BECA signals record growth in MICE visitors for 2008 & 2009

Bookings have been secured by Bahrain Exhibition & Convention Authority (BECA), including joint ventures with French, German, British, Australian and American trade show organisers.

BECA, a semi-Government organisation, operate with the full support and direction of the Ministry of Industry & Commerce of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and function under the Chairmanship of H.E. Dr. Hassan Abdulla Fakhro, the Minister of Industry & Commerce.

Scheduled to open at Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre (BIEC), these events co-organised by BECA are worth a combined US$ 43 million to the local economy.

Some of BECA's largest, annual, joint venture events which will bring over 5,000 international delegates and exhibitors to Manama in April and November 2008 and 2009 are Bahrain International Motor Show (www.bims.bh) and Bahrain Executive Jet, Luxury Yacht & Elite Car Interiors (www.bahrainvipinteriors.com). Bahrain International Motor Show is a joint venture between BECA and Messe Essen GmbH, whilst Bahrain Executive Jet, Luxury Yacht & Elite Car Interiors, an exclusive trade show in the Gulf dedicated to VIP interiors for air, sea and land, is BECA's joint venture with Business Conventions International (BCI), a French company that organises leading events in the aeronautics, space and defence industries together with the support of Bahrain's Civil Aviation Affairs.

In terms of delegate and exhibitor spending, it is estimated that these two trade shows alone will pump well over US $ 10 million into the economy of Bahrain.

Messe Essen GmbH are the world-renowned German company behind the most multi-faceted automobile fair in the world - the Essen Motor Show - which marks its 40th anniversary in December 2007. BCI France are the organiser of Aeromart Toulouse, Aerosolutions Bordeaux, Aeronaut Beijing, Aeronaut Montreal and Eurosatory One to One Meetings and are owned by Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC in the U.K., a sister company to the Daily Mail and General Trust PLC U.K.

BECA are also working in partnership with ATTA Bahrain and the Melbourne-based Baird Publications, one of the world's premier maritime publishing houses and organisers of international conferences and exhibitions, for Work Boat World Middle East (www.baird.com.au/wbw/wbwindex.htm). In addition, they have sealed their cooperation for The World Air Cargo Event (www.aircargonews.net/wace.asp) with UK-based Air Cargo Media Ltd which have re-located from Dubai to make Bahrain their new home in 2008 and for Mind, Body & Beyond Expo (www.mbbexpo.com), a premier natural health products exhibition with Los Angeles-based Mind, Body and Beyond as partner - their first event outside the U.S.A.

"BECA have also received interest from MICE event organisers from China, UK, Abu Dhabi, Lebanon and Dubai who are keen to establish partnerships with the Authority. In addition, we are currently working on over 50 enquiries we have received from international hosted buyers we met at IMEX 2007 in Frankfurt and at Bahrain International Travel Expo 2007 for various events ranging from medical congresses to exhibitions and incentive programmes," says Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen, Director - MICE, Destination Marketing & P.R. at BECA.

"As a contributor of revenue to the Bahrain economy, the country's MICE industry deserves all the support from public and private sectors. It creates thousands of jobs, facilitates the exchange of technical know-how and improves the reputation and profile of Bahrain as a serious MICE destination contender. Its importance cannot be overemphasised," says H.E. Dr. Hassan Abdulla Fakhro, Minister of Industry & Commerce and Chairman of BECA.