Progressing continuously and operating with best industry practise

Celion Su

Introduction： According to Oman Expo LLC， the biggest trade show organizer in Oman， the key factors for sustaining success in shows is to seriously evaluate feedback and surveys from exhibitors and visitors and ensure that these needs are met in the next edition； invest and utilize new tools in alignment with the global digital transformation that is currently happening； continuously analyze demographics， feedback and requirements， and ensure that exhibitors and visitors are getting valuable ROI.

Oman Expo LLC is the biggest trade show organizer in Oman. Please briefly introduce your business.

Omanexpo organizes and develops highprofile highly targeted trade exhibitions and conferences， which are aimed at generating new business and growing existing ones. It serves key industry sectors such as automotive， building and construction， food and hospitality， health and medical， oil and gas， mining， waste management， utilities， and retail. Its shows provide a business platform for companies to launch new products， services and technologies to a targeted audience， increase their business contacts in the local and international markets， link them to buyers， traders， consumers and customers. It is constantly developing and investing in new concepts and ideas in line with current industry trends and practices and working closely with governments， its agencies and/or organizations， and chambers of commerce in order to promote and advance the industries it serves.

What is the role of Oman in regional exhibition markets？ How are the competitive edges of your trade shows？

Oman， as a rapidly progressing country with a strong economy， tourism and business infrastructure， and attractive business investment laws and regulations， has strengthened its role as an active player in the regional exhibition markets over the last decade. With the governments aggressive initiatives and efforts to enhance its infrastructure， as evidenced by the massive projects being implemented all over the country， Oman stands as a business and tourist destination that is able to offer and provide greater opportunities for not only regional， but global trade and investment.

Omanexpos trade shows are muchaligned with the governments vision and initiatives towards making Oman a business and tourism hub and destination， in that it showcases the countrys available opportunities for trade and investment. The opening of the world-class Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre alone is paving the way to facilitate the growth of Omanexpos exhibitions and other local organizers as a whole. Apart from this， the new rules and regulations governing exhibitions， reflected in the changing business climate， helps keep our shows competitive.

How is the participation of Chinese exhibitors in your trade shows in recent years？ What is the aim of your marketing campaign in China？

Chinas continuously growing trade and economy have provided more avenues for it to enter fast-developing markets such as Oman. In recent years， we have seen the rapid increase in the participation of China companies by way of pavilions. Leveraging this， our aim is to increase visibility in China markets and present new opportunities to attract companies to come to Oman. Our greater aim is to work with the China governments trade and investment arm in order to encourage solid participation.

Considering the differences in the ways of thinking， do you have any tips for Chinese exhibitors in Oman for better business effect？

Chinese exhibitors need to be more open and versed in adopting Omans trade and business regulations in order to enhance their businesses in the country. It is helpful for them to work closely together with the ground-level organizations， in this case， big exhibition companies such as Omanexpo， who have more leverage to help them promote their businesses.

What do you think is the role of organizers in putting up a successful show？ And what are the key factors for sustainable success of the show？

The organizers role is to ensure that it continuously and continuously acquire insight on current global trends and implement best practices in the exhibitions industry. At the same time， it needs to boost its tools and infrastructure to meet the demands of exhibitions and shows that are constantly changing its requirements. The key factors for sustaining success in shows is to seriously evaluate feedback and surveys from exhibitors and visitors and ensure that these needs are met in the next edition； invest and utilize new tools in alignment with the global digital transformation that is currently happening； continuously analyze demographics， feedback and requirements， and ensure that exhibitors and visitors are getting valuable ROI.

The 2020 UFI Global Congress will be hosted in Oman. What opportunities do you think this will present for the local exhibition market？

The 2020 UFI Global Congress will play a big role in showcasing Oman as a potential global business and tourist destination. This will help the local exhibition market such that it will give them an advantage to easily offer a trade and investment platform for international companies to participate in exhibitions and conferences. It will pave the way for these companies easier entry into the local market. It will also contribute to global expertise into the local market， by introducing new practices and exhibition tools， consequently raise the current standards of exhibitions in Oman.

Talents cultivation is a challenge for the industry. How do you find and retain exhibition talents for your company？

Retaining exhibition talents in the company requires constant investing in training and certification of its members and equipping them with the proper tools and infrastructure to be able to keep up with global trade show practices. It also requires being active in participating in trade fairrelated seminars and forums， which will help to provide more knowledge about the industry.