The Middle East is expected to see a significant growth in the numbers of events hosted in the region in the next 12 months, says a new report.

The Middle East Meetings Industry Report, presented at the Gulf Incentives, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) in Abu Dhabi says organisers are likely to use a wider range of destinations.

The report said 56 per cent of the respondents expected the number of events to increase in the next 12 months with incentives and corporate conferences likely to benefit. 43 per cent expected the duration of events to increase, whilst 43 per cent expected them to remain the same.

The 2010 report produced responses from 458 buyers from 57 countries.

About 58 per cent of respondents had held events in the region over the last 12 months with 25 per cent having organised more events than in the previous year; the most frequently organised type of event being incentive travel and meetings.

Events had been held in 26 different destinations with the most popular being Dubai, Egypt, Abu Dhabi, Morocco, Jordan, Qatar and Oman. Both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia had slipped down the chart since last year.

Those destinations where buyers expected to hold events in the next year were headed by Dubai followed by Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Morocco, Oman and Jordan. 

The mean expenditure for events in the region reduced slightly to $495,400 from $505,000 in 2009. The mean budget for events worldwide was $2.3 million.

About 35 per cent had seen budgets for the region increase, with 47 per cent saying they have remained the same as last year and 18 per cent seeing a decrease. 

The key trends influencing whether events will be organised is headed up by the economic climate and pressure to reduce costs.  Green and environmental issues, which were making headlines in recent years, are no longer a major concern, it said. – TradeArabia News Service