Amy Winehouse, Pharrell Willams with his band N*E*R*D and special guest Mike Posner to Perform at Gulf Bike Week 2011

Dubai-UAE: 12 December, 2010 –  Done Events today announced full live performances by top international artists Amy Winehouse and Pharrell Williams with his band N*E*R*D,  and special guest Mike Posner at the 2011 Gulf Bike Week

Thomas Ovesen, Chief Operating Officer, Done Events, said: “What better way to kick off the new year than to present top international artists, all performing for the first time ever for their Middle East fans. Having Pharrell Williams with his band N*E*R*D, Mike Posner and the amazing Amy Winehouse performing over the same weekend is a real scoop and will not only ensure a full house during the Gulf Bike Week event but will also kick off an amazing season of great entertainment in Dubai.”

In addition to the headline acts, Gulf Bike Week 2011 will also incorporate a special Rolling Stone Magazine stage with local and regional bands performing. Visitors can witness exciting stunts at the FMX Stunt Arena; a three-day GCC Motor-X Championship Run; performances of All-Terrain Vehicles in multiple races; live demonstrations at the ATV/UTV Zone; and the Middle East's largest motorbike ride in which over 800 people are expected to participate.

Christopher Hudson, Managing Director, MECOM Forums a Clarion Events Middle East partner, said: “It is a privilege to have such great artists performing during Gulf Bike Week 2011. Their musical talent, charisma and showmanship, electrifies audiences around the world and provides sheer entertainment consistently. Visitors and concertgoers are sure to leave with a memorable experience as these performers are the perfect complement to the adrenaline pumping Gulf Bike Week.”

To be held under the patronage of His Excellency Mohammed Bin Sulayem, FIA Vice-President for Sport and President of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) the Gulf Bike Week is expected to draw in 40,000 visitors.

The Gulf Bike Week 2011 is the Middle East’s only dedicated urban bike festival in the region. In 2010, the Gulf Bike Week attracted over 30,000 enthusiasts as well as over 14,000 concertgoers. In 2011, more than 150 exhibitors and lifestyle brands including Harley Davidson, Suzuki, Honda, KTM, Ducati, BMW, Kawasaki, Victory, Yamaha, Polaris, Pirelli, Ed Hardy, Bauhaus, and Oakley will be participating at the Gulf Bike Week.

About MECOM Forums

MECOM Forums is a Clarion Events Partner with offices in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. MECOM Forums, a Clarion Events Partner has grown into a highly successful business. In 2009, over 800,000 targeted people visited their 200 exhibitions, conferences and seated events across Britain, Europe, North and South America, Africa, Middle East and Asia.

The business-to-business and business-to-consumer, serve 15 different market sectors that include; Defence, Energy, Construction, Retail, Leisure, Entertainment, Finance and Life Sciences.

Clarion Events employs over 400 people in twelve offices: UK (London Earls Court Exhibition Centre, and Birmingham NEC); Germany (Bielefeld); The Netherlands (Maarsen); South Africa (Cape Town); USA (Connecticut and Reno): Brazil (Sao Paulo); United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi and Dubai); Singapore and Turkey.

More information on www.mecomforums.com.

Smart Grids Middle East 2010 Commences Today in Dubai

Dubai-UAE: 05 December, 2010 – Spintelligent, a division of Clarion Events, today inaugurates the annual edition of Smart Grids Middle East – a key forum for the region’s utility and power sector.

The Smart Grids Middle East 2010 conference has brought together over 200 senior executives - from the utility and power sectors, and from Government energy authorities.  

The event taking place at Dubai’s Shangri La Hotel from 5–7 December, 2010 has attracted over 20 utilities and 20 countries. The conference consists of panel discussions and presentations about the smart grid from three perspectives: technological, commercial, and regulatory.  

Inspired by the need to reduce carbon emissions, save money and improve customer service, the event will highlight intelligent technologies seeking to improve the efficiency, functionality and flexibility of the current power infrastructure.

His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), said: “We have already implemented a number of smart technology measures on our electricity networks such as using the latest SCADA systems, intelligent asset monitoring, control and automation. We have improved the distribution network efficiency by conversion of most of our 6.6 kV networks to more efficient 11 kV networks.

“We have succeeded in reducing substantially our electricity network losses and our unaccounted-for water through network rehabilitation and more optimal network design, engineering, maintenance and procurement. Additionally, on our SmartGrids journey, we have interconnected our electricity grid with neighbouring utilities.”

The conference features keynote speeches on topics of vital importance, including the smart metering revolution, by thought leaders and key players in the utilities and power sector from the Middle East, Europe and the USA. Discussions dwell on changes in the utilities and power industry, and how companies can benefit from this change.

In response to the growing green building and smart city concepts in the Middle East, the conference aims to introduce innovative methods and technologies for greener and more efficient future. The event offers delegates informative sessions on how to build a smart grid city, technologies for intelligent buildings, smart metering and automated metering infrastructure.

Alongside the conference, Metering International, the world’s foremost authority on smart metering will host an exclusive workshop by Dr. Howard Scott on Managing your Smart Meter/ AMI project.

Dr. Howard Scott, Managing Director, Cognyst International, said: “The Middle East is the ideal place to start an AMI or Smart Grid project.  The need to move utility plants to the next generation clearly exist. More importantly, the business case in the Middle East is probably more compelling than anywhere else in the world.  This workshop will address these and other related themes.”

Intelligent buildings and smart, connected cities form important components of the smart grid. According to Pike Research, approximately $200 billion will be spent on smart grid projects by the year 2015. The Smart Grid is a reality for nearly eight per cent of utilities in the world which have begun to implement smart grid projects, and an estimated 37 per cent that are conducting experiments and pilot studies into smart grid projects.

For the second consecutive year, the annual excellence awards will be presented to local industry leaders, utilities and projects that stand out in the region for their quality, innovativeness and efficient use of resources.

Smart Grids Middle East provides an arena where current and future leaders can network with utilities’ and government officials, and develop an understanding of how the smart grid will impact and revolutionise the utility sector in the Middle East region.

About Spintelligent

Spintelligent is part of Clarion Events, a global business-to-business event organizer with over 280 staff in offices in the UK, Netherlands, United States, South Africa, Brazil, UAE and Singapore. 

Spintelligent forms part of Clarion’s specialist energy and utilities portfolio which also includes Synergy and The Energy Exchange.  Spintelligent has established itself as the key strategic information provider to the global metering, meter-to-cash and customer-end technology sector, and as a specialist in African infrastructure development, with a focus on the power and mining sectors. 

For more than 13 years, Spintelligent has been building, sharing, connecting and thinking about the business sectors we serve.  Our industry leading media products – publications, online portals, conferences, exhibitions, industry reports – enable us to share knowledge and insights, build relationships and deliver real business value to our customers and stakeholders. 

Spintelligent is recognized for its print and electronic publications, with market-leading brands including Metering International, ESI Africa and Mining Review Africa. Its regular global events and exhibitions, as well as its critical business intelligence and integrated marketing services make it a leader in its field. The company’s highly skilled resources in management, marketing, research and production allow for unique products