 | ||
The Big 5 is a series of construction trade fairs originating in Dubai connecting international suppliers of construction products and services with buyers from the MENA region.
Contents
The Big 5 in Dubai is held annually in late November and attracted 73,584 participants in 2015, according to figures from media auditing firm BPA Worldwide, making The Big 5 in Dubai the largest construction event in the Middle East.
Organised by DMG Events Middle East, Asia & Africa, there are five annual editions of the exhibition that take place in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India and Indonesia. Two further editions are set to debut, one for East Africa (Kenya, launching in 2016) and one in North Africa (Morocco, launching in 2017).
History
The Big 5 has its origins in an event known as Arab Water and came about from an amalgamation of five separate product-focused events that all had a link to the construction sector - such as HVAC and building materials.
With the building of the Dubai World Trade Centre, which began to develop in the late 1970s, the event found a permanent home and has expanded in size along with the venue. When DMG Events Middle East, Asia & Africa acquired the exhibition in 2000, the event covered some 12,000m²: this has risen to a current figure of 113,526m² in gross floor space and 48,184m² in net exhibiting area.
State support for the event has come from both international and local institutions. In 2007, the event was one of the first in the region to welcome a prime minister when the then Italian leader Romano Prodi visited the exhibition with his minister for international trade. In 2012, British prime minister David Cameron also visited the event in support of his nation’s export businesses. The visits reflected both the value of bilateral trade with the UAE but also the rise in importance of the Gulf region as a whole to European export manufacturers, with EU exports to the GCC valued at $125bn in 2015.
Development and expansion
The Big 5 has spawned six geo-adapted events, where core elements of the exhibition have been exported to new markets. This has resulted in the creation of:
Focused on the construction sector and its products in the geographies where they take place, the events draw influences and content from across the spectrum of built environment interests. Sector specific events have also developed out of the growth of The Big 5. The largest of these still co-located with The Big 5 in Dubai are Middle East Concrete and PMV Live. Community Management Week - itself a collection of five co-located events - addresses management of the built environment and issues of sustainability. Four other spin off events are Gulf Glass, Gulf Sol, HVAC R Expo Saudi and Windows Doors & Facades.
The launch of these additional events reflects DMG Events Middle East, Asia & Africa’s declared strategy of using geo-adaptation as it pursues regional expansion.
Special features: education, awards and services
Since 2010 there has also been an increasing emphasis on education within the events - in the form of conferences, seminars and workshops - to support continued professional development among audiences. The educational programmes are presented by a wide-selection of the industry’s architects, consultants, contractors and sub-contractors who volunteer their time and expertise to further the development of the construction sector. These free education components also include certification, overseen by the UK-based CPD Certification Service, so attendance can contribute to a person’s membership standing in organisations such as RICS or the CIOB.
The Big 5 has sought to promote the development of sustainable construction practices, a policy which resulted in the launch of its Gaia Awards in 2008. The awards programme reflected the event’s increased focus on sustainable technologies and supported government directives in the UAE that mandated companies in the construction sector to build green. The awards programme highlights the work of companies in the construction sector whose products and services can demonstrate a reduced environmental impact. The programme is open to all construction related businesses operating in the MENA region and typically includes a collection of category awards and an overall winner. Past winners have included Basalt Rock Composite (2015), InSinkErator (2014) and Avant Flooring (2013).
Additional services include the creation of a Platinum Club, an invite-only collection of key buyers and other industry influencers who are given access to additional support services at the events. Live demonstrations have also become a staple of the event formats, offering participating exhibitors the chance to show how their products and services work in a practical setting to an audience who can participate directly