Arabian Gulf Chapter of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), the leading association for the global exhibition industry, has appointed the chief executive officer of Expo Centre Sharjah (ECS), Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, as its chairman.

IAEE is the largest association of the exhibitions and events industry in the world, with a membership of show organisers, exhibitors and exhibition suppliers. Organisers of more than 20,000 exhibitions and buyer-seller events around the world are members of IAEE, said a statement.

The recognition for Expo Centre Sharjah and its CEO comes a few months after he was elected as the first vice chairman for the Middle East/African Chapter of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), Paris, it added.

Midfa said: “It is an honour for both me and Expo Centre Sharjah,” while pointing out that Expo Centre Sharjah’s close association with IAEE can be traced back to 2008, when the Arabian Gulf Chapter, though set up in 1997, was formally inaugurated at ECS. The IAEE Arabian Gulf Chapter has had an office at ECS since that time.

“It is the regional chapters that spearhead the front-line operations of the IAEE and offer superior networking and educational opportunities to members. We will now be able to play a significant role in extending benefits in education, research, statistics and general exposure for members of the chapter,” he added.

Globally, IAEE is composed of 1,300 members (organisations) and over 9,000 member representatives (individuals), while the Arabian Gulf Chapter has 30 members.

Midfa will also play a key role in extending the reach of IAEE’s Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) programme in the GCC given that the region’s US$1.3 billion Meetings, Incentive, Conference and Event (MICE) industry is set to experience robust growth.

The IAEE’s CEM programme provides a globally recognised professional title for those in the exhibition and event industry, besides helping build business and technical knowledge that holds practical value in the marketplace, it added. – TradeArabia News Service