Huge opening day interest as ICAAM gets underway in Dubai

The three day event being held at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel in the city will discuss various aspects of the various components of the industry and includes an international speakers' list of experts from every corner of the globe.

Sietske Meerloo, Senior Marketing Manager, IIR Middle East believes the success of the first day highlights the role ICAAM will play for the region in the future. The event, she said is now poised to become the Middle East's premier wellness congress.

She said:

"As you can see the interest generated here is overwhelming. This is the first anti-aging event we've organised and the number of people here today highlights what an important industry this is. I can see this becoming a major event in the coming years."

The global market for anti-aging products is estimated to be worth $30bn, and some projections suggest this figure is likely to grow to $100bn by 2010. The bulk of this revenue increase is being directly linked to an unprecedented growth in the sector's consumer base; market research indicates consumers are becoming more interested in anti-aging products and procedures at an earlier age. With the booming population in the Middle East consisting largely of growing influx of young people the region is expected to play a big part in the future success story of the anti-aging business.

Christophe Luino, General Manager of Euromedicom is co-organising ICAAM with IIR. Based in France, Euromedicom has organised anti-aging congresses in different countries for several years. He can see the potential the Middle East has.

"There is no hard data to put a value on the wellness market in this part of the world," he said. "However, the interest is strong from the consumer base, and the desire of medical professionals to learn state of the art techniques and understand the latest research findings is clearly apparent. All the anecdotal evidence supports the notion that wellness medicine in all its forms is very strong in the Middle East and is likely to grow substantially in the future."

This view was echoed by Siobian Mary Clement, COO at CosmeSurge. "There are less invasive procedures available now, and people are becoming more aware of preventative medicine, particularly young people," she said.

CosmeSurge provides cosmetic surgery, dermatology, laser and dental services and has a strong presence in North America and the Middle East. "The industry is growing in Dubai definitely and across the Gulf we're doing very well."

The ICAAM will run at the Al Bustan Hotel in Dubai until Monday December 2.