ICCA plans to host 2011 conference in Dubai

The keynote speaker was Mr. Leigh Harry, Chief Executive of the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC), one of Australia's premier venues with an enviable record of performance as a leader in the Asia Pacific region. He is also the ICCA President.

The seminar was designed to educate and inform at all levels, the key factors which make a destination successful in business tourism, how to increase your revenue in this specialty industry and the value and importance of ICCA in obtaining these goals.

Mr. Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, DTCM Executive Director Convention and Heritage, also addressed the seminar and outlined Dubai's success and growth opportunities in addition to the emergence of Dubai as a MICE destination of choice.

Last year, Mr. Awadh was elected unopposed to represent the Middle East and Africa region in the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) as one of the 15-member ICCA board of directors for two years. The ICCA has 650 members from 80 countries. Dubai became an ICCA member just four years ago.

Among the subjects discussed during the Dubai meeting of Mr. Leigh was the possibility of hosting the ICCA annual congress in Dubai in 2011. Victoria (Canada) hosts 2008 ICCA Congress, while the 2009 ICCA Congress will take place in Florence (Italy). This year's ICCA Congress is in Pattaya (Thailand).