ARABIAN SPONSORSHIP FORUM BRINGS TOGETHER ELITE OF ARABIAN GULF MARKETING INDUSTRY

Region’s leading sports and entertainment marketing conference returns to Abu Dhabi this week -

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 5^th December, 2010  The Arabian Sponsorship Forum is expected to see more than 300 of the region’s leading marketers, agencies and rights-holders attend the two-day Forum at The Yas Hotel, Abu Dhabi on December 8^th and 9^th.

The ‘Introduction to Sponsorship’ workshop, which will be attended by more than 150 undergraduates and recent graduates, will be led by Professor T.Bettina Cornwell, from the Lundquist College of Business at the University of Oregon, who is widely regarded as the one of the world’s leading sponsorship academics, and Nick Cottage, Head of Sponsorship, Etihad.

The 2010 key note speech is from Dr Danny Jordaan, CEO of the Local Organising Committee of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. In addition, there will be other key note speeches from Kevin Roberts, the Global CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi; Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer, Eithad Airways; and Jocelyn Robiot, the Global Marketing Director of adidas International.

This year’s Forum also involves a new partnership for stakeholders in the sponsorship industry. Aabar, Emirates, Etihad, Etisalat, Fast Track, Flash, MediaPro, OmanSail, UAE University, Twofour 54 and Zayed Sports City are all confirmed as Corporate Partners. They each receive rights and benefits for their employees to attend all the sessions, enter the Awards and promote their products and services via a new Guide called ‘Opportunities in Sponsorship 2011’ which will be published by Professional Sports Group after the Forum.

In addition, delegates from the many of the region’s leading brands are also attending including  ADCB, ADNIC, Barclays, Du, HSBC, HP, L’Oreal, LG, Nokia, Red Bull and Sorouh.

HE Mohamed Al Mahmoud, the General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council -  the patron and platinum sponsor of the 2010 Forum - is pleased with the development of the 2010 conference:

“This year’s Forum has developed well from the inaugural event, particularly with the emphasis on learning and best practice. The ‘Introduction to Sponsorship’ session with Professor Cornwell is important for both recent Emirati graduates and undergraduates. The support of the leading agencies, companies, rights holders and universities within Abu Dhabi, the UAE and across the Gulf is also important.”

“Sponsorship is a core element of our remit to develop sports in Abu Dhabi. This initiative helps us all to develop the sponsorship industry in the region.”

Jamie Cunningham, Chairman of the Arabian Sponsorship Forum, commented:

“We would like to thank the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Sports Care Program for their patronage and support. There is no better venue for this year’s Forum than Yas Hotel given its location on Yas Marina Circuit, the venue of the Arabian Gulf’s biggest sponsorship event of 2010.”

“We are excited that Dr Jordaan is attending, particularly given this week’s FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi and last week’s announcement that Qatar will host the Arabian Gulf’s first World Cup in 2022.”

In addition to Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Sports Care Program and The Yas Hotel, Gold sponsors include IFM Sports Marketing Surveys, the world’s leading sports consulting and research company; and The Tribe, a leading UAE digital firm.

For more information, please visit www.arabiansponsorship.com

KidZania® readies for opening at The Dubai Mall offering role-play edu-tainment for children

Dubai, UAE; March 18, 2009: Children can soon experience their ambition to become anything from pilots to fashion models to doctors or bankers, as the first KidZania® edutainment attraction in the Middle East opens in The Dubai Mall in the third quarter of this year. Based on role play, the oldest game of all, KidZania® is one of the world’s most popular children’s entertainment concepts and is readying for opening at the mall shortly.

Essentially a scaled-down city featuring all business and social components of a bustling metropolis, KidZania® at The Dubai Mall offers up to 70 roles for children to play ranging from doctors, engineers, teachers, construction workers, artists and mechanics, among others. At KidZania®, children have the option of just ‘visiting’ or ‘working’ in establishments that are modelled on various professions. The ‘employees’ are provided costumes reflecting the theme of the role they prefer to play, and will be part of an entertainment zone that has its own currency and economy. The entire concept of KidZania® is developed on offering children a real-life business and social environment, and familarising them with real-world careers.

