The first ever MECOM, an international telecom and IT communications event being held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi & Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces will open tomorrow (Sunday, April 22nd 2007) at the new state of the art Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). The event is the region’s first dedicated international showcase for the telecommunications industry, and aims to promote discussion and acceptance of new technologies and solutions in the region’s liberalizing markets.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority Etisalat, new telecommunications company du, Dubai Internet City and Thuraya have all taken Platinum event sponsorships and come out strongly in support of the region’s first telecommunications conference of such magnitude.
Simon Horgan, CEO, ADNEC commented, “This is a very important event as the telecommunications industry in the region is undergoing a period of major investment and development. ADNEC is honoured to be hosting this important debut exhibition, which is yet another endorsement of Abu Dhabi’s ability to host major international exhibitions.”
The three day event will offer a definitive platform for industry networking, expertise exchange, and business development across many sectors. The show will complement the Middle East’s rapid telecommunications development which is characterised by a booming ICT industry and one of the world’s highest per capita mobile phone subscription rates.
Thousands of visitors, from more than 40 countries have pre-registered to attend the exhibition including regional telecoms service providers, and enterprises with major communications needs such as banks and financial institutions, government departments, hotel operators and hospitals. The event has also attracted heightened interest from the military, civil defence, oil and gas, retail, transportation and logistics, marine and aviation sectors.
“MECOM 2007 is a focussed event for the region’s telecommunications sector, bolstering growth and business development in an already fast-growing market. Our aim is to attract high quality visitors and exhibitors to the event by targeting key players in the telecoms industry, thereby developing MECOM as the premium calendar event for telecoms in the region,” said Geoff Dickinson, Managing Director, MECOM Forums.
Up to 100 exhibitors will be showcased at MECOM 2007, including regional telecommunications service providers, IT and software companies, internet and broadband service providers, mobile phone manufacturers and retailers, web designers, cable companies, satellite companies, ICT communications organizations, internet content providers and many more.
Running in conjunction with the exhibition, The MECOM Telecommunications and ICT Summit is a conference for the telecommunications industry, followed by a day of seminars on the latest advances in communications technology for enterprise applications. The Summit will host a series of seminars that will cover the latest developments, issues, products and opportunities in the communications sector such as wireless, satellite, 3G, Internet and broadband, VOIP and next-generation networks.
MECOM 2007 will run from April 22nd to April 25th in ADNEC’s Halls 2, 3 and 4 from 10am – 6 pm daily. The event is the 8th major exhibition to be held at ADNEC since its official opening of Phase One in February. The multi-purpose centre is the most modern exhibition facility in the Middle East and boasts 28,000 square metres of exhibition floor space over seven interconnected halls, two luxurious conference rooms, 16 meeting rooms and a 2,000sqm food court.
When fully complete in 2008, ADNEC will contain 55,000sqm of exhibition floor space making it one of the largest exhibition venues in the Middle East.
About ِADNEC:
The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) is a first class MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) venue in the Middle East. ADNEC is following an expansion strategy with the aim of catalyzing the MICE industry in the UAE capital, and is developing a brand new 148,000 square metre business and leisure district termed the Capital Centre. Situated close to the Airport, the AED 8 billion Centre will house the state-of-the-art Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, an iconic 35-storeyed Feature Tower, a micro-city consisting residential, commercial and hotel accommodation, a marina and waterfront leisure zone and an existing grandstand. The exhibition centre project is being undertaken in three phases, and is expected to complete by 2009.
