May 17, 2017.  United Arab Emirates:  UBM plc, an events first organisation with over 300 marketing-leading B2B events a year, has opened its first dedicated UBM office in Dubai. UBM plc acquired the Seatrade portfolio in 2014 and the full complement of Seatrade staff now operate from UBM's new offices in Publishing Pavilion, Dubai Production City, Dubai, UAE - after more than 10 years based in Al Jaddaf under the Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA).

Present during the inaugural ceremony of the new office were top UBM executives and local government officials, which included Simon Parker, Managing Director UBM EMEA London; Andrew Williams, Group Brand Director, UBM EMEA; Amer Ali, Executive Director, Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) and Nawfal Al Jourani, Head, Dubai Maritime Cluster Office.

Andrew Williams, Group Brand Director, UBM EMEA, said, “The relocation of the Seatrade team into a dedicated UBM office in the UAE strengthens our position as a leading events business globally. This is expected to significantly grow our brand in the Middle East, which currently includes several maritime and cruise events, as well as publications and our popular online maritime and cruise news sites. While the office is now under the UBM name, the Seatrade business and brand remains the key focus for UBM in the UAE and is getting stronger each year.”

Speaking about Seatrade’s decade in Al Jaddaf, he added, “We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Al Jaddaf and will continue to work very closely with DMCA who have been great supporters of our business in the UAE. This move however demonstrates our commitment to the UAE as we look to adapt UBM events in the UAE from across the globe – and this move to Dubai Production City gives us the platform from which to do that.”

Amer Ali, Executive Director, Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), said: “Spanning for over a decade now, our continuing strategic partnership with the Seatrade team has greatly contributed to our ongoing efforts to effectively put Dubai on the world map and position it as one of the globe’s leading maritime hubs. We welcome the move to further strengthen the brand in the region as we look forward to optimizing the platform to the fullest in our bid to promote Dubai’s maritime components, attract international investors to its shores, and establish a vibrant and safe local maritime community.”

Further strengthening the Seatrade brand in the region is the addition of several new faces to the team – including Arshed Hussain, Regional Sales Manager and Adam Whitehead, Business Development Manager – who joins the already well formed team,  many of which have worked on events over several years that include: Seatrade Maritime Middle East; Seatrade Offshore Marine & Workboats; Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum and the annual Seatrade Maritime Awards Middle East, Indian Subcontinent & Africa.

The addition of the Seatrade brand to the UBM family significantly grew its global maritime offering, which now serves shipping communities with a broad spectrum of events like Sea Asia; Marintec China; Seatrade Maritime Middle East; Seatrade Offshore Marine & Workboats; Marintec Indonesia; Sea Japan; Bari-Ship; Exposhipping Istanbul; Marintec South America; Offshore Marintec Russia and Seatrade awards in London, Dubai and Hong Kong.

The global reach does not stop with events and also includes a strong publishing arm that boasts two daily online news sites, www.seatrade-cruise.com and www.seatrade-maritime.com along with its flagship industry publications, Seatrade Maritime Review and Seatrade Cruise Review; and supplements that include an annual UAE Supplement and Middle East Workboats supplement.

“For the customer, this will all mean an improved experience and the ability to network and promote their businesses and products across the portfolio to the widest audience possible,” concluded Williams.