The Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Authority's (BECA) revenue increased by 20 per cent and net operational surplus by 57 per cent last year compared with 2012.

This was revealed at a BECA board meeting chaired by Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Hassan Fakhro.

The minister acknowledged the continued support of the kingdom's leadership and government to the Meetings, Incentives, Exhibitions and Conferences (MICE) industry, putting Bahrain in a strong position to attract global exhibitions and conventions, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

The board reviewed the authority's financial performance as at end of fiscal year 2013 and was pleased to note the positive financial results.

The results reflected the effectiveness of the plans and programmes being implemented including continuous cost control strategies adopted by the management.

The meeting hailed the significant growth of the operational performance indicators at the end of 2013 compared with the previous year.

By the end of last year, the total number of exhibitions and conferences increased by 16 per cent while the total exhibitors participating in the exhibitions grew by 17 per cent.

The gross space of booked events and its total days at the Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Centre climbed by 16 per cent and 90 per cent respectively.

To further improve the facilities and services of the exhibition centre, various major upgrade and development projects are planned to be completed during this year.

The authority's management has projected to exceed the 2013 performance this year on the basis of the bookings for holding new and returning conventions, exhibitions and other events for the year so far.-TradeArabia News Service