Abu Dhabi: How ADCEB is shaping the future of business events

What role do niche segments play in Abu Dhabi’s broader strategy for economic and cultural development?

Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau is (ADCEB) part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Its strategic roadmap for growth and contribution to the Tourism Strategy 2030 focuses on targeting source markets over niche segments. Our scope covers the US, UK, China and India, among others, to continue promoting our emirate as a convenient and attractive destination for business events.

As geopolitical and macroeconomic factors evolve in the global arena, it is essential that we proactively diversify and expand our source markets to remain resilient and competitive. As part of that strategy, we opened our first office in Seoul, South Korea, in January 2023 and expanded our footprint in existing source markets like China and India to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Our focus on source markets significantly enables Abu Dhabi’s tourism ambitions, underscoring its compelling visitor propositions and strategic location. It is equally crucial in positioning our emirate’s soft power in the global economy. ADCEB’s approach promotes economic and cultural exchanges with our target source markets, exploring strategic opportunities to collaborate with relevant stakeholders and identity partnerships that add value to our operations and services locally, regionally and globally.

How do events like the Abu Dhabi Wedding Show and ICCA Congress align with the emirate’s goals of promoting a sustainable and prosperous future?

The Tourism Strategy 2030 focuses on four strategic pillars, including doubling Abu Dhabi’s Promotion and Marketing efforts and enhancing visitor experiences and business operations. The Abu Dhabi Wedding Show and ICCA Congress contribute by amplifying Abu Dhabi’s distinctive culture and value proposition to target audiences and promoting the processes, platforms and operations that ensure convenience and ease.

The Abu Dhabi Wedding Show was the first B2B event for the niche destination weddings segment in the GCC. It was as much an effort to identify business development opportunities as it was to nurture further growth and advancement in Abu Dhabi’s wedding events ecosystem by expanding the sector’s capabilities through education and collaborations. Similarly, the ICCA Congress had two-fold benefits. For one, it allowed us to directly promote the emirate to the global meetings and events industry, bringing their attention to Abu Dhabi’s diverse offerings and ADCEB’s support and incentives for event organisers.

Furthermore, it allowed us to work with local stakeholders to develop their know-how and processes to better support clients in organising carbon-neutral events. For example, we worked with Ne’ma, the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, to divert food waste from landfills. We aim to make it a default set-up for all future events to embed greater sustainability into our platform.

Why has Abu Dhabi chosen to focus on niche segments rather than more mainstream business and cultural sectors?

Our focus on source markets, such as the US, China, India and the UK, complements Abu Dhabi’s overarching tourism strategy by providing access to dynamic and inclusive target sectors and audiences. This approach enables ADCEB to navigate the dynamic geopolitical and macroeconomic environment with more agility, broadening our reach and impact by engaging strategic markets and opportunities while reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s soft power.

These specialised platforms and experiences facilitate unique cultural and business exchanges that may otherwise be overlooked. It allows us to attract distinct visitor segments and strengthen Abu Dhabi as a destination for all diverse business events.

Can you share more about Abu Dhabi’s long-term vision for its role as a leader in hosting high-profile niche market events?

Our primary mission is to champion Abu Dhabi as a global business events leader. Since 2013, we have been at the forefront of developing and promoting business events, providing solutions, efficiency and an agile approach that addresses the needs of our various stakeholders.

We have seen firsthand how paramount business events are in catalysing trade and commerce, not only in advancing the tourism sector’s contributions to the GDP but also in facilitating growth in diverse economic segments by attracting international experts, businesses and decision-makers to engage local and regional stakeholders.

We aim to continue building bridges that power widespread economic growth and collaborations, encourage knowledge transfer, and position the city’s thought leaders before their global peers, whether in healthcare, life sciences, financial services or energy sectors. That’s why we will continue partnering with champions of vital economic sectors to attract relevant business events and help the local industries meet their strategic objectives.

In what ways do events such as the Abu Dhabi Wedding Show and ICCA Congress enrich the local cultural landscape?

The Abu Dhabi Wedding Show and ICCA Congress bring valuable insights, stakeholders and awareness to the emirate’s niche segments, which, in parallel, help innovate and expand the local ecosystem and infrastructure to meet demand. That can include investing in new venues and infrastructure to cater to larger audiences and appetites or injecting more creativity and novel concepts into space design that enhance customer experiences.

This inevitably filters into the local cultural landscape, impacting and innovating local business operations and offerings. It serves as a highway of cultural exchange, through which we also introduce our local heritage to the global stage.

We always encourage organisers to work with local Emirati artisans, performers and creatives to incorporate our culture into events, enhancing the experience of delegates with authentic encounters and preserving our local identity.

How do niche segments support Abu Dhabi’s efforts to preserve its cultural heritage while embracing innovation and global trends?

