Big5 highlights Dubai's business potential

The just concluded 2008 edition of Big5 highlighted the business potential of the UAE, while most of the world reels under crisis.

A majority of exhibitors expressed their willingness to Emirates Business to come back for follow-up action after the event.

The five-day international trade fair, which started on November 23, saw most of the exhibitors expressing optimism about the turnout rate in business enquiries recorded at their stalls.

As the construction activity in the United States is almost at a standstill and no new ventures are taking off, companies from the world's largely recession-hit country said they were relying on UAE market.

Gary E Mellema, President, GT Products, said: "I found a good response when compared with other trade fairs in different countries. We were busy everyday and will return in January and February to build up our business relationship with the UAE industry. I hope that more than five per cent of business enquiries turn into real trade tie ups. It may be 25 per cent over a period of time as we continue follow-up strategy to attract more number of new customers from UAE market."

Another exhibitor appointed an agent to tap the market. Don Galbreath, manager, Tucker's Machine and Steel Service from the US said: "Some of the contacts were very good and we have appointed an agent here to promote our sales in the domestic market."

Representatives of UAE Contractors Association said they met with several major European and American companies that were ken on entering the UAE market.

Although the attendance during the first two days was minimal, the crowds picked up during the last three days, said some of the exhibitors.

Travis Hixon, Director of Distribution at the US based Hoover Treated Wood Products said: "We have come here for the first time and have managed to showcase our products among visitors. There are a lot of ongoing construction projects and there will be many more that would be launched in future. It was important for us to create more awareness about our product and we managed to do it."

Meanwhile, the event also saw government agencies, which are scouting for global opportunities for their domestic companies.

More than 50 South Korean companies took part in the trade exhibition and a South Korean Government agency said they found the event very optimistic for their domestic industry.

"We got excellent business enquiries during the five-day trade show. After the show, we will communicate with all those whoever visited our stall over next three months," said Richard G Lee, Assistant Manager, Jeollabuk-do Business Support Centre, South Korea. "I hope this will show some business opportunities for my local manufacturing units."

Another exhibitor expressed his strong desire to return to Dubai. Guy Hawksley, chairman, Bioasis, said: "This is my first visit and found it very encouraging as I hope to close about 40 deals on a number of business enquiries at our stall. I am really excited over the business opportunities the UAE offers and will also come back next year. Currently, I will concentrate on the follow-up.

Another exhibitor said he was expecting a negative response but experienced the reverse. "We were really surprised this year because we expected that our profits will lessen from the last year due to the global financial crisis but we are happy to say that we bagged orders for $200,000 (Dh734,000) during the last five days," said Raquel Elvira Casagrande, Area Manger of Casagrande.

"The figure is still growing." He said the company is looking at business expansion plans to other Arab countries.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Aseef, administration officer of Marmonil and Egymar, said his firm bagged orders for $300,000.

"We are expecting bigger orders next year."

German companies that attended the five-day Big-5 exhibition had slightly lesser number of visitors as compared to the last year, delegation members said.

"The number of visitors that came to the German stands this year was lesser than that in 2007. We have not had any major business contracts signed this year. But then our presence here was aimed at meeting people from across the region," said Boris Abadjieff the Deputy Managing Director of VDMA – the German Engineering Federation.

German exhibitors maintain that while the flow of visitors to their stalls was slow initially the number picked up later. "Overall it has been a good show. The best part with Dubai is that the market here respects innovative products," said Andreas Pennekamp, the head of Marketing Building Technology Rehau – a company which produces polymer products.

Dubai retains the tag of an attractive business destination for the Germans.

"We certainly look forward to coming here the next year," said Joachim Krull of Frima worldwide.

However, the exhibitors were unhappy with the situation at the Big 5 PMV (construction plant, machinery, vehicles) exhibition, which had been organised along with the main event.

Though it was organised alongside the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, many visitors were unaware of the event and exhibitors, likewise, had their own woes to narrate.

"The timings from 11am to 8pm without lunch break was difficult for us. Five years ago, when I participated in Big5, the timings were 10am to 1pm and 5pm to 9pm. There was one coffee stall and we had to wait in very long queues," said Christian Windhager, sales manager, HMH Engineering Consulting Trading, Austria.

It was not clear whether PMV was a part of the event, said another exhibitor until the red carpet was laid out.

"It was very poorly communicated. At least trade show organisers later took an interest to lay a red carpet leading to PMV site and highlight the show, but it is too late.

"We got only three business enquiries, which we never imagined. We did not anticipate this bleak response after coming all the way from Germany," said Wuera Rollik, MD, Haz Metal Fixing Systems.

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