Event 360 show launches industry awards to honour 'unsung heroes' at PALME Middle East exhibition

The inaugural awards, hosted by leading meeting and events industry publication meetme (Meet Middle East) magazine, will take place on Sunday 27 April 2008 and is open to companies who plan, manage, supply or service exhibitions; consumer, corporate and public events; weddings, parties, concerts, venues and theatres.

"Many professionals in the events and meetings industry benchmark themselves internationally, but the awards will for the first time provide a platform to showcase innovation and demonstrate the capabilities of regional organisers. We want to recognise and reward the best practitioners to encourage further growth of this important industry sector," commented Rob Nicholas of meetme.

The award categories include Events of the Year in meetings, conferences and congresses; trade and consumer exhibitions; fairs and festivals; as well as public entertainment, cultural and sporting events. There will also be categories for event products, services and support including production, lighting, sound, theme and logistics.

Two top categories are set to become the highest accolade in the Middle East events industry and will recognise significant personal achievement in the region. They will be for outstanding contribution to the Middle East events industry and a lifetime achievement award.

"It is the 'Oscars' for the industry professionals who actually organise and manage these types of events, in essence the people behind the headlines - the unsung heroes," claimed Exhibition Director Alex Heuff.

A judging panel will be made up of internationally recognised figures from a variety of sectors and disciplines. Entries will close on 21 March 2008.

Event 360, an integral part of PALME Middle East 2008 exhibition which takes place at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre on 27-29 April 2008. PALME is dedicated to the region's rapidly developing entertainment sectors, events areas, concert halls, shopping malls, commercial and residential developments, leisure and hotel facilities that require professional sound, light, audio visual and systems integration solutions.

The global events industry is forecast to exceed $2 Trillion by 2011 with the Middle East region providing much of the additional growth. In response, organisers IIR Exhibitions have re-branded Event 360 into a dedicated vertical show following extraordinary growth in the regional events sector. Indeed the Gulf countries especially are heavily focused upon the tourism, leisure, construction and entertainment industries resulting in overwhelming demand for professional audio, lighting, audio visual and systems integration products and services.

"The show attracts key public and private event organisers and planners, especially from the burgeoning hotels and leisure industry. As well as sourcing new and creative ideas, they are looking for the latest and most innovative products and services the industry has to offer," added Heuff.