GESS and Gulf Education Forum go annual

Fairs & Exhibitions (F&E), the company behind the initiatives, confirmed the twin-events will now run in a 12-month cycle after highly positive exhibitor, visitor and sponsor feedback. The initiative received a highly positive response from the UAE Education Minister, Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali, who has confirmed the Ministry's support for the sister events for the coming three years.

"This is most definitely a scenario of the right events, in the right place at the right time," said Virginia Kern, Chairman, F&E. "Given the fast pace of re-engineering within the Arabian Gulf's entire education landscape, the region can easily sustain annual events which will partner the industry going forward and assist in ensuring it meets its stakeholders' aims of delivering world-class facilities, services and learning.

"While other parts of the world may have the re-engineering requirements and political will, nowhere has both, additionally supported by such significant financial resources to ensure a successful outcome. This unique scenario is now being rapidly taken up by suppliers worldwide who are keen to enter a market which is now opening up to new ideas, concepts, technology and partnerships."

GESS and Gulf Education Forum arrived on the Gulf's B2B events scene last month with the show attracting some 250 exhibitors from 15 countries, including large national pavilions from the UK and Germany. More than 4,000 education professionals from 35 countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa visited as did ministerial delegations from Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman.

Gulf Education Forum meanwhile had professionals queuing to attend its programme of more than 40 workshops and seminars.

Even before the curtain fell on the inaugural events, exhibitors were confirming their participation for the March 2009 showing, many dramatically increasing their space requirements.

"We have also received considerable interest from many companies who sent representatives to visit this year and test the water and who have since become convinced that this is the place to do business with the education sector," added Kern.

The level of business attained took many by surprise with exhibitors signing up regional distributors and gaining a foothold in an emerging market.

"As a result of this show we are now expanding our business in the Middle East region for the very first time," said Lindsay Castling of Britain's Kit for Kids. "We will definitely exhibit next year and have reserved a stand four times the size."

The huge potential of the Gulf market - where governments are now prioritising education in public sector blueprints - was clearly demonstrated at GESS.

"As a result of the interest we have received at the show we are now planning to open a regional office in the UAE to reach our target market," said Romy Haddad of Lebanon's Skoolee.

A highlight of the show was the signing of a Dhs3m ($823,000) contract between Academia Management Solutions International and the UAE's Edutech for the employment of engineering equipment and solutions to AMSI's International School of Arts & Sciences in Dubai.

That was quickly followed by a Euro 70,000 deal between an Iranian University and Germany's Christiani, a Technical Institute for Vocational Training, which is also now following up leads from colleges throughout the GCC. Meanwhile, Britain's white board producer Promethean was celebrating its show intake of US $150,000 worth of sales to schools in Ajman, Khorfakkan and Al Ain.

Furthermore, additional chairs had to be packed into workshops at Gulf Education Forum as more than 600 delegates registered for the seminars on the first day. The Gulf Education Forum programme was the largest of its kind seen in the region featuring more than 30 speakers from the UAE, Jordan, the UK, Canada, the USA and Germany.

An unparalleled knowledge-delivery forum, Gulf Education Forum heard Fatima Al Marri, CEO of the Dubai School Agency under Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority, outlined plans for the emirate's education system.

She told delegates that the teaching profession was now being prioritised in local society and that key performance indicators were being introduced into the education system to ensure quality delivery. Al Marri also outlined plans for the licensing of all educational establishments within the emirate. On the other hand, delegates learned from Dr. Yousef Eyadat of Jordan's Yarmouk University on how the Kingdom was scaling up the importance of IT in the educational process.

The ultimate success of GESS and Gulf Education Forum was given a huge pre-event confidence boost when the show received strong international professional association support from Worlddidac, the global trade association for educational resources and government support from AUMA of Germany and the UK Trade & Investment.

"Governmental backing for debut events is indeed rare and only serves to demonstrate the international interest of partnering in the Arabian Gulf as it drives forward its upgrading of educational resources and processes," added Kern. "With one highly successful event under our belt, we anticipate receiving additional international support going forward."