Second edition of Retail Middle East Exhibition to be held from April 17th

The event is being organsied by Expo Centre Sharjah in association with European Retail Institute (EHI) and Point-Of-Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

The three-day exhibition will showcase the complete range of retail display and shop fittings including Backroom equipment, Wood/Glass/Metal/Wire fixtures, Gondolas/Hangers, Merchandise storage systems, Showcases, Vending and automatic machines, Shopping carts and baskets, Mobile sales points, Dispensers, Freezers, Refrigerated showcases and equipment, Warehouse fittings and equipment, Heated display cabinets, Food processing and packaging machinery and cold room and deep-freeze rooms.

Among the countries from which a majority of the companies will be participating in the exhibition are Austria, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, UK, and the UAE.

"The Retail Middle East Exhibition is the region's most eminent retail trade event showcasing retail concepts, shop fitting and store equipment, visual merchandising, signages, POP, store design, retail technology and equipment, logistics and security systems,"

said Mr. Saif Al Midfa, Director General, Expo Centre Sharjah.

"The hosting of an exhibition of Retail Middle East's stature at a time when the cloud of intense competition is looming over the regional retail industry as a result of rapid expansion is particularly significant. The event is primarily aimed at providing the industry with the edge that is necessary to cope with the accelerated growth," he added.

Among the major highlights of the coming edition of the Retail Middle East Exhibition are the Retail IT seminar and the Retail Professional's conference that will be held on the sidelines.

The IT seminar, to be held on April 17th, will cover the issues of RFID, Digital signage at Retail, and Retail store and restaurant management software. Among the speakers who will be addressing the seminar are Mr. Graham Newland, Senior Director, Oracle Retail, EMEA - United Kingdom, who will talk about transforming the Economics of Retailing, and Mr. Ahmed El-Ridi, General Manager, of UAE-based Specialized Software Services, who will throw light on digital signage revolution in store communication.

The second edition of the annual Retail Professional's Conference will be held on April 18th.

The Conference, to be addressed by leading experts in the global retail industry, will focus on several important issues including global retail trends, impact of customers' emotions on sales, latest developments in retail technology, and strategy formulation and implementation in retail setups.

Among the speakers who will be addressing the Conference are Ms. Kate Ancketil, Managing Director of the UK-based GDR Creative Intelligence, Dr. Christian Mikunda, an Austria-based dramatist and psychologist, and Dr. Lynda Wee, Director of the Singapore-based Centre for Innovation and Enterprise.

Going by the overwhelming response received during the last edition, this year's Retail Middle East Exhibition is expected to attract over 5,000 potential franchisees, architects, designers, consultants brand managers, retail shop owners and retail industry professionals from across the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) region.