BECA achieves big leap in number of events, visitors, countries participation and financials

This was revealed at BECA's regular Board of Directors' Meeting held on Monday, 14th January 2013. The Minister of Industry and Commerce and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Authority acknowledged the continued valuable support of the Kingdom's leadership and government to the exhibition industry in strengthening its contribution to the national economy and its position in this important industry in the region.

The Board of Directors' Meeting addressed the efforts and plan to progress the new Expo City Project including follow-up on invitation of Private Sector, banks and financial institutions for equity participation in this vital and strategic project.

The Authority presented to the Board a big leap in its financial performance as at closing of its preliminary fiscal year with total revenue of BD1.6m representing 34% increase compared to 2011 and expecting a surplus net cash from its operations equivalent to BD646 thousand representing 167% increase compared with 2011. The Board is confident that the steady growth of the exhibition and convention industry which revived in 2012 will continue to 2013 and pleased to note the various improvement and upgrade projects of the existing Exhibition Centre facilities and plans and programmes for implementation during 2013. During the meeting, the Authority highlighted its strong operational performance to include a 116% increase in the number of exhibitions and conferences with 82 events in 2012 compared with 38 events in 2011, an increase by 19% in the total gross space of booked events with 1.9 million square metres in 2012 compared to 1.6 million square metres in 2011, an increase by 51% in the number of exhibitors of major events with 3,099 in 2012 compared to 2,047 in 2011 and an increase in the total days of booked events by 21% with 520 days in 2012 compared to 430 days in 2011.

In addition, year 2012 recorded a significant 46% increase in the number of visitors attending all events at the Exhibition Centre and a 39% increase in the number of participating countries in the exhibitions.

This early, the agenda include a long list of major events, exhibitions and conferences scheduled to take place, some of which will be for the first time, at the Exhibition Centre for this new year 2013. Major events scheduled for the first half of the year include the just concluded 2nd Arabia Mechanical, Engineering and Plumbing (MEP), 6th Gulf International Industry Fair, 24th Autumn Fair, 9th Bahrain International Garden Show (BIGS), 18th Middle East Oils Show (MEOS), 2nd Bahrain Green Technology Expo (tentative), 2nd Education & Training International Exhibition, 21st Annual Traditional Festival, 1st Bahrain Trade Fair, 5th Food & Hospitality Expo, 3rd Health & Wellness Expo, 7th Gulf Bid, 3rd Gulf Interiors, 1st Gulf Property Show, The 1st Bahrain - India Exhibition, National Examination Unit, and Energy & Water Conservation Expo.