ADCEB aims to create a highway of cultural exchange that welcomes global trends and insights that enrich and innovate Abu Dhabi’s diverse business event segments while sharing our emirate’s rich heritage with international audiences. Abu Dhabi is a multicultural melting pot home to people all over the world. Foreign influences and perspectives already define our landscape of creativity and entrepreneurship, making us attractive to diverse audiences. Yet, we retain a distinctly Emirati identity at heart.

We often inject our traditions and heritage where we can, such as by encouraging organisers to work with Emirati performers, artisans and creatives to bring a local touch into their events. It enhances the visiting experience of international delegates, giving them a flavour of local traditions and allowing them to take a bit of our culture back home with them.

What initiatives or incentives does Abu Dhabi offer to attract niche market events such as the ICCA Congress?

ADCEB introduced the Advantage Abu Dhabi programme to provide event organisers and meeting planners with support, solutions and incentives to reinforce Abu Dhabi as a premier destination for business events.

We work with MICE industry stakeholders to deliver successful events, providing support throughout the complete event planning cycle, including access to a network of partners experienced in organising business events and incentivising travel. We also offer value-added benefits, including hotel discounts, flight tickets, buyers and speakers programmes and more to achieve an event’s objectives and elevate them to the next level.

How does DCT collaborate with other sectors or government entities to ensure the success of these events?

Collaboration is crucial to delivering innovative, seamless and engaging events that help international stakeholders see the convenience and value of Abu Dhabi’s MICE landscape while meeting the various objectives of local economic sectors and government ambitions. For example, by working with the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) for financial services or the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (DED) for trade and investments, we can better understand their mid-to-long-term growth strategies and jointly identify events that help advance their objectives.

ADCEB then offers support with the event bid advisory, event budget estimates, project planning and delivery timelines and marketing strategies that ensure we attract the right delegates, exhibitors and interest to the event. We also provide financial support via the Advantage Abu Dhabi programme to strengthen the impact of events and deliver enriching experiences for delegates.

How does Abu Dhabi differentiate itself from other regional hubs in terms of attracting niche market events?

Abu Dhabi’s strategic location between the East and West and as a gateway to the MENA region is among its key differentiators. Our emirate is a six-hour flight from nearly two-thirds of the global population, making us highly accessible to people from far-flung corners of the world and enabling, in some cases, events to reduce their travel-generated carbon footprint.

We also have world-class travel and tourism infrastructure, making events more accessible to delegates. Our emirate’s multicultural ethos is also a considerable draw. The UAE is home to more than 200 nationalities, contributing to a rich exchange of cultures, perspectives and knowledge at events. It enhances the quality and breadth of dialogue and delivers immeasurable value to attendees and organisers alike.

What feedback have you received from international participants or stakeholders about Abu Dhabi as a venue for niche markets?

We widely receive positive feedback from international organisers and participants on their experience hosting or attending events in Abu Dhabi, which has been valuable in enhancing our services and initiatives. The emirate’s strategic location and connectivity have been widely commended, especially by organisers and delegates from cities that are further afield. The emirate provides a globally central address with a world-class travel, tourism, hospitality and events infrastructure that simplifies the hosting experience for organisers and helps attract attendees due to the convenience and varied stay and entertainment options. Our multicultural fabric also makes Abu Dhabi and the broader UAE diverse and welcoming. People feel safe and included here and can engage with other cultures and nationalities that might be new. Our Advantage Abu Dhabi programme has also provided immense ease to organisers and stakeholders, which we continue enhancing based on their recommendations and input.

How do you see Abu Dhabi’s role in the global landscape of business and cultural events evolving over the next decade?

Abu Dhabi has laid robust foundations for a prolific business and cultural event landscape, and we are keen to continue building upon it. Leveraging our strategic approach and the input of our stakeholders, we aim to continue identifying new opportunities, initiatives and areas of enhancement and strengthen our MICE offerings and capabilities.

By strategically investing in the necessary infrastructure and partnerships, we have defined a long-term roadmap to ensure Abu Dhabi becomes one of the leading business events and tourism hubs.

Looking ahead, what emerging niche segments do you see as the next big opportunity for Abu Dhabi, and how is DCT preparing to attract them?

ADCEB’s growth strategy aligns with the nation’s broader economic agenda. As Abu Dhabi establishes itself within the global artificial intelligence sphere, we are working closely with public and private stakeholders such as the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Omar Sultan Al Olama, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and G42, among others, to attract and create events in the AI sector.

Space is another sector that’s increasingly important to our national ambitions, and we’re exploring activities with partners such as the UAE Space Agency and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) to help nurture the landscape and dialogue of space exploration further through events.

Read: DCT Abu Dhabi’s Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani on supporting a new wave of cultural talent