Industry’s top experts to provide insights into the theme parks and amusement industry sector

Dubai, UAE, February 28, 2017: The Dubai Entertainment Amusement and Leisure (DEAL) Show 2017, together with Blooloop, the attraction industry’s leading website and event organiser, is set to launch the second edition of the conference for the theme parks and amusement industry in the UAE. This ‘DEAL Live’ conference will be held on Sunday, March 26th at the Crowne Plaza hotel.

Blooloop conferences bring together leading executives and key thinkers for a high quality educational day focusing on key trends and developments in the attractions business from the region and beyond.

Sharif Rahman, CEO of International Expo Consults, the organizer of DEAL show, stated, “We decided to associate with Blooloop to add further value to the stakeholders of the theme park and amusement industry while they visit our show. We have been supporting the industry for over two decades and we now wanted to provide the trade visitors more insights into the industry through this conference. It is important to share knowledge and expertise within the same platform to address the needs of the industry and grow this sector further.”

Blooloop is the world’s leading online resource for professionals working in the visitor attractions sector. Blooloop’s website and social media channels are trusted and relied upon to highlight the latest news and trends across the industry worldwide – from theme parks to zoos and aquariums, water parks, museums and FECs.

'We are currently living in interesting times where there are several new family entertainment zones and also theme parks being developed not only in Dubai but also the greater Middle East and Africa region. Therefore, it is important for us to also address the challenges faced by the industry and also arrive at the right solutions to solve them. This conference will enable us to do that and we are delighted to take this cause ahead with industry experts such as Blooloop,” stated Sharif.

UAE is set to trigger the theme park revenue growth as it is set to increase by 78 per cent to US$837 million by 2019 as per reports. Internationally recognized events such as the Dubai Expo 2020 and FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 will boost the tourism sector in the region. This growth, associated to the rise of theme parks and retail visits, will renew the enthusiasm in the amusement and theme park industry in the region. Theme parks in the UAE have the potential to see over 18 million visits by 2021 as per reports. With its central global location, and excellent hospitality facilities, it is anticipated that UAE has tremendous potential to lead the race ahead of Orlando.

Charles Read, Managing Director of Blooloop stated, “We are pleased to be partnering with DEAL.  It is undoubtedly the premier exhibition in MEA, with a strong reputation for facilitating networking amongst all stakeholders in the attractions industry. With unparalleled local knowledge they are our natural partners to create what we believe will be a captivating programme for anyone seeking to enter or expand their business in the region.”

DEAL has shaped the region’s entertainment industry for the last 22 years and it has brought together world class innovations all under one roof. DEAL has led the amusement and entertainment space during this period and the testimony to this is the fact that exhibitors at DEAL last year had signed multi-million dollar contracts in just 3 days.

Foraying into the 23rd edition, DEAL 2017 expects to witness an even larger gathering of key players and visitors in the amusement industry from Middle East, Africa, US, Mediterranean and Asian countries. The exhibition is the region's most anticipated and leading attraction for global and local stakeholders in the amusement and entertainment industries since 1995. The show is slated to be held from 27th - 29th March 2017 at Halls 1, 2, 3 & 4 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.