Emirates Palace has been celebrating a successful year at the annual Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) in Abu Dhabi, as confidence returns to the tourism sector in the Middle East.

The luxury hotel will showcase its premium products and services at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre – home to GIBTM – alongside a host of glittering stars from the region.

Janet Abrahams, executive director of sales at the hotel said GIBTM offered an unrivalled opportunity for the Emirates Palace to market its offers for the spring and summer holidays.

“We are expecting bookings to double in the upcoming summer season. Signs are promising of a hectic, busy tourist season during the summer and throughout 2011,” she said.

“We are expecting a busy summer thanks to early reservations, and enthusiastic turn out to the customised offers.

Ms Abrahams also disclosed the Emirates has struck contracts with travel and tourism agencies and operators in a number of European, American and Asian countries for 2011 and 2012.

“We have conducted positive business talks with tour operators to have access to new attractive markets in China, South America, Norway and Japan to attract more influx of high-end tourists,” she added.

Mövenpick Hotel

Mövenpick Hotel & Apartments Bur Dubai was also on hand, celebrating its growth in the MICE business segment.

The hotel has made some exciting changes to its product over the past year and has recently completed a phased renovation plan. The property’s revamp started with a complete refurbishment of its 255 hotel rooms in the last quarter of 2009 – the rooms are now fresh, beautifully decorated and extremely comfortable.

Sales & marketing director Abdo Kayali said: “I see this scheme as a fantastic opportunity for both meeting planners and for our hotel.

“On the side of the planners, promotions like ‘meet for free’ are essential as the market is still recovering from the downturn of the past 12 months. From our side, as we watch the market recover, this promotion gives us the opportunity to showcase our product, while attracting new and long-lasting relationships.”

Info Salons

But it is not just hotels basking in their success at the event, with Info Salons Group providing visitors with the latest technology for the first time.

The event technology, database and registration specialists are offering a new application called iEvent, giving delegates, visitors and exhibitors the ability to access event schedule details, exhibitor information and the exhibition floorplan before, during and after the event, from any Apple iPhone or iPod touch.

“When the iPhone was launched, we realised there was great potential to create an application for it that could place event information at the fingertips of attendees,” said Jo-Anne Kelleway, chief executive at Info Salons Group.

“Info Salons then built iEvent, an extraordinarily interactive event portal that allows visitors and exhibitors to maximise their time during an event and make the most of their return on investment.

“In addition to the green initiative and the navigational and planning benefits, the advantage of the GIBTM iPhone app is that it offers the opportunity to keep communicating with attendees 365 days a year,” she added.

GIBTM

The Gulf Incentive Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition takes place in Abu dhabi from until March 31st. Head over to the website for more information.