Middle East Exclusive expects record turnout

John Rimmer

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Channels Exhibitions, organiser of the Dubai exhibition to be held on December 6-8, releases details of pre-registered delegates attending the event

The third Middle East Exclusive event, to be held at the Sheikh Rashid Hall in Dubai on December 6-8, has attracted 850 pre-registered visitors to the event, organiser Channels Exhibitions has reported. Of these, 22% are from the duty-free industry, 30% agents and distributors and the remainder represent regional department stores and boutiques.

Channels Exhibitions managing director Justin Boutros said: "The calibre of attendees for this high-class event is vetted to ensure that only the most pertinent visitors are allowed entry. We have introduced a sophisticated registration system this year and we hope that the quality of visitor will exceed our customers' expectations."

The organiser expects total visitor numbers at this year's event to exceed 2,000. Among the exhibiting companies are Nestlé, Givenchy, Lindt & Sprüngli, Nike, Toms Confectionery, Davidoff and Gerhard Aigner. Said Boutros: "Here in the Middle East the world's most luxurious brands are joined by some of the region's most dynamic brands, which are not so well known in international markets. The retailers in this region recognise the need for an environment that can offer the right balance."

The exhibition follows the Middle East Duty Free Association (MEDFA) conference, which begins in Dubai on December 4. MEDFA president Colm McLoughlin said: "I am delighted to see that the Middle East Exclusive exhibition has grown year on year and think that it is offering an important platform for the duty-free industry in this region. I hope that the member operators and delegates attending the MEDFA conference are also able to attend the exhibition to see how the event has grown in the past three years."