Revamping the value chain in exhibition facilities: the case of the Dubai exhibition industry

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to compare past and current experience of exhibition activities in the UAE in general and in Dubai in particular, to identify the major hurdles and obstacles which had arrested the advancement of this sector, and to benchmark this activity vis‐a‐vis Dubai's main competitors both nationally and internationally.Design/methodology/approach – For each of four selected exhibitions, a systematic random sample of 1,000 visitors was selected. The data were collected via structured face‐to‐face interviews using a standard questionnaire on the four sites. In addition, a random sample of 100 exhibitors was selected for each of the four exhibitions. The data were collected via structured face‐to‐face interviews using a standard questionnaire on the four sites. Several in‐depth interviews with the staff of the exhibition's organizers representing the different exhibitions under study were carried out before, during and/or after the events to help identify the challenges and opp...