Reed Exhibitions forms partnership with POPAI Arabia to hold region’s premier marketing at-retail, shop fitting and store operations event.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Wednesday, April 27th 2011 [ME NewsWire]

Dubai, 19 April 2011- Reed Exhibitions Middle East is gearing up for what will be the region’s premier retail industry-focused event, ArabiaShop, which will take place from 8-10 May 2012 at Dubai World Trade Centre. The event will facilitate retailers’ access to the latest marketing at-retail, shop fitting, store design, retail operational solutions and provide vendors with a door to the huge retailing market in the Middle East + North African + India region. ArabiaShop will also create a valuable networking arena for the region’s top buyers and vendors.

ArabiaShop is organised in partnership with POPAI Arabia, the first non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of the marketing-at-retail industry in the region. POPAI has an unrivalled 75 year history of promoting shopper marketing excellence in retail across the globe.

With a specific focus on marketing at-retail and shop fitting / shop operations and design, ArabiaShop is the essential forum for business for the retail sector. ArabiaShop will focus on the promotion of new products and services, the sharing of industry best practice and the exchange of knowledge and ideas.

ArabiaShop comprises several complementary elements:

* an exhibition of the latest innovative products and solutions for marketing at-retail, shop fitting and store operations
* Hosted buyer and VIP programs
* Networking reception
* Keynote addresses from industry leaders
* Seminars and workshops
* Outstanding Marketing Achievement (OMA) Awards organized and presented by POPAI Arabia

A program of key-note presentations, seminars and workshops will provide a platform for the further development of retail in the region for the World’s leading brands and retailers.

Representatives from some of the region’s most influential and powerful purchasers will be in attendance at ArabiaShop, coming from India, Lebanon and the GCC. This will provide an ideal platform for marketing-at-retail suppliers and professionals to showcase their products and services, which will range from innovative displays and décor concepts to state-of-the-art retail automationtechnology.

Not only this, but retailers, point-of-sale digital signage designers, architects, intelligence providers and shop fitting experts will be given the opportunity to interact and develop new business, share ideas and insights on improving the likes of sales promotion, visual merchandising, customer relationship management and retail supply chains.

The retail market to be serviced by ArabiaShop (GCC + North Africa and India, is estimated to be worth $1.25tn by 2015.

The Middle East and North Africa region has recently experienced huge growth in both gross domestic product (GDP) and gross lease area (GLA), highlighting the need for ArabiaShop. The International Monetary Fund forecasts that real GDP growth is set to grow to 4.3 per cent by 2013, while retail sales growth is expected to increase by 5.17 per cent by the end of 2011, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.

“We expect ArabiaShop to be hugely successful; it will bring never-before-seen opportunities to big and small players within the region’s retail industry,” said Frederic Theux, President of Reed Exhibitions Middle East. “Retail expansion is booming in this region, and this highlights the need to put people together like this.”

Katia Shirikian, Managing Director of POPAI Arabia, endorsed the organization’s partnership with Reed Exhibitions, and outlined the benefits of attendance at the ArabiaShop event.

“As the marketing at-retail sector’s largest and most vibrant global community, we are proud to partner with Reed Exhibitions for ArabiaShop, which promises to be a great success and become a must attend Shopper Marketing event in the region,” she said.

-Ends –

About Reed Exhibitions Middle East

Reed Exhibitions is the world's leading organiser of trade and consumer events that has excelled in creating high profile, highly targeted business and consumer exhibitions and events to establish and maintain business relations, and generate new business.

Every year the company runs over 440 events in 36 countries, bringing together over 6 million active event participants worldwide. With over 2,500 employees in 35 offices around the globe Reed Exhibitions serve 44 industries worldwide. It also enjoys a network of offices and promoters that extends to 93 countries.

About POPAI Arabia

POPAI is the first non-profit association dedicated to the promotion of marketing-at-retail industry across the world. POPAI currently has 1700 members across 20 global chapters. Members include Fortune 500 companies and global providers of shopper marketing excellence programs. POPAI Arabia covers 15 Arabic speaking countries in the Middle East and North Africa. POPAI has been working globally for 75 years to promote the interests of its members and the industry.

POPAI Arabia optimally serves the interests of industry professionals through collaboration, education, research and recognition of best practice.
Contacts

Reed Exhibitions

Peter McConnell

+971 50 4528 167

peter.mcconnell@reedexpo.ae;



POPAI Arabia

Katia Shirikian

+961 3 253 123

kshirikian@popai-arabia.com