Features

Meet in Dubai 2012

30 Aug 2012 by BusinessTraveller

The emirate remains a powerful player in hosting international events – Mark Atkinson reports on its latest venues and developments.

The past year has seen Dubai consolidate its position as one of the Middle East’s premier meetings destinations. Having continued to expand its hotel offering at a fast pace – the number of rooms in the city rose to 74,254 in 2011 from 56,599 in 2008, according to the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) – the ambitious emirate has boosted what was already an impressive portfolio of event facilities.

At the same time, it has been working to attract corporate groups from all corners of the globe. “With the DTCM targeting new and existing markets globally, things are really strong for the MICE segment,” says Vanessa Waldow, sales and marketing director of the recently opened Melia Dubai hotel. “There is added huge potential from emerging economies such as China, India and Latin America – particularly Brazil.”

In this, the emirate has been aided by the expanding network of flag carrier Emirates, which in the past year has added flights to destinations including Dublin, Barcelona, Lisbon, St Petersburg, Seattle, Dallas, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Lusaka, Harare and Ho Chi Minh City, while boosting its services to a long list of cities including London, Glasgow, Paris, Rome, Milan, Madrid, Munich, Amsterdam, Moscow, New York, Tokyo and Melbourne. This month it is set to launch a daily flight to Washington DC.

“The primary selling points of Dubai as a MICE destination are its air accessibility, superior infrastructure, transportation network and wealth of venues catering from smaller to large-scale events and congresses,” says Jerad Bachar, director of the Dubai Convention Bureau. “We always talk about Dubai as the centre of commerce and trade for the region.”

Demand is certainly matching supply – despite the increase in rooms, Dubai’s hotel occupancy levels were almost back to 2008 levels last year (74.9 per cent compared with 78.9 per cent). Not bad in a world still coping with the effects of the global financial crisis.

Cathy Mead, managing director of Dubai-based marketing and event consultancy i4detail, says: “Coupled with well-established hotel brands such as Jumeirah, Hyatt, Fairmont, Kempinski and InterContinental (see Festival City focus, facing page), Dubai’s MICE offering is outstanding. Daily delegate rates are also exceptionally good value compared with major cities such as London, Rome or New York.”

And the new hotels keep coming. The 164-room, five-star Melia Dubai, the first in the Middle East for the Spanish chain, opened in the historical Bur Dubai area in April. Its ballroom holds up to 150 guests and divides into two, while its two boardrooms, both equipped with video-conferencing facilities, hold 15 people each. It has also enlisted two celebrated chefs to head up its restaurants – Titanic is led by Marco Pierre White, while India’s Sanjeev Kapoor is at the helm at Signature.

Dubai’s second Pullman hotel, a 317-room property located at Deira City Centre, had its its soft opening in July prior to officially launching in October. Its meeting facilities, scheduled to fully open towards the end of the year, include ten meeting rooms and a ballroom for 130 people theatre-style.

“The new giant for the MICE market is the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai [the world’s tallest dedicated hotel building, at 82 floors, due to open at Business Bay in October],” Mead says. “Its meeting space will be a fantastic addition to Sheikh Zayed Road.” The property will boast 1,608 rooms (807 of which will be available in October) and more than 5,000 sqm of event facilities.

Meanwhile, Fairmont is due to open its second Dubai property this winter. Situated on the Palm, it will have 381 rooms and more than 3,500 sqm of meeting space, including a 700-capacity ballroom. Starwood plans to open Dubai’s first St Regis property, with 241 rooms, along with a 384-room W and a
966-room Westin – all in 2017.

Large-scale expansions and refurbishments are also on the cards. On January 1, the Ritz-Carlton Dubai will open a 150-room extension, additional meeting space, a club lounge and spa. Next summer, Le Méridien Dubai will add 197 rooms and 16 meeting venues and expand its Falcon ballroom to accommodate 1,000 people.

A cultural district is also planned near the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa. It will comprise two “art hotels”, an opera house and a modern art museum, though no further details are yet available.

In other respects, delays remain – particularly in the roll-out of Al Maktoum International airport. When operational, its terminal is set to carry 150 million passengers annually. However, while cargo operations have begun, it will be many years until the airport serves passengers, despite its full opening having been originally scheduled for 2017.

That said, Dubai’s “build and they will come” model will continue to keep it at the forefront of the MICE market. And while other Arabian Gulf cities with a larger development budget are playing catch-up, it will take more than money and infrastructure to surpass their neighbour.

Focus: Dubai Festival City

If one were to describe Dubai Festival City (DFC) as a city within a city, it would be no understatement. Covering 483,000 sqm and stretching 3km along Dubai Creek, it comprises three districts, all with their own residential areas and connected by a 30km internal road network. It is home to about 50,000 residents and 50,000 office staff. It has a huge and diverse retail area, a vast choice of coffee shops and restaurants (the Hard Rock Dubai opened last year), commercial offices, international hotels, two schools and the Al Badia 18-hole championship golf course.

