Corbin Ball, hailed by Meeting News Magazine as one of the world`s most influential people in the meetings industry, will be in Dubai in May to address a ground-breaking educational seminar being staged at Arabian Travel Market 2002, the Middle East`s premier travel and tourism exhibition. 

Ball, who will represent the Connected International Meeting Professionals Association (CIMPA), is to address delegates at the seminar on May 8th at the Airport Expo Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 
“The internet has changed the way we do business,” said Matt Thompson, Group Exhibition Director, Overseas Events, Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), which organises Arabian Travel Market. “Corbin Ball will discuss emerging web and wireless trends for meeting professionals. Delegates will be able to see some of the newest tools and features that are on the cutting edge of online technology, and discover how the Web can be used in almost every function of the meeting planning process.” 

Seminar demonstrations will include: virtual site inspections; on-line requests for proposals, room diagramming online, web registration, housing, trade show building, meeting promotion, on-line surveys as well as wireless applications. 

Other topics to be presented during the educational seminar include: `Marketing To American Associations and Corporations,` `Sustainable Tourism` `‘Hajj and Umrah Tourism` and `How To Attract And Retain Customers Through A More Secure Online Payment Alternative`. 

Additional speakers include representatives of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Green Globe 21 and Paybox UK. 
“There is a deliberately heavy focus on the US market because American associations and corporations spend over US $110 billion in meetings annually a great market for outbound destinations to tap,” said Lindsey Kavanagh, RTE`s Marketing Manager, Overseas Events. 

“The seminar will explain how US organisers select meeting sites and professional organisers. Currently there are approximately 45,000 US-based associations, each organising anywhere from 5-120 meetings each year. About 46% of them organise international meetings, according to a state of the industry report by Deloitte and Touche.” 

Arabian Travel Market 2002, which will be held at the Airport Expo Dubai from May 7-10, is the ninth in the highly-successful annual series. To date, exhibitors from 47 countries have registered for the show. 
RTE, which is part of Reed Exhibition Companies (REC), organises 11 events worldwide, including World Travel Market, Arabian Travel Market, C.I.S. Travel Market, EIBTM, British Travel Trade Fair, PATA Travel Mart, International Golf Travel Market, Mediterranean Travel Fair, Top Resa, AIME and ICCA Exhibition in association with ICCA Congress. 

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