Records broken and deals made as The Big 5 makes history

"We've seen some huge deals confirmed already," said Bernard Walsh, Managing Director of dmg world media Dubai, organisers of the event. "Both established and first-time exhibitors have experienced the power of The Big 5 as an event where real business is done."

Among the many deals confirmed, Kersten Europe Middle East, who recently opened a regional office in Dubai, signed a deal worth US$3.9 million with Arabian aluminium for bending and fabrication work covering 9.5km of architectural and structural stainless steel tubes for the building maintenance unit system of Burj Dubai.

German exhibitor Hess Group, a regular at the Big 5 for the last 6 years, confirmed that deals worth in excess of $29.6m were close to completion, while first time exhibitor Teddington Engineered Solutions from Wales had also signed a deal worth $3.8m.

Another British company, Modulor, part of the Al Naboodah Laing O' Rourke group, has secured a deal with BMG to supply 600 bathrooms for The Cube project at Dubai Sports City. Modulor locally manufacture the fully completed bathroom "Pods" at their plant in Al Quoz.

The show has also shattered attendance records and is exceeding all expectations.

"We initially projected around 40,000 visitors this year," said Walsh, "But by the end of day two, visitor numbers were already 25% up on last year," added Walsh.

"Over the first two days more than 20,000 trade professionals visited the show - it has made history by becoming the first of our many sector leading events to attract in excess of 10,000 visitors in one day, with 11,043 registered visitors on day two. The way things are going, we're looking at by far the most successful Big 5 in history, both in terms of business generated and visitor numbers."

The Big 5, which comprehensively covers all aspects of the building and construction sector, is open to trade professionals from 11am to 8pm daily. The event features 2,839 companies from 52 countries and 30 national pavilions, including the largest ever representation of German companies at any exhibition anywhere in the world.