Dubai – United Arab Emirates, November 27th, 2012: His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, inaugurated today the second edition of the Big Entertainment Show (BES) which includes the Dubai International Character and Licensing Fair, Dubai World Game Expo and MYCONTENT. The (BES) shall commence until November 28th at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition centre, Sheikh Saeed Hall.
His Highness then toured around the exhibition area where he was introduced to over 100 local and international companies participating from 55 countries specialized in the fields of online and electronic games, cartoon characters, animation, and a number of TV production agencies, movie makers, mobile TV, Digital TV content, trade companies, game developers, and mobile phones game applications.
His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed praised the joint efforts that led to the success of the (BES) which is the first event of its kind in the MENA region dedicated to the Games, Characters and TV content. BES is marked this year with remarkable participation from South Korea, China, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Hong Kong, Germany, Portugal, UK, Turkey, India, KSA, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, there are more than 300 cartoon characters and brands showcasing at the show, where the local participation has registered at 30%. The combined event is expected to attract more than 4,000 visitors over two days.
The event’s agenda features a number of activities including the Dubai World Game Summit, the Entertainment Content Summit and the Licensing Seminar. More than 70 international speakers will present their latest theories and research in those fields. The summits will bring forth recommendations to tackle challenges and changes in this evolving industry. The sessions will create an excellent platform for businessmen, investors, and leaders of this industry to interact and discuss the latest updates and productions at a time where the worldwide market for entertainment content is growing at a very fast pace, including the Middle Eastern market.
Mr. Tariq Al Madani, Managing Director for Index Conferences and Exhibitions Organisation Est. – member of INDEX Holding, expressed his gratitude for His Highness Sheikh Majid for his continuous support for this event and said, “Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the Big Entertainment Show launched last year in its new edition, which combines “Character Dubai”, “Game Expo” and “MYCONTENT”. This industry is one of the most successful industries at this time for both trade and investment sectors. The success that the three events achieved for the past four years is a good indicator of the success of this industry and its prosperity.”
Mr. Al Madani added, “We are fully aware about the importance of this industry and the expected growth for it in the region. The cartoon character licensing in the UAE is one of the vital sectors at this time because it has a remarkable audience. Moreover, the retail sector in the UAE in general and Dubai in particular has become one of the key industries whom attract trade businesses to the MENA Region”.
As for the game sector, Mr. Al Madani commented: “Interest in the Dubai World Game Expo this year is large, we can see an impressive participation from companies that produce and develop games this year and that is due to the tremendous growth in the electronic games field. As a result, there are producers, distributors, publishers, and service providers participating as well because, as the industry continues to grow, the demand for service providers continues to increase. Those companies for example will fill the need for online gaming companies who are keen to enter the Middle East gaming market. This is exactly why the (BES) is considered a comprehensive forum that attends to all the needs and requirements of the different fields.”
Mr. Charles Riotto, President of the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) said, “Dubai International Character and Licensing Fair is the most important trade event for the licensing industry in the Middle East region. This market holds great growth opportunities for IP owners around the world, and Character Dubai provides an excellent forum for companies to increase awareness of their properties and brands and to present their licensing programs to a high-level audience of manufacturers and service providers. The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) is pleased to be a supporter of this show as a very meaningful way to expand the global licensing market and build lasting business partnerships for the future.”
The Show is open from the 27th - 28th of November at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and is sponsored by Rotana Group, MBC3, Televisa Internacional, Korea Creative Content Agency and is supported by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment and the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association (LIMA).
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Nada Saaydeh
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