Successful end to second GEF Conference and GESS Exhibition

Representatives of the Education Ministries of member countries of the GCC were in attendance at the show, which featured more than 200 exhibitors from over 20 countries showcasing a range of educational supplies and solutions ranging from information technology and multimedia learning aids through to classroom and sporting equipment and teaching aids for special needs education.

The event, organised by Fairs & Exhibitions, also played host on the second evening to a specially arranged party of over 300 school teachers from GEMS Education - the Dubai-based group that manages a growing network of 26 high quality schools in the UAE and nearly 74 around the world - in order to accommodate those teachers who were unable to attend in the day time, due to class working constraints.

"GEMS has a very good working relationship with GESS," Stephen Cox, Director of Professional Development at GEMS explained, "and our teachers, who came from across the Arab world, even from as far as Jordan, very much valued the opportunity to meet with the exhibitors, as well as attend workshops and professional development sessions. They were very positive about the event, which I believe has huge growth potential for the years ahead."

Sue Gascoigne, Managing Director of Play to Z Ltd, described the show as simply fantastic.

"We had a tremendous amount of interest in our products with people wanting to order there and then. We hadn't expected such positive interest, not just in our products, but also in training and a research project we are currently undertaking with a British university investigating children at play. One of the GEMS teachers who came to our stand even rang one of her colleagues saying 'you have to come here at once to see this'. We were most impressed."

Mustafa Zaidan of Al Mazroui Medical & Chemical Supplies remarked that the event had attracted widespread international attention. "In my view everything is at least a third better than last year's event with better attendance, better events and better participation overall," he said. "And whereas last year the break down of attendees appeared to be some 70% governmental against 30% from the private sector, this year those figures were reversed, which is a very healthy sign for the future."

From China, Feng Ningning of the Qinghua Science & Education Equipment Company said that visitor numbers had been higher than they had expected. "We are hoping that the interest shown here will translate into actual sales; but it is of course too early to say right now how much business we have generated as a result of this show." "

Dr Anita Stang, CEO of German company MedienLB GmbH said the show had been excellent for the contacts that had been made. "We had a lot of interest from Arab teachers as well as from representatives of the Education Ministry - contacts that would have been all but impossible to have made otherwise. We will be chasing up these contacts in the weeks ahead."

Summing up the event, Sue Rothwell, GESS's Group Event Director, said that the large increase in visitors compared to last year's show, the number of exhibitors rising by 58% and double the number of countries represented, all signalled a very encouraging future for the show.

"The feedback we have had from exhibitors and visitors alike has been extremely positive, and already GESS, together with its associated Global Education Forum, has carved a niche position in the Gulf's calendar of must-see events. The tremendous support we have been given by the UAE's Ministry of Education, as well as the encouragement from education ministries from across the Gulf, bodes very well for the future of this show. Work is already well under way for next year's event which will take on board much of the feedback we have been given during this week. Watch out for an even bigger and better show in 2010!"