the time and effort into bringing to stand to where it is today,” said Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer, flydubai. “The pressure is now on us to win this award every year.”
3. Best Stand Personnel: Nassima Royal Hotel
“Nassima Royal Hotel stands out for its attentive service,” said Fewtrell. “The staff all have big smiles and, when they saw me approaching, made eye contact, engaged with me from the get-go, offered me a coffee and looked extremely happy to help. It’s clear the staff have a desire to assist and inform their guests. They know their product extremely well and did a great job of informing me about it. Their overall approach personifies great customer service.” “We are very proud to win this award as it is the first time we are exhibiting at Arabian Travel Market since the rebrand,” said Pinar Kirlar Kaya, Marketing & Communications Director, Nassima Royal Hotel. “We have put a lot of effort in and it is great to see it paying off. We pride ourselves on providing excellent service and this award is a great refection of that.” The Best Stand Feature award was awarded to the stand that has an innovative ways of drawing in visitors.
4. Best Stand Feature: Etihad Airways
“Etihad Airways’ live cooking concept is a hit,” said Hall. “There are a number of excellent chefs demonstrating how to cook with simple ingredients, including local produce and using some innovative techniques. Live cooking is nothing new but the way they have executed it, with two cameras – one looking down on what the chef is preparing and one that provides a live streaming service that people can log into from anywhere in the world – is especially engaging. While I was on the stand all the chefs assembled for a team photograph which demonstrated the huge effort the company has made to bring this feature to life.” The award was accepted by Haitham Hasan Al Subaihi, VP UAE Sales, Etihad Airways. The Best Stand within the Travel Tech Show at ATM specifically highlights the importance of technology to the industry.
5. Best Stand within the Travel Tech Show at ATM: Amadeus IT Group
“It was a difficult choice this year but Amadeus excelled as their mood wall concept is unique and really well thought through,” said Hall. “For the mood wall, there is an artist drawing a reflection of the interviews taking place on the stand. In order to do this, they are handing guests iPads to fill out a short quiz that assigns you to one of nine different profiles, such as entrepreneur or scaled business, for instance. After a further video interview to find out how the guest associates themselves with this profile, the insights are then visualised on the wall. Ultimately, this tool helps them create a deep understanding of their customer. Amadeus also has a large vertical picture frame that hosts an iPhone screen that is connected to Apple TV showcasing live product demos – another strong concept that people are very engaged by.” “This is our fourteenth year of participation, and this recognition comes from a great team effort,” said Ehab Yasin, Regional Marketing Manager Middle East and North Africa, Amadeus. “We are very proud and now we want to win again in 2017.” The winners are now being put to the public vote for a chance of walking away with the People’s Choice Award. Calls for votes will be made via social media, with the winner announced by noon on 28th April. Launched in 2015, the Best Stand Awards were created to recognise the design creativity and business-friendly appeal of exhibiting companies’ physical presence at ATM.
People, place and personalisation are the holy grail for sustained commercial success in the luxury hotel market according to Sir Rocco Forte, Chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels, who addressed an audience of over 70 industry CEOs and leaders on 28 April, invitation-only Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Leaders Breakfast.
Hosted by BBC World news anchor and HardTalk presenter, Zeinab Badawi, who introduced Forte as a “titan of the hotel industry”, Sir Rocco opened with a potted history of his nearly five decades’ hospitality sector experience from surviving the hostile takeover of the family-owned Trusthouse Forte brand to launching his own luxury label, Rocco Forte Hotels. With an active portfolio of 10 European hotels including London, Edinburgh, Brussels, Florence, Rome, Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, and St. Petersburg, the company will debut a new Middle East location later this year, with the opening of a 210-room property located in upmarket Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. No stranger to the region, Sir Rocco first stepped foot in Dubai in 1978 for the opening of the old airport hotel in his Trusthouse Forte days. Pre-Arab Spring, he had six projects on the books, including major refurbishment plans for Cairo’s iconic Shepheard Hotel (currently on hold).
“Wherever you have a management contract it’s very important to have the same vision as the owner. Our Jeddah hotel is located right in the centre and is a very elegant and sophisticated hotel, which fits very well with our brand,” he said. The idea behind the launch of the Rocco Forte Hotels brand was to create a strong sense of place and Sir Rocco is confident that it fulfills that promise, unlike other aspirational brands. “At the end of the day, luxury hotels have always been about delivering personalised service. It’s about making the guest feel special, welcome and wanted. We are doing a lot of work in developing and training our staff so that they are more responsive to customers. Our guests tell me how friendly and welcoming the people in our hotels are, and as long as we maintain that, we will always be able to compete and be successful.”
The final day: "ATM Blogger's Speed Networking"
Bloggers were in focus during the last day of ATM, with the "ATM Blogger's Speed Networking" proving to be a huge success. 40 travel bloggers took part in a series of mini-meetings with exhibitors all looking to explore ways to work together in the future. The Best of Vienna blog was invited and accredited, however, will will join the next Bloggers ATM Speed Networking in 2017.
“We enjoyed seeing all the new ideas and even more creativity on the show floor this year,” said Nadege Noblet-Segers, Exhibition Manager, Arabian Travel Market. “These awards reflect the huge effort, investment and thought that go into creating and manning exhibitor space that is a reflection of a brand.”
WTM Portfolio
The World Travel Market Portfolio is comprised of the leading leisure travel events in the world; World Travel Market in London, WTM Latin America in Sao Paulo, WTM Africa in Cape Town and Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. The WTM Portfolio’s events are attended by the global travel and tourism industry’s senior executives to conduct business deals and discover the latest research, insight and opinion. In 2014, the WTM Portfolio facilitated around $7 billion in industry deals from negotiations between the more than 15,000 buyers, 9,500 exhibitors (1,500 main stand holders and 8,000 stand sharers) in attendance of its four events. WTM is owned by the worldʼs leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions. www.wtmworld.com
About Reed Exhibitions
Arabian Travel Market is part of Reed Travel Exhibition’s WTM Portfolio of events, which also includes World Travel Market, World Travel Market Latin America and World Travel Market Africa. Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organiser, with over 500 events in 43 countries. In 2014 Reed brought together over seven million event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of the RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.
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