With nearly 2,000 exhibitors, 30,000 products, new events, summits and an expected 35,000 visitors, The Big 5 continues to be the region’s premier building and construction showcase.

01 November 2011

2THOUSANDS of interested buyers from around the region and beyond will throng Dubai’s massive exhibition and convention centre this month to attend The Big 5 show, the region’s largest showcase for the building and construction sector, with a view to gaining first-hand knowledge of the latest the sector offers.

As the premier event continues to snowball into a major one-stop destination for the construction and ancillary industries and enhance its pulling power, its purview has broadened to include and address key issues facing the sector such as sustainability, facility management and concrete, with new exhibitions and conferences brought under its all-encompassing umbrella.

Taking place from November 21 to 24 at Dubai International Conference and Exhibition Centre, The Big 5 show is expected to attract more than 35,000 serious buyers looking to source the very latest construction products and technologies. The event, which this year includes 31 national pavilions – up from last year’s 27 – has drawn a total of 1,958 exhibitors who will promote their latest and their best at the exhibition centre’s 14 halls over 36,850 sq m of space.

The show has grown bigger with the introduction of the Middle East Concrete (MEC) and with the PMV Live and FM Expo now operating under The Big 5 portfolio of events. Developed to cater to industry demand, these events will provide dedicated zones for buyers, focusing on products and services most relevant to each industry. The event is also launching two important forums – The Middle East Green Build Congress and The Concrete Innovation Summit, with the aim of disseminating knowledge of the state of the art in these key sectors.

In addition, the popular Gaia awards will continue to recognise companies that have made a striking contribution to the sustainable built environment.

This year’s event will see more than 30,000 products on display with access to expertise from 75 countries, from various sectors ranging from heavy construction, concrete and fit-out to the burgeoning facilities management industry. Many of these products will be showcased individually at the event’s brand new product seminars, providing a dedicated area to innovation and forward-thinking within the industry.

The Big 5 aims to continue its role as a springboard to the business opportunities offered by the region, particularly Saudi Arabia. The Construction Leaders Roundtable hosted in September in Dubai by Middle East Concrete and PMV Live highlighted the appeal of the Saudi market.

The organiser dmg::events anticipates increased participation and attendance in The Big 5 from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, given the buoyancy in those markets where developers, consultants and contractors are on the look-out for new and innovative technology to create today’s landmark structures.

“Saudi visitor participation has consistently increased at The Big 5 and the event’s position within the market has continued to strengthen. The event’s reputation as a platform to source the right products and solutions means that its importance in the current market place has grown,” says Stephen White, the moderator of the panel and the editor of PMV magazine.

The Big 5 2011 will see Saudi exhibitors, including Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), TSSC, Rajhi Steel and Al Jawda Ceramic.

In Qatar, building construction is the number one area of construction spending across all industries in Qatar this year – having risen from $10.4 billion in 2010 to $11.8 billion this year, according to research by Ventures. It is predicted to remain the main area of strength over the next five years. As such, The Big 5 provides huge opportunities for new business and knowledge growth within the booming Qatari building sector.

Andy White, event director for The Big 5, says: “Qatar is experiencing significant growth in building construction, and we hope that The Big 5 2011 can consolidate this increase in spending by providing further opportunities for investment in the building sector in Qatar, as well as opening up opportunities for future investments in all areas of industry in the Qatar.”

Exhibitors from Qatar will be showcasing their products at The Big 5 to buyers from across the Middle East and further promote the boom in the Qatari construction market.

Sustainability

Sustainability will be a major highlight this year of the show, which will present the region as a strategic market for both local and international companies to launch new products and technologies into the construction market.

“With more than 40 per cent of carbon emissions said to come from occupied buildings, there is a pressing need for the region’s construction industry to step up on sustainability and international and regional experts are keen to help drive the process forward,” says White. “The Green Build Congress will provide this much-needed opportunity for all construction sectors to gain a better insight about the drivers for sustainable change, as well as experience in the practical elements of benchmarking and implementation.

White notes the increasing influence of sustainable issues across this industry and thus on the event, over the past few years. “What was once a buzzword in the boardroom is now commonplace. The need for products and solutions that make the construction process more efficient, economically and environmentally, has meant the platforms we have created to showcase this have grown significantly to encompass every element of the event – from the conference, the exhibition as well as the increasing popularity of our environmental recognition programme, the Gaia Awards,” he says.
“With this in mind, the decision to launch The Build Green Congress this year has been extremely well received, and has attracted a very high calibre of speakers regionally and internationally,” he adds.

Internationally-acclaimed experts from across the world will be taking part in a series of discussions and presentations on the challenges and solutions for sustainable development in the Middle East. The event will see unique presentations from a variety of world-class specialists.

