• How is the response to the show this year? Has all space available been used up?

The response to this year’s event has been excellent and we anticipate that the event will be 10 per cent bigger than last year. We will host more than 550 exhibitors from 36 countries, with strong international participation from the UK, the US, Germany, Greece, Turkey, Italy, China and Spain.

Last year a temporary arena was created in order to house the additional demand for space. This has been created again for 2013 and will be 10 per cent larger. We will also have an outdoor area where live demonstrations will take place throughout the event.

• How does this year’s show compare to the previous two events?

This year’s event will be the biggest to date and once again we will be moving to the car-park adjacent to the venue, where we will be building a very large temporary structure. This temporary structure has been upgraded from our last event to provide an even better facility for our customers.

Previous years have shown that sector-specific zones, such as Concrete, have proven to be popular, business-facilitating features. This year will also include the PMV zone, which will provide a specially designated arena for all plant, machinery and vehicle-related products and technology, with exhibitors demonstrating their capabilities in the outdoor area. We will also be staging a number of workshops covering concrete repair and sustainable building strategies.

The Big 5 Saudi ... strong growth.

To ensure that our exhibitors meet the most important buyers in Saudi Arabia, this year we have introduced The Platinum Club, a key buyer initiative. The Platinum Club brings buyers with spending power in excess of $100 million to the event and puts them directly in contact with exhibitors relevant to their sector and requirements, facilitating real business on site.

• What the key sectors covered? Which are the top 5 sectors in the Saudi market?

In addition to the sector-specific zones for Concrete and PMV, the event includes exhibitors from across the building and construction industry. Visitors can expect to see a full range of construction materials including air-conditioning, marble and stone, bathrooms and ceramics, windows and doors, sealants, adhesives and chemicals, plus much more.
According to our knowledge partner Zawya, there are four main industry sectors in the Saudi construction market at present: industry, 5.59 per cent; energy (oil and gas, petrochemicals, alternative energy), 23.54 per cent; infrastructure (transport, power and water), 30.48 per cent; and real estate, 40.39 per cent.

• What are the new features at this year’s event?

The new features this year include the dedicated PMV zone, hosting a range of products and technologies specifically from the plant, machinery and vehicles sector. The live demonstration area will also be a new feature for 2013, providing an area where exhibitors can bring their products to life and highlight the benefits in a ‘live’ environment.

• Please provide details on the conferences and seminars?

We will have two workshops taking place at the event again this year. The Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) workshop will be facilitated by Mario Seneviratne, a Leed fellow and director of Green Technologies. Mario will take delegates through the key components of the Leed ratings system and the most successful way to develop Leed strategies and achieve credit categories. The workshops modules will cover a variety of related topics, including water efficiency, materials and design innovation.

The second workshop to take place at the event will focus on ‘Concrete Repair’, ensuring participants are up to date with concrete repair and corrosion knowledge in line with the most recent European standards and Concrete Society technical reports. It will also provide the opportunity to improve their ability to effectively mitigate the risk of concrete damage to improve life-cycle costs and maintain structural integrity.

• What sets this show apart from other events?

This year’s event will be the biggest to take place for the building and construction industry in Saudi Arabia. The breadth and diversity of international products is something that no other event can offer.