Premium 2006 exhibitors strike deals with more than 3,800 visitors

This was obvious from the positive feedback by participants at the Gifts & Premium 2006 exhibition that ended a three-day run at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The international trade fair for incentives, corporate gifts, giftware, festive decorations, and stationery attracted more than 80 exhibitors from 12 countries who were unanimous in their praise for the volume of new business and quality of business contacts they were able to generate.

A few hours before the exhibition ended, , more than 3,800 buyers had attended from 50 countries including the UAE and GCC states, the Indian sub-continent, the CIS, and Iran as well as several African and European countries.

Second-time participant Swiss Prodir, the well-known pen maker, returned to the exhibition after successful participation in 2004, showing its latest innovations in ball-pens and aiming to boost its share of corporate promotions markets. Prodir makes hundreds of different ball-pen models and around 10 percent of tips used in the five billion ball-pens produced annually worldwide.

According to the company's sales manager, Knug Neording, Prodir managed held many fruitful business discussions with traders from all the GCC countries, Morocco and Iran. He confirmed that the event went beyond their expectations in terms of the exposure to companies looking to source quality and creative pens as gifts for business contacts.

Tutbury Crystal, a British producer of standard and customised crystal trophies and products announced that their second-time participation this year was even more successful than the first time round, having come back this year to recruit agents around the region. The company is in serious discussions with potential representatives in many markets including the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi and the Levant.

Manila Welcome Ind. Corp, a participant in the Philippines national group displayed frames, gift boxes and festival decoration items, and expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the exhibition after concluding deals and discussions with trade visitors who came not only from all the GCC countries but also from France and some CIS states.

UAE-based exhibitors were equally impressed by the results they achieved. Art Plaza, a UAE supplier of exclusive gift boxes and jewellery display mannequins produced in their Philippines branch confirmed that they will be back next year with two stands after successful participation and striking many deals with GCC and local visitors.

Dubai Creative, another UAE prominent supplier of customised and creative gift items, metal fair fabrications and trophies announced that they closed five fruitful deals and that they will participate in next year's exhibition.

Justin Boutros, managing director of organisers Channels Exhibitions, pointed out that one of the growing attractions for exhibitors is the opportunity for cross-marketing.

"Quite apart from the substantial volumes of business done with outside customers, many exhibitors were able to strike deals with each other," he said.

"Many are in complementary sectors, so they are able to source suppliers - and customers - under one roof.

"This, in turn, emphasises why Dubai's status is growing in the eyes of the industry and why they recognise Premium 2006 as the industry's premier regional event."