Plan Ahead Events (PAE), the world’s largest full-service event management company with over 100 offices worldwide and brand value of $1 billion, has set up presence in the UAE.

 

The UAE unit will serve the local and regional markets of GCC, Turkey and Lebanon, a statement said.

 

True Ad, a leading end-to-end direct marketing solution company, which has been appointed to represent PAE in the Middle East, targets a 300 per cent growth in three years and is confident that the agreement will boost the event management industry and direct marketing business in the region, it said.

 

It is estimated that Dubai’s event management industry crossed $45 million in the first half of 2013 with an annual growth of over 25 per cent through a bundle of services covering business, sports and entertainment activities taking place through the year. 

 

Tipton Shonkwiler, president of Plan Ahead Events (PAE) globally, said: “We are excited about tapping the events management business in the UAE and the region. We will expand the international operations of the PAE across GCC, Lebanon and Turkey through our KSA and UAE offices leveraging the expertise of True Ad which has strong presence in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Canada and USA.”

 

Ghassan Chaker, CEO, True Ad, said: “We believe there should be a more effective approach to measure the ROI of events in terms of sales as a short term objective or as a branding exercise in the long run.”

 

Via this franchise agreement, PAE will offer events specifically tailored to the needs of local and regional clients in the Middle East, including direct and focused marketing solutions designed to create a better brand experience. 

 

Chaker said Dubai has emerged as the undisputed leader in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events (MICE) industry. “With its distinctive skyline and world-class infrastructure, Dubai now plays host to high-profile and high-impact events, enriched by its distinctive architecture and cosmopolitan lifestyle.”  

 

“The significance of Dubai is that it offers the right ambience to manage a small offsite event for a limited number of employees or to organise a global flagship event with participants from all over the world and visitors in thousands,” Saleh Tabakh, general manager, Plan Ahead Events, Middle East added. – TradeArabia News Service