Speakers include Dr Nawal Al Hosany, associate director of sustainability at Masdar City; Keith Clark, head of sustainability at Atkins; Adrian Smith, principal at Adrian Smith + Gordon Hill; Mario Seneviratne, director of sustainability at the US Green Building Council; and Prof Jean-Louis Scartezzini, director, Solar Energy and Building Physics Laboratory EPFL.

The conference will take place as one vision day, dedicated to the sharing of international perspectives, insight from experts on the drivers for change and challenges being faced, and then two action days. The action days will encourage delegates to get practical with case study examples, strategic approaches and how challenges have been overcome.
Andrew Olszewski, director of International Urban Strategies who will be speaking on Transforming Urban Environments to Create Economically Successful, Livable, Sustainable Communities, comments: “The last decade of urban development in many Middle Eastern cities was car-oriented. This is not only unsustainable but also very foreign to the local tradition, which in the past has been the world leader in efficiency and conservation, not to mention adaptation to climate. In short, true sustainability can only be achieved through the efficiency of the entire urban system and the successful past can be a strong foundation towards the future.”

He says a different approach is needed to achieve comprehensive integration of urban density, efficient built systems; one which from the start assumes the solutions as three dimensional and offers effective models for urban design and city architecture. “Many of the greatest innovations are found through a blending of ideas: the mix of speakers and participants offers a true opportunity for serendipity,” he says.

The Green Build Congress hopes to encourage this opportunity through the benchmarking of international best practice and access to proven solutions, which will include, a case study from the UK on the route to mass market zero carbon homes from John Tebbit, industry affairs director from the Construction Products Association.

Other building-focused seminars include ‘Energy-efficient, Leed-certified aluminium enclosures and retractable skylights – a grand alternative to traditional construction’ presented by OpenAire.

The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) sector is one that has constantly come under pressure during discussions of sustainability and environmental stability. As a result, exhibitors at The Big 5 2011 will be putting forward their newly-launched HVAC technologies, with an emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency, at the free-to-attend product seminars taking place on site.

At these seminars, a number of brand new products will be presented, with many from the region, all of which are classing themselves as truly innovative green technology.

White says: “One of the biggest issues with air-conditioning is the refrigerants used. Both the Kyoto Protocol and Montreal Protocol recognise this, and under these agreements plans were put in place to ensure that the most damaging refrigerants be phased out. Therefore, there is a significant opportunity for suppliers and manufacturers in this arena.”
Recently, the major air-conditioning firms have invested huge sums in the research and development of new technology to maximise energy efficiency and minimise refrigerant use. Many new products and technologies have been released that have greatly improved operational efficiencies, while also using the newer, more environment-friendly refrigerants, as will be evident by the latest product exhibits at The Big 5.

Among the products being launched and presented at The Big 5 seminars are those that those that aid in inspection, maintenance and mechanical works, all of which will offer features that ensure a reduction in environmental damage.

Concrete

Meanwhile, MEC, the region’s only event dedicated to the concrete industry, sees the participation of seven formwork exhibitors this year. These include GHI, Peri and Doka, who will showcase a range of innovative products and technologies to potential clients and industry leaders. With live product demonstrations scheduled to take place over the four-day event, visitors will have the opportunity to experience the benefits first hand.

Nathan Waugh, MEC exhibition manager, comments on the significance of formwork across the industry. He says: “With seven exhibitors at this year’s event, we are looking at one of the largest formwork presences we’ve ever had at MEC. This speaks about the health and continued growth of the sector, which is positive news for all our exhibitors, and we look forward to seeing what they have to offer.”

MEC will bring together the buyers and sellers within the concrete industry to experience and interact with the full range of concrete products, share information and technical knowledge, and participate in ground breaking discussion on a global scale. The event underlines the importance of concrete which is used as a primary material in projects ranging from residential villas to five-star hotels and transport networks.

FM

The FM Expo, co-located with The Big 5, is the Middle East’s only exhibition dedicated to the region’s estimated $5-billion facilities management (FM) industry, covering every aspect of property and facilities management including environmental and energy management; IT systems and facilities management software; maintenance services; security, health and safety and sustainability. Product suppliers come from sectors such as air-conditioning, flooring, doors and windows, furniture, cleaning equipment, lift manufacturers and lighting systems. The expo will be held at the Arena of the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre and is free for trade visitors.

Link for the Facts & Figures:

Link for the GAIA Awards:

Link for the Big 5 Seminars:

• Committed to growth
• Priority market
• High-tech solutions
• Expansion focus
• Rooted in history
• Awareness drive
• Silver sponsor
• Innovative software
• Novelty attractions
• Greener options
• At the podium
• Tried and tested
• Aiming to impress
• ‘Jewel’ on show
• Star attraction
• Energy management
• Water systems
• Viable solutions
• Etched in stone
• Timber experts
• Insulation focus
• Sustainable construction
• Turnkey solutions
• Socially responsible
• Success panels
• Greener than ever

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