Bahrain’s first-ever Intelligent Building Middle East (IBME) has received an overwhelming response from exhibitors with the organisers reporting a sell out of more than 60 per cent of floor space.

“We have been preparing for almost a year now and the response has been excellent,” says Bahrain Convention and Exhibition Bureau BCEB’s exhibitions and conference department manager Abdulla Shafeea.
The exhibition - organised by the BCEB along with Nuernberg Global Fairs, Germany and the Bahrain Society of Engineers, Bahrain - will be held at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, from December 5 to 7 and will showcase innovative building solutions and state-of-the-art technologies. “This hallmark exhibition - which will include a trade show, a conference, special exhibition and project showcase - will bring in the latest in building concepts, materials and technology offering world-class solutions and services,” says Shafeea.
The exhibition is expected to attract an encouraging number of regional as well as international business delegates, corporate and general visitors. The organisers also plan to hold a conference alongside the exhibition where more than 50 prominent keynote speakers from 10 countries will present their papers.
“The Middle East and the GCC states in particular, are increasingly under the spotlight for their ambitious high-end construction and infrastructure projects. In addition, GDP growth rates of three to four per cent per annum offer an excellent base for investment in commercial, tourist and residential areas.
“The climate conditions in the Middle East together with diminishing resources of fossil energy, demand new materials, solutions and technologies that will help achieve added values for buildings throughout their lifecycle,” he says.
Targeted at a host of visitors ranging from investors to developers, project managers, architects and planners, construction and trade companies, executives and decision-makers involved in the planning, construction, marketing and maintenance of public and commercial real estate, IBME expects to open up a comprehensive world of solutions. “This one-of-a-kind exhibition will complement the booming construction activity and development in the Middle East as it aspires to meet the demands of the ever-growing construction industry. IBME will bring together all the different facets of the construction industry - from machinery to materials, to buildings services and interior designs,” says Shafeea.
The trade show will open up a market of cost-effective materials, components and products to improve quality, performance and comfort of buildings. During the conference, top speakers will present latest research results and innovative solutions for buildings in hot and humid climates. The special exhibit will showcase cutting-edge materials, products and technologies. The Project Show Case will display innovative and up-coming building projects of the Gulf region.”
IBME aims at being a vertical event and at providing products, solutions and technologies for the specific climatic conditions of the region. The exhibition, conference and special shows seek to combine the latest knowledge, products, research findings and implemented projects with architects, planners and technology-orientated companies in the worldwide building industry. IBME will focus on the case studies of past and existing construction experiences in the GCC in order to get a comprehensive picture of the potential of the future of construction in the hot climate of the region, he points out.
Well-known companies and experts are reported to be very keen about their participation and 50 keynote speakers from 10 different countries are expected to address the conference.