Delegates at ICCA Congress to explore Dubai’s Culture, Innovation and Talent Development

Immersive “Outside The Box” sessions planned for 57^th ICCA Congress, taking place in Dubai from 11-14 November

Delegates at the 57th International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress in Dubai are to be offered a rich programme of curated tours and site visits, showcasing the city’s cultural offerings, ground-breaking innovation, and talent development. These will complement the core educational programme and networking events at the congress, which will take place in Dubai from 11 – 14 November 2018 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai.

The ICCA “Outside The Box Sessions” will showcase a different side of Dubai by familiarising delegates with the city’s rich culture, talent development, innovation, as well as insight into playing host to one of the world’s largest events – Expo 2020 Dubai. Beyond the halls of Dubai World Trade Centre, where the core ICCA Congress programme is set to take place, delegates will be immersed through experiences such as a city tour and various activities at the Dubai Opera, Dubai Future Foundation, Expo 2020 Dubai site, as well as Emirates Airlines Crew Training Academy, that not only highlight the city as a business events destination, but as a knowledge hub and centre of innovation.

Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: “The 2018 ICCA Congress is a key event for the global business events community, and provides Dubai with a platform to showcase itself as a business and knowledge hub. We hope these experiences, which involve some of our key stakeholders and partners across the city, will inspire delegates and allow them to consider future opportunities in the Dubai. They will also complement the strong core educational programme that ICCA has put together for delegates, as well as the networking and social events throughout the congress.”

To help delegates build a more cohesive picture of Dubai, delegates can expect to explore the Expo 2020 Dubai site, and see first-hand the scale of the global event and how it is set to provide opportunities for meeting industry professionals. The “Outside The Box Sessions” will also see delegates take a tour of the Emirates Airline Crew Training Academy and experience the development of skills as well as the importance of aviation to the city’s development. During the tour, delegates will have a first-hand look at the Emirates Airline’s Safety and Emergency Evacuation Simulators, Service Training Simulators, as well as the A380 Cabin Service simulator, among many others.

To immerse delegates into Dubai’s focus on innovation and the close collaborations between the public and private sectors, a briefing and tour of Dubai Future Foundation is set to take place. During the tour, delegates will have the opportunity to see AREA2071, an experimentation cluster for governments, multinationals and startups to design the future, where technology and startups are not the focus, but means to deliver on that vision. Delegates will also learn about Dubai Future Accelerators, a 9-week program that brings together international/local companies and startups with Dubai Government to deploy futuristic prototypes across Dubai, as well as a tour of the world’s first and most advanced 3D printed office.

Delegates will also experience the unique cultural and entertainment offering in the city, while touring Dubai Opera, as well as learn about the contemporary architecture and design of the structure incorporating Dubai’s history.

Dennis Speet, ICCA’s Interim CEO said: “The ICCA global community is very much looking forward to go to Dubai – our first ICCA Congress in the Middle East region in our 55-year history! With already over 963 delegates from 75 countries registered, this could become the biggest ICCA Congress outside of Europe ever.

We have set up a completely new education programme from scratch and one of my personal highlights are the ‘Outside the Box’ sessions. The Local Host Committee has done a tremendous job in creating these sessions, which give a unique perspective on Dubai’s cultural offerings, ground-breaking innovation, and talent development.

Merging a world-class, custom-designed education programme, knowledge and business exchange, networking opportunities with senior meetings industry professionals and association executives from across the globe and all industry sectors, and the sights and sounds of our dynamic host destination, the ICCA Congress 2018 has all ingredients for a must-attend event for meetings industry professionals.”

As preparations continue, the “Outside The Box Sessions” are the latest experiences to be confirmed for the 57th ICCA Congress, which also include the social programme and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) aspects. The exciting social programme will see delegates experience some of Dubai’s most iconic landmarks and activities, such as a “Welcome Reception” at the Armani Pavilion, with al fresco dining and entertainment right next to Burj Khalifa, as well as an Arabian desert camp night and the annual “CAT Night”, with award-winning food and beverage options. The CSR element includes a number of initiatives in line with Noor Dubai Foundation, which focuses on the prevention of blindness and visual impairment globally.

Industry professionals can now register to attend the 57^th ICCA Congress in Dubai here.

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