Promoting Oman as a conference and exhibition destination

In recent years Oman’s tourism officials have focused their attention on the strong growth potential and revenue stream that comes with turning the country into a leading regional destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).

Relatively speaking, the sultanate is a new player in the sector, but with the opening of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) in October 2016, those in the industry are hoping this is set to change. In its first eight months, the OCEC hosted 55 conferences; by its first anniversary that number had risen to 101, accounting for over 750,000 visitors. The OCEC won bids for 11 major regional and international conferences in its first year alone, aided by the Oman Convention Bureau, Oman Air, and Oman Airports Management Company, among other domestic agencies and organisations. Despite recent efforts, the country has some catching up to do to compete with the likes of already established players in the MICE industry.

PUSHING MICE: In April 2015 Bloomberg estimated the value of the GCC MICE market at $1.3bn, with Dubai holding around 27% of the entire market at that time.

Although, the state-run Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran) began plans to build the OCEC in 2007, until recently, event organisers had relied almost exclusively on the 15,000-sq-metre Oman International Exhibition Centre, a government-owned exhibition centre, that began operations in 1985. While existing hotels like the Muscat InterContinental have successfully hosted events, due to their size they have been limited to smaller regional or local events, mostly those with less than 1000 delegates or guests.

“There are a great number of events that attract between 800 and 1500 people, but until the opening of the OCEC, we weren’t able to accommodate them due to the lack of a suitable venue,” Trevor McCartney, general manager of the OCEC, told OBG.

To help grow the sector, in March 2016 the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) established the Oman Convention Bureau. Headed by Khalid Al Zidjali, the former events director at the MoT, the bureau is tasked with managing services and products related to the MICE industry, as well as supporting local and international companies in organising events and promoting the sultanate as a regional MICE destination.

In addition, in November 2017 global consulting and event management company MCI Middle East announced a strategic partnership with Zahara Tours to launch MCI Oman, with the stated aim of supporting the market and aiding in the development of the industry to attract regional and global events.

“Oman is one of the newest and most exciting markets in our region, and it has all the hallmarks of being a great business meetings destination,” Ajay Bhojwani, managing director at MCI Middle East, told local media. “Currently, 8% percent of our events are held in Oman. Given the opportunity and platform, this joint venture will help us consolidate our presence in the Middle East and also grow our influence in the market,” he added.

THE CENTRE: Located just 4 km from Muscat International Airport, the centre features 22,000 sq metres of column-free exhibition space that can be divided into five separate areas, as well as an auditorium with seating for up to 3200 people. The auditorium contains advanced projection and riggings, an orchestra pit, and acoustic systems able to cater to musical performances and high-end conferences. Individual exhibition spaces also offer offices for organisers and event managers.

In addition, the OCEC has two ballrooms that can be altered to accommodate different event requirements and needs. The Grand Ballroom offers a number of configurations, capable of seating 2688 people in a theatre-style layout, 1680 in a classroom-style layout and 1200 people for banquets. It can also be divided into three or six individual meeting rooms. The Junior Ballroom can accommodate 1026 people when configured as a theatre, 672 as a classroom and 540 for a banquet. There are 19 separate meeting rooms on the premises, each with a capacity of between 70 and 360 delegates. The OCEC also has a food court, VIP pavilion and a 4000-vehicle multi-storey car park.

PROMOTION: Since 2011 the OCEC’s business development team has been actively promoting the centre – and Oman in general – as a MICE destination for both regional and international events, with a strong focus on European markets, such as the UK, Germany, France and Switzerland, as well as nearby markets like India. In October 2017 the OCEC appointed Debra Simkiss as director of operations and Ekta Gandhi as the new marketing and communications manager, bringing a combined 30 years of experience to the organisation.

This push has had some notable success. In December 2017 the OCEC hosted its first international events: the Airport Council International (ACI) Airport Exchange Conference and Exhibition 2017, which brought the world’s airport community to the Gulf for the largest event on the ACI’s calendar, and the second UNWTO/ UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture.

HOTELS: The new convention centre is expected to act as a catalyst not only for MICE events, but also for those businesses that will spring up to accommodate additional visitors to the area. The OCEC complex will feature 1000 rooms spread across three-, four- and five-star hotels, as well as serviced apartments. A business park, retail shopping area and nature reserve form part of the overall district, which is itself a key component of Madinat Al Irfan, an urban lifestyle project being constructed by Omran, a developer of major tourism, heritage, urban and mixed-use projects.

According to a study conducted by global consulting firm Strategy&, the OCEC is expected to generate around $764m in local spending, create between 15,000 and 18,000 permanent jobs and contribute up to $621m to the economy by 2030.

In November 2017 the four-star Crowne Plaza Muscat OCEC – the first of four hotels planned for within the OCEC precinct – opened its doors to business and leisure travellers. A five-star JW Marriott Hotel is set to open in 2018, with Omran signing a OR38m ($98.7m) deal with Qatar National Bank Oman in April 2017 for the completion of the 304-room hotel.

However, not all convention space will revolve around the OCEC, the 296-room Crowne Plaza Muscat opened its doors in December 2017 and provides extensive meeting and event facilities that are strategically located in the core of the country’s business region. It is expected that the majority of guests to use this hotel will utilise the exhibitions and conference centres.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Those involved in the sector feel that Oman is well placed geographically to expand its MICE footprint, lying as it does within a seven-hour flight to around 50% of the world’s population. India, for example, is three hours away by plane and served by a dozen flights a day to Muscat. Officials are working on bids for major international events as far ahead as 2024 in recognition of the potential in the MICE industry.