MEFTEC 2007 wins industry plaudits

The third event in an annual series, MEFTEC 2007 attracted a record 700 delegates from 27 countries, representing the entire length and breadth of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. In addition, more than 100 technology vendors took part in the highly focused exhibition, marking a 25% increase in the size of the show.

Commenting on the event, Tahir Muzaffar, Head of IT, Commercial Bank of Qatar remarked "This was the best MEFTEC that I have attended. The arrangements were flawless, presentations were spot-on for content and the timing was just right."

Srood A Sherif, CIO of National Bank of Abu Dhabi, said: "MEFTEC is getting bigger and better and I have no doubt it will improve even further next year. It was truly an enjoyable and informative experience."

First-time delegates were equally impressed. According to Dr Anthony Githuku, CIO, Kenya Commercial Bank, "One of the greatest benefits of attending MEFTEC is the opportunity to meet with peers in similar job positions and facing similar challenges."

More than 350 financial institutions were represented at the two-day event, which took place 12-13 February 2007 at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre. In addition to the region's leading institutions, a number of newly launched banks, including Bank AlInma (Saudi Arabia), Masraf Rayyan (Qatar), Al Noor Islamic Bank (UAE), Al Salam Bank (Sudan) and BankIslami (Pakistan) also sent high-level delegations to MEFTEC to study latest industry trends and source technology solutions.

"Since MEFTEC I have been sharing a lot of new ideas with my colleagues which I have been able to gain from the event. Also my numerous meetings with technology vendors will help us speed up our technology initiatives," said Asad Alim, CIO, BankIslami Pakistan.

The 3600 square-metre (gross) exhibition which ran alongside the conference was highly successful with exhibitors reporting brisk business. Nicholas Hacking of ERI, a Switzerland-based core banking solution provider, termed the show as "fantastic" while Meabh Maguire of CR2, an Ireland-based supplier of channel banking software regarded MEFTEC as "the best trade show we have ever attended." Their views were echoed by other exhibitors who gave a resounding thumbs-up to the quality and diversity of the audience and the number of contacts generated during the event.

"The success of MEFTEC 2007 reaffirms the event's standing as the leading forum of its kind in the world," said Paul Stott, Managing Director of organisers Media Generation Exhibitions Ltd. "We are already looking forward to MEFTEC 2008 and we will be developing the programme to ensure that the show is bigger and better, while remaining focused on the needs of both delegates and exhibitors."

The fourth edition of MEFTEC takes places 12-13 February 2008 at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre (Hall 1).