IFP Qatar has announced that it intends to be the first company in Qatar to resume the organizing of trade fairs following the announcement of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management to start the second phase of its plan to lift the restrictions, and in line with the fourth stage of the country’s recovery plan to allow soon the organizing of exhibitions, conferences, and commercial events.
These activities are set to come back in September and IFP Qatar is prepared to welcome visitors in the country for the Hospitality Qatar 2020, which will be held from 10 to 12 November, and Project Qatar 2020, which will be held from 7 to 10 December 2020.
Rashid Nasser Sraiya Al Kaabi, Chairman of IFP Qatar, said that the announcement comes as part of the company’s commitment to supporting efforts in reviving Qatar’s economic activities, in line with its continuing role during the last 17 years to help promote trade between Qatar and its partners.
Al Kaabi said: “As the first and leading event organizer of trade shows in Qatar, IFP Qatar has for many years linked the global markets to the Qatari market and we are keen to continue leading in this role as we prepare to open during the last quarter of this year. There is an urgent need to reconnect various producers and suppliers to buyers and business owners to boost trade exchange, whether within local markets or between the Qatari and global markets. We will strive to achieve this goal through the exhibitions we look forward to relaunching soon.”
Haidar Mshaimesh, General Manager of IFP Qatar, said: “Amidst the repercussions of Covid-19 crisis on various global markets, Qatar remains one of the key focus of the international trade community because of its flexibility and economic stability during the crisis. Reorganizing the exhibitions this year is in response to the request of many international companies that have confirmed their readiness to participate in our fairs as they continue to see the huge importance of the Qatari market.”
Mshaimesh added that several Arab, Asian, and European countries have already confirmed their participation in the upcoming Hospitality Qatar and Project Qatar exhibitions. As for local companies, Mshaimesh highlighted that IFP Qatar is fully aware of its commercial and financial challenges due to the Covid-19 crisis.
In line with this, IFP Qatar will cooperate with the relevant government bodies to provide support to companies wishing to participate in the exhibitions and reduce the cost of participation to a minimum so that they can benefit from the trade activities and enable them to connect to targeted sectors to offer their products and services.
Mshaimesh emphasized that IFP Qatar has carefully laid out efforts to ensure it meets the health and safety requirements during exhibitions and will work to provide the maximum prevention and safety procedures in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and the UFI.
He further cited that many countries around the world have already started organizing similar events and have implemented successful best practices to learn from.
Trade fairs play an important role in the Qatari market and are considered a key driver of growth as well as a source of primary income for several sectors such as aviation, hospitality, and services, Mshaimesh noted, citing IFP Qatar’s success in 2019 which attracted more than 13,000 visitors and participants from 53 different countries and spent a total of 70,000 nights in hotels in Doha including other expenditures on travel services, transportation, and restaurants, among others.
He further explained that there are many companies that depend on the activity of exhibitions in Qatar, such as display platforms contractors, advertising companies, and other hospitality-related companies, and thus organizing such exhibitions help these companies maintain their business and presence in the market.
Mshaimesh said that IFP Qatar seeks to contribute to bringing the national economy back to its normal pace, in addition to helping companies associated with the industry to overcome the Covid-19 crisis through the opportunities that will be available based on the exhibitions that will be organized by the company.
The Peninsula
07/07/2020
