why exhibit at middle east exclusive
The UAE and wider Middle East continues to be one of the retail success stories of the decade – particularly within the travel retail sector. Airport expansion plans are further boosting travel retail potential, triggering unprecedented opportunities for travel and luxury retail operators.
Having a presence at middle east exclusive brings a wealth of measurable benefits including:
• ensuring your company’s visibility to over 2,000 visitors, representing key travel retail players who work in all channels across this booming region – so presenting your brand to one of the world’s most receptive and captive audiences of duty free retailers;
• positioning your company and products among the world’s leading premium brands, many of which regularly exhibit at mee every year;
• having the opportunity, through our unique Hosted Buyers Programme, to spend face-to-face time with some of the region’s most important buyers and duty free operators from airlines, airports, border shops, ships, hotels and seaports from across the Middle East, North Africa, CIS Nations, Levant region and the Indian Sub-Continent;
• gaining supplier listings with duty free operators, airlines and other travel retail customers;
• showcasing your products and brand portfolio to key stakeholders, so maximising the opportunity for appointing distributors and agents;
• clinching key accounts and closing high volume business with major customers;
• guaranteed networking opportunities – both at the exhibition, and at the excellent ‘after hours’ events, including the mee golf tournament and the mee gala dinner, giving you the opportunity to renew contacts and strengthen business relationships.
Outperforming the world
According to Generation Research, the Middle East is the only region with increased sales (2.6%) in the first half of 2009, compared to worldwide sales falling by 7.4%.
In Abu Dhabi, duty-free sales rose 12% in 2009 – compared with 2008 – in part due to an additional 2,600 m² of retail space and a boost from visitors to the Formula One Grand Prix.
And sales at Dubai Duty Free rose nearly 3% in 2009, to $1.14 billion – making it the biggest single airport retail operation in the world. First quarter results for 2010 are showing significant signs of a return in consumer confidence with sales rising a massive 21% to $307 million, compared to the first three months of 2009.
Just two examples from a region which is experiencing similar growth virtually across the board.
2010 statistics
| Visitors by type of business (%) | |
Duty free operator 24 |
|
Retailer 22 |
|
Distr/agent/wholesaler/supplier 17 |
|
Hotel 11 |
|
Department store 8 |
|
Manufacturer/supplier 7 |
|
Ship chandler 6 |
|
Shopping mall operator 3 |
|
Press 2 |
|
| Visitors by product interest (%)* | |
Fashion & fashion accessories 27 |
|
Gifts & giftware 26 |
|
Cosmetics & perfumes 24 |
|
Jewellery 24 |
|
Watches 24 |
|
Tobacco products 20 |
|
Fine food 19 |
|
Confectionery 17 |
|
Liquor & fine wine 15 |
|
Luggage & leather goods 13 |
|
Electronics 10 |
|
Camera & mobile phones 10 |
|
Toys 9 |
|
* More than 100% due to multiple interests |
|
| Origin of visitors (%) | |
UAE 42 |
|
Rest of the Middle East 30 |
|
Asia 10 |
|
Africa 10 |
|
Eastern Europe/CIS 5 |
|
Rest of the World 3 |