WITH the region’s appetite for construction picking up, The Big 5 has announced it is launching Middle East Concrete (MEC), a new exhibition designed to be the essential showcase for everything related to the concrete business.

Co-located with The Big 5 and PMV Live at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre from November 21 to 24, MEC will be a one-stop shop covering everything from raw materials and logistics to precast products and training and certification in the industry.

There will be interactive live demonstrations of the latest plant and equipment, offering hands-on experience on the latest techniques to concrete industry professionals.

Nathan Waugh, MEC exhibition manager at DMG events, said: “Concrete is at the heart of every construction project. With such a huge and diverse range of applications, from the practical to the decorative, readymix to precast, and all the technology and products supporting it, clearly a dedicated event addressing all the needs of the industry in the region is long overdue.”

He said rather than just a trade exhibition, there will be a conference, panels, workshops and seminars to the mix. With many of the region’s biggest players looking to expand their business activities in 2011, technical knowledge, innovation and training are key components one can’t exclude, Waugh added.

Andy White, event director for The Big 5, commented: “There is no other concrete industry event that provides such a rounded business and networking experience as MEC. The fact that it is co-located with The Big 5 is a huge plus, being located right at the centre of the biggest construction industry event in the region.”

Leo Liao, deputy general manager of the UAE branch of the construction plant manufacturer Sany, said: “Middle East Concrete  provides Sany with the perfect platform to display the latest concrete pumping products and other heavy machinery to buyers across the whole region, at a time when spending on heavy construction equipment is increasing.”