OCEC’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis has helped generate increased interest in Oman.
MOSCAT: The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) has broken previous attendance records by receiving around 1. 5 million in 2023. This milestone underscores OCEC’s critical role as a premier event venue, demonstrating its adaptability and commitment to excellence.
Key highlights for 2023
• Welcomed approximately 1. 5 million visitors across a wide diversity of events, up 25 percent from attendance in 2022.
• Successfully organized 230 events, totaling 19 regional and foreign events, 149 local events supporting more than 90 SMEs, events and corporate meetings.
• Facilitated the graduation of more than 17,000 academics at OCEC
• Won the prestigious Best Place award at the 2023 Middle East Events Awards.
OCEC’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis has helped generate increased interest in Oman as a hub for business events.
The significant build-up to the 2022 season reflects the growing confidence in the award-winning venue and in Oman as a beloved destination. As a foreign venue, OCEC welcomed visitors from more than 90 countries, extending Oman’s global visibility to 2022 attendance figures.
Among the noteworthy events were the World Veteran Table Tennis Championships (January), Muscat International Book Fair (February), Oman Sustainability Week (April), Comex (May), Oman Perfume Show (June), Gulf Housing Week (October), Muscat Art (October) SMEs Omani Start Up forum (November) and the Oman Green Hydrogen Summit (December) which captivated audiences and contributed to the OCEC’s reputation as a premier destination for business events in the region.
Commenting on OCEC’s good fortune in 2023, engineer Said Al Shanfari, Executive Director of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, said: “We are very pleased to celebrate this milestone, which marks a year of expansion and regional renown for the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre. It is a catalyst for strategic debates between local, regional and foreign actors on issues of importance to the country. This attendance record is a testament to our team’s determination and acceptance as truly placed in us through our global and local partners. As we look ahead to 2024, we remain committed to delivering exceptional reporting and contributing to awareness of the Oman logo on the global stage.
At a strategic level, OCEC has focused on creating a positive economic impact for the Sultanate and stimulating innovation.
According to an independent study, the business occasion sector contributed $1. 9 billion to total spending in Oman in 2023, with exhibitions and corporate meetings being the most sensitive sectors.
The OCEC has collaborated with key industry partners to drive economic investment and growth for Oman’s business events sector, benefiting leading airports, hotels, and tourism companies. The industry continues to be a viable source of employment as the sector generates thousands of jobs annually with many training programmes for Omani youth and young graduates.
“For 2024, OCEC focuses on 3 main strategic axes: sustainability, digitalization and inclusion. Our goal is to make our site more sustainable, in line with Oman’s goal of having net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. To stay on top of the industry’s most sensitive trends, we will continue to innovate and digitize our internal processes and marketing offerings to create a more seamless experience for our delegates, visitors and exhibitors. For us, 2024 will be about meeting the wishes of all generations in Oman, ensuring we have a varied and inclusive diversity of occasions to light up our place during the year. Al Shanfari explained.
The OCEC expects to surpass its 2023 season with its 2024 programme of events, including many regional and international, starting as soon as Q1 2024.
These include the Middle East Space Conference (January 2024), the Oman International Pharmacy Conference and Exhibition (January 14-16), the Oman Water Conference (January 22-26), the World Higher Education Exhibition – GHEDEX (February 4-6), and the Interior. Design. Furniture Fair – IDF Oman (5-7 February), Arab General Insurance Federation Conference (18-21 February), International Book Fair and Moonlight Festival (22 February – 2 March), Oman Sustainability Week and Oman Petroleum Energy Fair (April 2024) and an exciting array of additional events planned for the year.
© Muscat Media Group Provided via SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate. info).
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