Dnata World of Events to handle first ISO General Assembly in Middle East

The General Assembly, which will be hosted by the Emirates Authority for the Standardisation and Methodology (ESMA) under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance & Industry and Chairman of ESMA, is expected to attract more than 700 officials and experts and will be the first ever staged in the Middle East and Africa.

"We are delighted to have been asked to play a leading role in what is yet another ground-breaking business conference for the region," said Ian Andrew, Senior Vice President Dnata Agencies, following the signing of the Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) agreement between the ESMA and Dnata WoE.

"As the event's PCO, Dnata WoE will manage the event, the speakers and the delegates, maximise sponsorship opportunities, execute online marketing campaigns, plan social events and organise an open day for the interaction and the exchange of ideas between speakers and delegates.

"This agreement is a major vote of confidence in the Dnata World of Events team which has many years of experience of managing major events such as the ISO General Assembly. By signing this agreement now, we have over 18 months for planning and preparation. It also allows us to make a fact-finding trip to the 2007 event being held in Geneva in September."

Established in 1946, the ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries, on the basis of one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system. The Emirates Authority for the Standardisation and Methodology (ESMA) has represented the UAE as a full member in ISO since the year 2000.

Dubai was chosen as the venue for the 2008 General Assembly following a dedicated campaign by the ESMA to bring the ISO's flagship event to the UAE. The decision by the ISO Governing Council to award the event to Dubai came as a result of an ISO mission to the emirate to gauge the quality of the infrastructure and standard of the facilities available in the city.

"Being the first city in the Middle East and Africa to be selected to host an ISO General Assembly underlines Dubai's standing as an international conference venue,"

said a senior representative from ESMA.

"Dubai's exhibition and congress infrastructure is firmly regarded as being as good as any in the world. We are delighted to be able to appoint Dnata World of Events to manage the conference - they have the experience and capabilities necessary to handle a major international event of this magnitude and we are pleased to have them working alongside us to help promote Dubai to another key international audience."

From its Swiss headquarters, the ISO is involved in developing international standards for products; services; operations; materials; and management systems in the fields of quality, environmental management, occupational safety and health, food safety, and the certification of the individuals working in these fields.