At last major IAAPA event in Orlando, Florida, there was much talk about the IAAPA show’s prospects for the Middle East.
This year’s major IAAPA trade show will attract some of the biggest names in the Middle East industry, and there is speculation that IAAPA will host a trade show in the region as early as 2025.
Two major trade fairs for the region’s entertainment industry are currently taking place. One of them is the long-running DEAL exhibition, scheduled to open in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in March 2024, and the first SEA exhibition in five years, scheduled to open in March 2024. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next May.
Neither the organizer of the Dubai trade fair, International Expo Consults, nor DMG Events of the Saudi trade fair have commented on the speculation, but we have been contacted for comment.
According to speculation on the exhibition floor, the IAAPA plans to hold the Middle East exhibition first in Riyadh and then alternately each year in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
Today, IAAPA’s trade shows extend throughout the world, excluding the investment-rich Middle East, but the association has long hosted conferences, tours and seminars in the region. The Middle East trade summit is scheduled for January 2024 in Abu Dhabi.
We asked the industry group for comment on this speculation last week during the IAAPA trade show in Orlando.
Patrick Haller, vice president of global marketing, communications and membership, would neither confirm nor deny the rumors. “We are always interested in taking advantage of opportunities,” he said.
