Mohamad Bader-Eddin, show director of SITL Dubai, explains why exhibitors and visitors should be excited about the upcoming event, which will be hosted in Dubai between 3rd - 5th November.
What will set SITL Dubai apart from other trade shows?
SITL is an international show that has been going on for the last 35 years in Europe. At the request of the Dubai government to create an international exhibition for transport and logistics in the emirate, we were chosen, from a list of several big companies, to go ahead with the project. HH Sheikh Ahmed is the patron and we are proud to say we have the full support of the Dubai government, as well as related entities like Jafza, DAFZA, Dubai Customs and DP World.
This has given us a huge boost in the context of the difficulties that Dubai and the rest of the world are facing. We have a huge number of bookings from the local market here in Dubai and our parent company Reed Exhibitions is also selling space worldwide.
Has there been a lot of interest from outside the Middle East?
We have French, German, Italian, Russian and Belgian pavilions – and each of these pavilions are bringing along a selection of companies. However, the numbers aren’t confirmed as yet as we are still getting bookings. In particular, we have lots of ports coming; a number of Italian ports, plus three from Belgium and there’s also been a lot of interest from the Netherlands.
What sort of network are you using to drive interest from the show inside the region?
In Abu Dhabi, we have a dedicated sales team for all the emirates. The Fujairah free zone, plus the ports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, together with Sharjah International Airport, are all in talks with us. Further afield, we are also actively trying to market the show in the GCC, which is why we have touched base with authorities in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, as well as Jordan.
What sort of schedule do you have planned?
SITL is certainly not your average show. There are two or three events that take place simultaneously, such as the Global Shippers’ Forum, which is a combination of the European Shippers Association, and its Asian and Canadian counterparts. These groups generally aren’t in touch with the general public, as they tend to have meetings and then issue reports to the press. Due to the good relations that SITL Europe has with the Global Shippers’ Forum, the group was convinced to come to Dubai and speak publicly about the industry.
Site Map
FEATURED COMMENT
Please click here to comment on this article