Qatar Tourism and Exhibitions Authority showcases in Frankfurt for IMEX 2009

QTEA will promote Qatar as a premiere destination for meetings and events, endorsing Qatar's leadership in innovative education and research as a focus sector.

By promoting Qatar to buyers from the Meetings, Incentive, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, the QTEA will target important and influential conference and exhibitions organisers, and travel agents.

The Qatar Tourism and Exhibitions Authority is accompanied by main stakeholders of the meetings sector in Qatar, with top executives from Qatar National Convention Center, and the Qatar MICE Development Institute, both part of Qatar Foundation.

Qatar has emerged on the world stage as a country that is a leader in progression and innovation and is recognized as a quality destination for meetings and events. According to the Middle East Meetings Industry research report 2009, Qatar ranked very high as a destination for services, quality and range of cultural activities.

Through the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Misnad, consort of the Emir, Qatar has become a leader in pioneering education and research. The visionary Education City is a flagship project of the Qatar Foundation, developed to transform the society through education and research and to turn Qatar into a knowledge-based society.

At the heart of Education City are six prestigious international universities (Weill Cornell Medical School, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Texas A&M, Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar and Northwestern) and two top research centres.

Each of the universities offers its world class programs inspiring young learners to become future leaders.

Key industry events, such as the recent ICTD2009 Conference and the UNESCO International conference on Knowledge Parks, have been hosted at the universities, associating their program strengths with global business trends.

The newly opened Qatar Science and Technology Park, with its anchor tenants Microsoft, Exxon Mobil, Shell and Cisco, brings research and business together to support Qatar's development of a sustainable, knowledge-based economy.

The Sidra Medical and Research Centre, scheduled to open in 2012, will be a landmark development that will raise the quality of medical care for Qatar and the region.

Mr Ahmed Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Qatar Tourism & Exhibitions Authority, commented:

"Thanks to the Qatari culture of sharing knowledge, Qatar has developed into a rising quality destination, where visitors can enjoy key conferences and events in strategic fields such as oil and gas, finance, medical research, information technology, along with high-end leisure and cultural landmarks."

Staged annually in Frankfurt, the International Meetings Exhibition is a three day business-to-business event presenting a diverse range of destinations, products and services from 3,500 organizations from Europe and around the world. The event brings together meetings and incentives professionals with venues, hotels, destinations and suppliers.