KidZania® aims at enabling children to develop their abilities and attitudes physically and intellectually, while stimulating creative thinking and social responsibility. This will particularly appeal to educational institutions looking for avenues to further strengthen their students’ overall development. The award-winning credentials of the theme centre are a perfect complement to the high standards of education envisaged by schools. KidZania® has already won the Best Theme Park Worldwide Award from the Themed Entertainment Association in 2001, the IAAPA Top FECs of the World Award in 2006 and IAAPA Brass Ring Award for Industry Marketing in 2008.

Mr Mohammed Ali, Region Executive Director, Emaar International, said: “Retail and leisure are central themes that drive the economy of Dubai, and both the sectors need continuous innovation. KidZania® is bringing to Dubai, a powerful and successful leisure attraction, which will further enhance the appeal of The Dubai Mall as a family destination.”

Established in 1999, KidZania® was an overwhelming success when it first opened in Santa Fe, Mexico City. The entertainment zone attracted over 760,000 visitors in the very first year of trade in Mexico and the impressive visitor turn-out repeated at KidZania® franchises in Tokyo and Jakarta. In addition to Dubai, new franchises are planned to open in Seoul, Osaka and Lisbon in 2009.

Mr Yousif Al Ali, General Manager, The Dubai Mall, said: “KidZania® is an entertainment concept that has no parallels in Dubai or the region. For the first time, children will have a city all for their own. They will manage the ‘city’s’ economy and social life by enacting various roles. They will also deal with the special KidZos currency, which they can use for buying and selling products, or even save into their accounts.”

He added: “KidZania® will be a place where every child’s dreams come true, and will enable them to obtain a better understanding of how cities and societies function. The opening of KidZania® also reiterates the commitment of The Dubai Mall to offer a distinctive leisure and lifestyle experience. Today’s mall visitors are discerning about their choice, and it is important to give them variety. KidZania® will be a much-preferred attraction for families.”

Sprawling across 80,000 sq ft over two levels in the entertainment zone, which will also feature SEGA Republic and REEL Cinemas, KidZania® will feature homes, offices, schools, fire station, race track, radio station, pizzeria, hospitals, bank, ATM machines, theatre and fashion ramps, all scaled down to a smaller, child-friendly size. Kids can then choose a preferred ‘role’ and be provided with costumes and other accessories for the complete real-life like experience.

Mr Suresh Bhatia, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Retail, said: “The overarching philosophy of KidZania® – an award-winning concept - is edu-tainment. For the first time in Dubai, children of all ages will have a unique play environment where fun and interactive learning meet. They can not only participate in fun-filled role-play activities but also hone their talent and skills through the real-life-like learning experiences. KidZania®’s niche activities also mark the first ‘experimental marketing’ platform in Dubai, whereby we are partnering with local service providers such as banks, hotels and automobile dealers for a true-to-life experience.”

He explained: “Work on KidZania® is progressing, and when it opens later this year, it will add to a diverse entertainment roster in The Dubai Mall including the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo and Dubai Ice Rink. KidZania® Dubai is billed to be the city’s next biggest family destination that will greatly contribute to the all-round development of children.”

KidZania® will be managed by a team of trained professionals. The high ratio of staff-to-children and Kid Zearch, a Radio Frequency ID, will keep track of children’s activities and whereabouts, reassuring parents who can drop off their kids and pick them up at a later time.

The Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destinations, has a wide spectrum of retail and leisure choices for visitors. Of the 1,200 retail outlets in the mall, more than 800 have opened. The leisure attractions including the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink and The Waterfall are crowd-pullers, while the Gold Souk and Fashion Avenue offer a variety of niche shopping options.