The Middle East’s largest building and construction show, Big 5 2011, opens its doors today (November 21) in Dubai, drawing more than 2,300 exhibitors from 75 countries.

The event, which runs till November 24, will see the 'Who’s who' of the building and construction industry showcase and source the most diverse range of construction products and services, said the event organisers.

The event has been taking place in Dubai annually for over 30 years and this year will mark a significant evolution in terms of content, added value elements and further sectorising the event in terms of product categories, they stated.

The show floor, the organisers said, will combine a mixture of product specific sections as well as the traditional National Pavilions, of which there are 28.

Andy White, event director for The Big 5, said: 'We have invested significantly this year in gaining a deeper understanding into the way in which The Big 5 can provide more added value for both exhibitors and visitors, and ensure that all participants get the most out of these four days.'

'The Middle East construction market presents significant opportunity for the local and international industry across a variety of sectors, and feedback has highlighted that easy access to new, innovative and sustainable products is at the top of most people’s list.”

In addition to the new layout, The Big 5 brings a number of new additions to the four-day event at Dubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre, said White.

'There will be over 130 free to attend product showcases, open to exhibitors and visitors. The showcases will demonstrate unique, cost-effective and sustainable products and will include international case studies,' he noted.

Another new feature at this year’s event will be The Big 5 Green Build Congress, which will provide an opportunity for all construction sectors to understand further the drivers for sustainable change, as well as gain experience in the practical elements of benchmarking and implementation.

The event will include a ‘Vision Day’ with industry experts defining their vision for a green and sustainable future, followed by a two-day ‘Action Forum’ enabling action of a green strategy in an interactive, practical and engaging event format, revealed White.

Speakers will include internationally acclaimed experts, Dr. Nawal Al Hosany, associate director of sustainability at Masdar City, Keith Clark, head of sustainability at Atkins, Adrian Smith, principal at Adrian Smith + Gordon Hill, Mario Seneviratne, director of sustainability at US Green Building Council and Prof. Jean-Louis Scartezzini, director, Solar Energy and Building Physics Laboratory EPFL.

The Big 5 will also see the return of successful features, including the Gaia Awards, which honours companies who have contributed towards reducing the impact of construction on the environment, through the development or distribution of sustainable products and services.

The winners of the GAIA awards will be announced during the Green Build Congress.

The Platinum Club will also resume this year, bringing together high-level construction industry players, with spending budgets in excess of $100 million.

The Big 5 anticipates that the Club will see a 30 per cent increase on 2010 participation as the region’s construction industry continues to see growth in activity.

A recent report from Ventures, commissioned by The Big 5 2011, entitled “New technologies utilized in the GCC” has highlighted the increasing influence of the UAE and other GCC countries within the international construction industry, in terms of business and technology.

The scope of this report covers the following products used in the building sector, including HVAC, Plumbing systems, Doors and windows, Marbles, Stones, Ceramics and Bathroom products.

The market size of these product categories will be revealed alongside information on newer technologies being used in the region, dedicated to conserving water and energy resources.

In addition, the report will cover greener concepts for building materials such as doors and windows, marbles, stones, ceramics and bathroom accessories.

White said, “Myself and the team are looking forward to an exciting four-day event, and having formally seen projects including the Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab specked out at the event, we hope to see lots of activity at The Big 5 2011.”

Middle East Concrete, PMV Live and FM Expo are now operating under The Big 5 portfolio of events and will run alongside The Big 5 in 2011 and beyond.

Developed to cater to industry demand they will provide dedicated zones for buyers, which will focus on those products and services most relevant to each industry.-TradeArabia News Service