The ‘digital commerce’ industry is expected to grow exponentially in 2012 across the Middle East with the advent of today’s new age digital technologies, said the organisers of an upcoming signage and graphics exhibition in Dubai.

International Expo Consults (IEC), part of Falak Holding, one of UAE’s multi-faceted business conglomerates, will unveil its 15th edition of the Sign and Graphic Imaging Middle East (SGI) show on January 31. The show will run until February 2 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

“Our economy has moved away from traditional commerce where all four components the buyer, seller, product and the method of payments were physical,” said Sharif Rahman, CEO, IEC.

“There has been a paradigm shift in today’s marketplace where everything is digital and web based. Companies in the Arab world are spending considerable amount of their marketing budget on digital platforms.”

“There are several daily deal sites that have come up in the last two years and their business has been growing. All the associated companies such as the online payment companies, digital advertising companies, and social media among others are also growing at the same time. This trend will continue further into 2012 and beyond,” he added.

Two-thirds of consumers in the Middle East use the Internet to research products and services, according to a recent research published by Econsultancy and Real Opinions. The Mena digital consumer report shows that 66 per cent of consumers in Mena are using the Internet to look for products or items to buy prior to purchase.

“Several exhibitors approached us to create a separate section at our show for a more focussed approach on digital commerce.  Our team has successfully put together a platform for the digital marketing and business professionals of today. This would be an ideal place to transact business across digital advertising, web 2.0, content development and management, e-commerce, online payment gateways, payment infrastructure and cloud computing. In short we will have everything under one roof that will enable businesses to harness the power of the internet,” said Rahman.

“In the framework of ‘Digital Commerce’ the medium also becomes very important and one such upcoming medium is the ‘Digital Signage’ medium. An emerging technology in this space, digital signage, has rewritten the rules of marketing, enabling enterprises to deliver information to their employees and customers more effectively.”

“Furthermore, digital media technologies have completely transformed the landscape in which enterprise and media companies operate by enabling them to optimize their business processes. New delivery mechanisms have also allowed marketers to use innovative strategies to reach their customer bases effectively. In addition to a separate digital commerce section our show will also have another section focussing completely on digital signage industry,” added Rahman.

SGI is one of the most anticipated events of the year in the region for exhibitors and visitors in the signage, outdoor media, screen and digital printing industries.

Sign and Graphic Imaging Middle East (SGI) is an established 14 year old business forum where exhibitors and visitors can interact with sign makers, print and production manufacturers, architects, media agencies, real-estate developers, brand and image consultants among others.

This forum will also include seminars and workshops conducted by industry experts. – TradeArabia News Service