Seventh edition of Media and Marketing Show kicks off with diversity of local regional and international exhibitors

The exhibition, inaugurated by H.E. Mr. Sami Ahmad Dhaen Al Qamzi, Director General of the Department of Economic Development and the Deputy Chairman of Dubai Media Incorporated, is organized by leading international exhibition specialists, The Domus Group. MMS 2012 has Dubai Media City supporting it as an official patron and Forbes Middle East as Regional Business Media Partner. Al Shuala Media and Media ME are also supporting media partners.

Concurrently with the exhibition, The Media and Marketing Show is hosting conference streams, seminars, and networking sessions that cater to the emerging needs, and changing landscape of media, technology and communication.

The first day's conference, "Media in Sharjah," was organized in collaboration with the Sharjah Media Centre (SMC) and discussed media progression in the emirate, and the sector's role in promoting Sharjah as the cultural capital for all Arab and Islamic States. The conference highlighted Sharjah's media strategy and aims, discussed the development of "Radio Sharjah" and also announced the launch of the Government Communication Unit (GCU) at a press conference addressed by H.E. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, Director of SMC.

The GCU will operate under the umbrella of the Sharjah Media Centre to help adopt best practices in government communication and enhance communication between government authorities and citizens.

"With the Sharjah Media Centre, we are working on mobilizing all our efforts and consolidate possibilities to implement the directives of His Highness, the Ruler of Sharjah to promote the emirate in the local, regional and international media arena, considering information policy and keeping pace with world and the emirate's developments and achievements," said His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre.

The GCU will unify government messaging and develop the capacity of public sector communication professionals to highlight government achievements and initiatives effectively. The GCU will be comprised of five key departments: Media Monitoring, Press, Strategic Communication, Planning and Coordination and Social Media.

"As part of the efforts of the Sharjah Government to open and sustain genuine channels of communication with the public, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi gave directions for the establishment of a Government Communication Unit that will mainly be responsible towards unifying government messages and coordinating our government activities," said His Excellency Osama Samra, Director of Sharjah Media Centre.

"We are in the first phase of completing the internal structure of the unit that falls under the responsibility of the Sharjah Media Centre. Ultimately, we in Sharjah feel that our communication efforts need to be in line with our accomplishments," he added.

During the inauguration, H.E. Mr. Sami Ahmad Dhaen Al Qamzi visited the stands of newspapers from KSA including Al Jazeera, Al Riyadh, Aen Hail and Okaz, and appreciated recent advances in the field such as the launch of iOs and Android apps.

Key participants from France, Saudi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Turkey, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Morocco, and the UAE are also participating in the exhibition.

The first day of the show witnessed media leaders and decision makers discussing issues related to implementing the latest smart technologies for better reach, and different strategies for enhancing interaction with aware readers for credible and trustworthy news.

The second day of the event will see a conference hosted by Al Arabiya discussing the Arab Media after the Arab Spring, including the future of Arab media ministries, the progress of media priviatisation, the delicate balance between freedom and anarchy, and the competition between official pro-government channels and private ones.

"The Media and Marketing Show has developed into a powerful and extremely relevant platform to discuss the rapidly changing media landscape in the region due to technological advances and geo-political changes. The 2012 edition of the show is seeing regional decision-makers, government figures and veteran media correspondents discuss the evolution of media in the region, and the way forward to communicate more effectively and interactively with engaged audiences," said Maysoon Abulhoul, Managing Director of the Domus Group and the Media and Marketing Show.

"The Show is growing with every iteration and we are expecting attendance to increase while the number of exhibitors has increased as well."