Why Exhibit?
GESS coupled with GEF is the only event in the Gulf dedicated to the entire spectrum of educational supplies and solutions. Entering its 5th year, the event is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and has the ongoing support of the UAE Ministry of Education.
The market:
The education sector in the Gulf is quickly developing to meet global standards. Governments in the region are committed to improving school environment by investing in infrastructure and facilities development, extending the use of ICT in classrooms and increasing support to students with special needs.
- UAE 2010-2020 strategy: to accomplish a score of 10/10 in ICT, curriculum reform, facilities and SEN
- UAE: 46% of annual budget allocated to the social sector including public and higher education and universities
- Saudi Arabia: construction of 620 new schools in addition to the 3200 already under construction
- Oman: increase expenditure to $2.4 billion
- Qatar: $5.2 billion has been allocated to education (increase of 12%)
- Bahrain: $1.7 billion on improving educational institutions, school performance and teacher training
Facts from the 2011 edition:
- 90% of attendees are from the Gulf States and the Middle East
- 95% of exhibitors rated the quality of visitor as good, very good and excellent
- Number of conference sessions and workshops: 120
- Number of exhibitors: 250
Who will you meet?
Nearly 5,000 key decision makers and ministerial delegations attended GESS 2011. This includes a cross section of teachers, lecturers, heads of department, heads of schools and purchasing managers. They came from the public and private sectors and from the region’s colleges of higher education and universities.
FaceTime research reveals how live events work
Live competes hard against (and beats) TV
One in three people experience uplift in positive attitudes after attending an event, versus only one in four people experiencing the standard uplift to a 30 second TV advert.
Live is best form of marketing
Before a show, 32% of visitors viewed events as the ‘best marketing as you can interact and compare to others’, but this rose dramatically to 74% post-show, including an uplift in positive sub-conscious feelings for one in five people.
Live fuels sales uplift
After experiencing a brand at a trade event, 28% more visitors indicated ‘I would like to buy’ it (16% implicitly), with 29% at a consumer event (19% implicitly).
Live informs customers in detail about purchasing decisions
Before an event 36% of visitors say attendance ‘makes it easier to decide to buy’, but after an event this doubles to 76%, with one in five visitors showing an implicit/sub-conscious gain. Meanwhile 50% of visitors expected the event to be the ‘best place to find out new things’, with this rising to 85% after an event.
Live turbo-powers brand engagement for consumers
After attending an event, almost three times as many people (74% compared to starting point of 27%) thought that events ‘let you be more open minded about what brands offer’. There was a strong implicit gain of 23% on this statement.
Live breeds knowledge, insight and contacts
37% of visitors believed a trade event would be the ‘best way to meet new contacts’, rising to 71% post-event. Likewise, from an opening 38% of visitors believing they will ‘find out new things’, that number was more doubled to 80% post-event.
Live builds and strengthens relationships with corporate customers
An additional 37% of visitors to a trade event believed ‘experiencing a business first-hand makes it more memorable’, with one in five believing this implicitly post-event.
(source: www.facetime.org.uk)
Interested?
Contact us today to discuss exhibiting opportunities. You can also download the 2012 GESS Show Brochure for more details.
