The Big 5 Exhibition

“The Big 5 exhibition is somewhat of a barometer for the construction industry and we are extremely positive that things are looking up”
-Paula Al Chami, Show Director for The Big 5

With exhibitor space increased, and pre-registrations already at record levels, dmg, the event organisers of The Big 5 Exhibition, are seeing very positive signs for an upturn in the construction industry in the UAE.

Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE

Dates: 23-16 November 2009

Opening times:
Monday 23 November | 11.00am to 8.00pm
Tuesday 24 November | 11.00am to 8.00pm
Wednesday 25 November | 11.00am to 8.00pm
Thursday 26 November | 11.00am to 8.00pm

To Pre-register and for more information, log on to: www.thebig5exhibition.com.

The Big 5, the leading international building and construction show, is set to take place from 23-26 November 2009 at Dubai World Trade Centre. Registration is already looking positive, with visitors from over 70 countries signed up to attend. The show will be 15 percent bigger than 2008 in terms of exhibition space, and has grown to include the new halls being constructed at the venue. The show is almost fully sold out, with 92 percent of the 43,000 sqm floor space booked. Exhibitors include Emirates Steel Industries, RAK Ceramics and Exeed Industries from the UAE, French Euroslot, Climatech and Dectron from Canada, Turkish based Tekmar marble, Tongby Control Technology from China, Germany's Putzmeister Mörtelmaschinen and the Lapesa Grupo from Zaragoza, Spain.

Clearly, this has been a year of a slow down in growth in construction, but it seems that The Big 5 is coming at just the right time, as the industry is starting to look forwards again. We anticipate some exciting deals being made during the event.

dmg research has shown that, despite the economic downturn, the Middle East construction industry will keep growing at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the next five years, ranking third behind Asia and significantly ahead of Europe or Northern America. The region is a perfect gateway for the Indian sub-continent and Asia and is, therefore, in a strong position to provide access to the two regions with the highest expected construction growth in the next two years.

Despite a tough year, research carried out by independent consultants BNC, shows that almost 70 percent of the total registered projects in the GCC are still currently under construction with a further 6 percent out to tender and 10 percent already in the concept and design stages. In the UAE, 7,231 projects – commercial, residential, hospitality, medical and educational – are currently still under construction and over 1,000 projects are in the pipeline for this year alone.

As the largest event of its kind in the Middle East, The Big 5 provides an unrivalled platform for architects, engineers, contractors and developers from the public and private sectors to network, source and specify the latest building and construction products and services. Featuring National Pavilions from all major exporting countries of the world, The Big 5 provides the most comprehensive product offering for the building and construction industry.

The Big 5 will also be bringing together an impressive line-up of added value elements including a Key Buyers Programme, Product Seminars, a Conference Programme and the acclaimed Gaia Awards.

2. The Team

Paula Al Chami, show director for The Big 5, said, "The Big 5 exhibition is somewhat of a barometer for the construction industry and we are extremely positive that things are looking up. We seem to be bucking the trend of some other trade shows in the region, and have had unprecedented interest this year – reflected in the fact that we have increased floor space significantly, and pre-registration numbers on-track, with the right level of industry people signing up."

Simon Mellor, vice president of construction for dmg world media, said: "We are all extremely positive about this year's exhibition and the feedback we have had from exhibitors only reinforces that optimism. Having taken the first steps this year to making The Big 5's carbon footprint net zero, we have been working with EcoVentures and with our exhibitors to ensure that the environment is at the forefront of the show. This year has taught us that it's more important than ever for the industry to be prepared and forward thinking; the future is undoubtedly green and with further regulations being put in place, now is the time to start acting. We at The Big 5 plan to lead by example and are optimistic that our exhibitors and visitors will be fully supportive."

3. The Big 5 2009 – general info

• Set to take place from 23-26 November at the Dubai World Trade Centre, The Big 5 is run by dmg world media and headed up by event director Paula Al Chami.
• For the first time ever, the show will be taking steps towards becoming Carbon Neutral, and is working with the region's premier emissions reducing company, EcoVentures, in order to find greener and cleaner ways of working as well as educating exhibitors and visitors about the small steps they can take to help reduce their negative impact on the environment.
• The exhibition will showcase some of the industry's leading products and technologies, from high profile companies including Dutco Balfour Beatie, RAK Ceramics, Porcellan, Emirates Iron and Steel Industries and Balmoral Sectional Tanks Ltd. Pre-registration for visitors is already soaring and figures are already supportive of the claims that a revival is set for the industry at the end of 2009.

4. The Big 5 Show features

• Carbon Neutral
  Working with EcoVentures, Big 5 is aiming to reduce carbon emissions associated with the event with the long-term goal of reducing those emissions to net zero. The event recognizes that the construction industry to prepare itself for a greener future now and The Big 5 wants to lead by example, hosting debates over the four days and also educating exhibitors and visitors to the ways in which they can also help to reduce their own carbon footprint. The Carbon Neutral theme will be present across all elements of the exhibition.

• The Gaia Awards 2009
  Launched at The Big 5 2008, the success of last year's awards has ensured that it plays a key role in 2009. Named after the Greek goddess of the Earth, The Gaia Awards honour companies who have developed services and products which are either designed in an environmentally conscious way or help to reduce carbon emissions. The gold award is presented to only one company, that is recognised as making an outstanding effort, with silver, bronze and finalist awards being presented to a range of companies that have considered the environment to varying degrees.

• The Conference
  This year's conference will take place in The Monarch Hotel over two days. Day one will see sessions on Sustainability and Green Environment Engineering with Day Two discussing Energy Saving Solutions and District Cooling as well as Intelligent Systems in Transportation.

• PMV
  Now in its third year, The Big 5's Plant Machinery and Vehicles section will run parallel to the main exhibition and will be dedicated to the construction plant, machinery and vehicle sectors and provides exhibitors with the opportunity to promote their products and services to key industry professionals in the region. Taking place in Hall 12 at Dubai Exhibition Centre, the niche platform hosts over 6,000 exhibitors.

• Key Buyers Programme
  The Big 5's Key Buyers Programme is designed to ensure that the top 300 key buyers are fully supported at the event. Buyers managing projects over $500 million each based in the Middle East, North Africa, Iran and India are treated to first class services including fast track access into the show, private lounge area with refreshments, private suites to conduct meetings in and travel to and from the show. Key Buyers are provided with information about what exhibitors will be showcasing in advance, making it easier for them to locate the people they want to speak with.

Contact details

For further information, travel and accommodation details and to register for free entry (trade only) log on to www.thebig5exhibition.com or contact Sarah Palmer, Marketing Executive, at sarahpalmer@dmgworldmedia.com.