The Director of Exhibitions, Qatar Tourism Authority, Hamad Alabdan addressing a press conference to announce Qatar International Motor Show at the InterContinental Doha yesterday. With him are the Deputy Group CEO, Entertainment, q.Media, Jaber Al Ansari (left) and the International Director of Fira de Barcelona, Ricard Zapatero. Salim Matramkot
BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
DOHA: Over 40 latest auto brands are taking part in the fourth edition of Qatar International Motor Show from February 21 to 25 at Qatar National Convention Centre.
“This year more than 40 brands are participating, which is 20 percent more compared to last year,” said Ricard Zapatero, CEO of Fira de Barcelona International, which is co-organising the expo with Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and q.Media Events. Fira Barcelona is a leading Spanish trade and industrial show organiser with a portfolio of over 70 expos.
Hamad Alabdan, Director of Exhibitions, QTA, told a press conference yesterday at the InterContinental Doha that this year’s show is being organised after consultation with exhibitors to avoid problems they faced in the previous edition.
As a result, the fee has been reduced from $270 to $220 per sqm and the date of the event moved from January to February, maximising the participation of exhibitors from around the world.
“In international calendar, date is important because there are many events to schedule. So we are placing ourselves between Detroit and Geneva (auto shows), so everybody can join ours,” said Zapatero. American brands such as General Motors, which was not able to take part in previous editions, is able to take part this year because of the change in schedule, he said.
Among the exciting events is a talk show about motor competition in which engineers, pilots and circuit designers from Formula 1 and teams around the world are taking part, Zapatero revealed.
Expos on sports cars and the best competition images from around the world also other highlights at the expo which expected to witness around 150,000 visitors, he added.
“Events such as this show play an important role in cementing Qatar’s position as a leading events destination in the region. The show combines trade and consumer interests in one of the premier events on Qatar’s events calendar,” said Alabdan.
“Qatar, a leading MICE destination, will see further growth in the meetings and exhibitions industry under the new strategy, which brings new focus to our efforts to develop all segments of tourism in the country,” he added.
Jaber Al Ansari, Deputy Group CEO, Entertainment q.Media said: “We are delighted to partner again with QTA to bring this event to Qatar and this time joined by Fira Barcelona. It provides us with an opportunity to communicate messages such as safe driving as well as being able to share new technology and designs with the industry and the public.
“We are looking forward to a bigger and better show and will announce details over the next couple of weeks.”
The show will be free for the public from February 21 to 25, from 4pm to 10pm on weekdays and 1pm to 10pm on weekends.
The Peninsula
