Festivale 2005 to bring World’s Best Event Organisers to Dubai

Planning, organising and managing world-class events such as the Athens and Sydney Olympic Games, Bahrain F1 Grand Prix and the Dubai Air Show will form the cornerstone of discussions at Festivale 2005 - an international conference and exhibition for major event organisers and destination management professionals - which will be held in the Middle East.

The three-day convention will take place in Dubai from April 24 to 26, and will examine how major entertainment, commercial and sporting events are staged, by bringing leading event planners, destination managers and organisers to the region.

Rod McGeoch, chief executive of Sydney’s winning Olympic Games bid, and member of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, will deliver the keynote address to the conference on how to win and lose event bids.

The Middle East has witnessed an increase in the number of events over recent years due to the favorable climate, economy, and infrastructure. Experts predict further growth in conferences, exhibitions, festivals, sports and other large events that will be staged in the region.

The conference at the Dubai World Trade Centre will examine issues from conception to final implementation, encompassing subjects such planning and branding, logistics, budgeting, health and safety, marketing and emergency planning. Three post-conference workshops will highlight the issues of project management, effective cost control, and how to obtain business sponsorship for an event.

Speakers include, amongst others, Saeed M. Al Nabouda, chief executive officer, Dubai Shopping Festival; Tim Roberts, health and safety coordinator for the Glastonbury music festival; John Kennedy, director Cork 2005, European Capital of Culture and Claire Holder, managing director, The Carnival Roadshow Company.

“There is a significant amount of planning and organisation that goes into producing every event, whether it be large or small,” said Sabine Enthammer, executive director conferences, IIR Middle East, organisers of Festivale 2005. “It is an industry in its own right, and deserves to be recognized as such.”

“We have lined up a program of speakers and workshops that will arm every event planner and organiser with all they need to plan and stage a successful event,” added Enthammer.

“The Middle East is becoming one of the main international centres for meetings, conferences and exhibitions, and there are an increasing number of international entertainment and sporting events being staged here. The time is right for us to bring together leading experts in this field to discuss the issues that confront the industry,” she concluded.

Festivale 2005 is accredited by the Project Management Institute, which has more than 125,000 members in 140 countries, and endorsed by the International Special Events Society (ISES Europe) and the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA).