Gulf Construction Online - Big 5 attracts international interest

Events

Sheikh Ahmed tours The Big 5, and the co-located Big 5 Solar.

Big 5 attracts international interest

01 December 2017

More than 2,500 companies from 60 countries exhibited their products and solutions at The Big 5, which covered the entire exhibition space at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai this year.

Organised by dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa, the Middle East’s largest construction event, and the co-located Big 5 Solar, ran from November 26 to 29 and was inaugurated by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and CEO and chairman of the Emirates Group.

Commenting on the participation, Josine Heijmans, portfolio event director of The Big 5, said she expected 65,000 visitors from more than 140 countries to have attended the 38th edition of the show.

Heijmans said there had been a sharp increase in the number of international exhibitors, mainly from the EU, due to the continued expansion of building activities in the GCC.

With more than 240 companies, Turkey was one of the top exhibiting countries at this year’s Big 5. Among other exhibitors, almost 350 Italian companies showcased their solutions for the built environment at the event. The Italian region of Sicily participated for the first time, with over 30 Sicilian exhibitors showcasing interior and exterior furnishings and decoration made of marble, wrought iron, ceramics, textiles, stone and wood.

The Big 5 also kicked off two high-level conferences – The Excellence in Construction Summit and The Big 5 Innovation in Precast Summit. The conferences presented revolutionary ideas and projects by some of the most forward-thinking global leaders, including the latest developments in 3D printing.

The Big 5 2017 showcased building solutions clustered in five dedicated product sectors: Building Interiors & Finishes; Building Envelope & Special Construction; Construction Tools & Building Materials; Construct Technology & Innovation; and MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) Services with an all-new HVAC-R (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration) dedicated hall. In addition, live product demonstrations were presented in real time.

In line with Vision 2021 and the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, the co-located Big 5 Solar showcased solar technologies from local and international exhibitors, including energy storage, solar thermal technologies (CSP) and photovoltaics to meet the escalating green demands in the GCC. On November 27, the event hosted the third edition of the Global Solar Leaders Summit (GSLS).

Beyond the high-level conferences, The Big 5 and The Big 5 Solar offered more than 80 complimentary CPD (Continuing Professional Development)-certified talks delivered by industry experts. Business, technology, sustainability, project management, MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing), architecture and solar talks kept visitors up-to-date with the latest industry developments and global best practices across the four days of the show.

The show also saw the announcement of the winner of the 10th edition of the Gaia Awards, recognising the most sustainable construction products in the Middle East.