It is also only 2km from Dubai International airport, although one downside is that DFC doesn’t have its own metro station – the nearest being about a ten- to 15-minute drive away. Still, taxis are plentiful and reasonably inexpensive.

“DFC has become a centre point of attractions with millions of visitors,” says Vishesh Bhatia, group director for real estate at project developer Al Futtaim. “Festival Centre is one of the UAE’s largest shopping malls. Many of DFC’s themes have been drawn from iconic international destinations such as St Mark’s Square in Venice, Darling Harbour in Sydney, Covent Garden in London, La Croissette in Cannes and the Victoria and Albert waterfront in Cape Town.”

The development is certainly impressive – in particular, the Urban Waterfront Retail Resort, a bustling area running along a canal, which Bhatia describes as DFC’s epicentre. “This district brings together a magnificent retail, restaurant and café offering and a rich entertainment experience – all within an architectural masterpiece,” he says. “It has more than 450 shops and over 65 restaurants, cafés and bistros.” Its 10,000-capacity outdoor venue attracts a host of regional and international musicians.

DFC’s two hotels, the InterContinental and Crowne Plaza, contain some of Dubai’s largest MICE facilities. Jointly providing more than 800 guestrooms and suites, they are directly connected to the Event Centre, Dubai’s first waterfront conference and exhibition centre. Covering 3,800 sqm, the centre has two large ballrooms and eight meeting rooms with 6.5-metre projector screens. Anything from VIP board meetings to receptions for up to 1,300 people can be accommodated. Several outdoor areas can hold events during the cooler months. 

Al Badia Golf Club, also managed by InterContinental DFC and located minutes away, has more than 2,800 sqm of indoor and outdoor function space. This includes a boardroom for 12 delegates, Houbara – a high-tech venue for up to 80 people theatre-style – and Shaheen, for gatherings of 140 guests. The lawn can cater for receptions of 800.

Al Badia is also ideal for teambuilding activities, golf days and other incentives, while partner companies provide group activities such as desert safaris or dhow (traditional Arab boat) dinner cruises.

“Being five to ten minutes from the airport, we are able to deal with the logistics of large group movements,” says Franck Hesse, director of sales and marketing for DFC InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Al Badia Golf Club. “Situated on Dubai Creek, we benefit from a magnificent skyline view, adding a sense of occasion to events.”

In addition, the travel time to Dubai International Convention Centre is only ten to 15 minutes by car, because of the direct, uncluttered route compared with some of other parts of town.

“We are a dedicated one-stop shop for conference and group enquiries,” Hesse says. “Your point of contact will guide you through the planning and contracting stage of your event or meeting, right through from concept and development to full operational roll-out.”

He adds: “Our latest concept for groups of ten is ‘dining in the dark’. Our team will guide delegates through a dinner in full darkness, during which they rely fully on their senses. This can be offered in a private dining room at Al Badia Golf Club.” Visit www.intercontinental.com/dubai n

Three days in Dubai

Jerad Bachar, director of the Dubai Convention Bureau, suggests a three-day itinerary showcasing some of the emirate’s places of interest.

Day 1

Morning/arrival: walk “the Walk

An al fresco lunch at one of the many restaurants lining the waterfront Jumeirah Beach Residence, close to Dubai Marina. You could then either stroll along its 3.5km promenade or simply sit and watch the world go by.

Afternoon and evening: Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates

Some retail therapy at Dubai Mall, home to 1,000 shops, an underwater zoo, the SEGA Republic amusement park and the biggest indoor gold souk, then a visit to the observation deck on the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. As evening sets in, enjoy the “dancing” fountain show outside Burj Khalifa. The Mall of the Emirates offers more high-end shopping, restaurants and Ski Dubai – the Middle East’s first real snow indoor ski slope.

Day 2

Morning: the sights and sounds of Jumeirah

A scenic drive through the Jumeirah beach area, where you can visit landmarks such as Jumeirah Mosque and the Madinat Jumeirah souk.

Afternoon and evening: desert safari

Escape from the bustle of the city into Dubai’s breathtaking desert, with a plethora of activities possible including dune bashing, camel riding, belly dancing, henna painting and a full buffet dinner/barbeque with Arabic coffee.

Day 3

Morning: a taste of local culture

An experience of more traditional Dubai. The Bastakiya district (pictured) near Dubai Creek is a renovated Arabian village with mud-walled courtyard houses, quaint, narrow lanes and ornate towers. You can also enjoy some Arabic cuisine.

Afternoon: fun in the sun

Head to Aquaventure at the Atlantis hotel or Wild Wadi at Jumeirah Beach hotel to experience thrilling rides and water slides, or just float around in the lazy rivers.

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