- Judges applaud Hilton’s choice to appoint local supplier as well as brand’s commitment to reuse stand materials over the next three years
- Saudia secures ATM Best Stand Design Award (over 150m2) for the second consecutive year, as panel congratulates airline for creating ‘wow factor’
- Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Visit Maldives and WebBeds also scoop trophies at ATM 2023
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 3 May 2023: Hilton was presented with the inaugural Sustainable Stand Award at the 30th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which will run at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) until Thursday 4 May. The hospitality brand was praised by the exhibition’s independent panel of judges for its decision to engage a local supplier in the creation of its stand, as well as its commitment to repurposing as many materials as possible over the coming three years.
To support its ecologically responsible approach to its stand design, Hilton is measuring its environmental footprint with a carbon calculator and has taken steps to mitigate the impact of its catering activities throughout the show, in line with the company’s long-term sustainability goals.
The ATM judges also extended their condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Jochem-Jan Sleiffer, Hilton’s former President – Middle East, Africa and Türkiye, who passed away last week.
In addition to Hilton, the ATM 2023 Best Stand Awards judges commended a number of other exhibitors for their sustainable efforts. The panel praised The Royal Commission of AlUla for paying close attention to the sustainable materials used in its stand’s design, and Switzerland Tourism for its ‘sustainability wall’ and the reusable modular system that it adopted.
In the Best Stand Design Award (over 150m2) category, Saudia was selected by the judges for the second year running. The Kingdom’s flag carrier received praise for its impactful use of digital screens and reflective flooring, which the panel said created a genuine ‘wow factor’.
The Best Stand Design Award (under 150m2) was presented to Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, whose showcase was inspired by the home of global superstar, Rhianna. The ATM judges commented on the design’s success in representing the feel of Barbados, as well as the innovative integration of digital screens. Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts was highly commended by the panel in this category for its layout and use of recycled materials.
Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) was presented with the Best Stand for Doing Business Award, thanks to its impressive three-storey exhibition space. The stand’s comfortable seating, spacious layout and high-quality hospitality combined to create an inviting environment for visitors, according to the panel. Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority was highly commended in this category for its use of space, success in reflecting the Emirate and eye-catching powerboat centrepiece.
The Best Stand at ATM Travel Tech Award was won by WebBeds, thanks to its welcoming, functional and eye-catching design, as well as its spacious upstairs meeting area. The judges also commended RateGain’s stand, whose use of wood distinguished it from many of its other Travel Tech counterparts.
Visit Maldives secured the Best Stand Feature Award, with judges remarking on the impact of its digital floor area. The striking display depicted a marine environment replete with whale sharks and manta rays, conveying the Indian Ocean destination effectively and memorably.
The judges for the ATM 2023 Best Stand Awards included Helen Sheppard, Sustainability Director at RX; Christian Druart, Secretary of the Sustainable Development Working Group at The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI); Selina Donald, Chief Sustainability Advisor and Founder at The Bulb; Nadia Ibrahim, Director – Consultancy & Sustainability at Farnek; Kevin Agnew, Global Environment Manager at RELX; Sarah Duignan, Director – Client Relationships at STR; Philip Wooller, Senior Director Middle East & Africa at STR; Matt Gibson, CEO of UpThink; and Marissa Baranoff-Rossine, Editor of TTG Asia.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Our judges were immensely impressed with the quality of this year’s stands, which demonstrated a range of innovative approaches to sustainability, functionality and hospitality. I would like to thank the panel members for their time and effort and congratulate all of this year’s winners for their excellent exhibition spaces.”
The 30th edition of ATM is taking place as part of Arabian Travel Week (1-10 May 2023), a festival of events dedicated to enabling industry professionals from all over the world to collaborate and capitalise on market opportunities through exhibitions, conferences, breakfast briefings, awards, product launches and networking events.
Those attending ATM 2023 in person can get involved in the conversation online by using the hashtag #ATMDubai when posting on social media channels.
ATM 2023 is being held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre, and its strategic partners include Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) as the Destination Partner, Emirates as the Official Airline Partner, IHG Hotels & Resorts as the Official Hotel Partner, and Al Rais Travel as the Official DMC Partner.
About Arabian Travel Market (ATM), now in its 30th year, is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2022 attracted over 24,000 visitors and hosted over 31,000 participants including 1,600 exhibitors and attendees from 151 countries, across 10 halls at Dubai World Trade Centre. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai
About Arabian Travel Week is a festival of events taking place within and alongside Arabian Travel Market 2023. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes ILTM Arabia, ARIVAL Dubai, Influencers’ events and activations, ITIC, GBTA Business Travel Forums, as well as ATM Travel Tech. It also features the ATM Buyer Forums, ATM Speed Networking Events as well as a series of country forums.
About RX (Reed Exhibitions)
RX is in the business of building businesses for individuals, communities and organisations. We elevate the power of face-to-face events by combining data and digital products to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at over 400 events in 22 countries across 43 industry sectors. RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.
RELX About RELX
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs over 33,000 people, of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. The market capitalisation is approximately £33bn, €39bn, $47bn.*
World Travel Market (WTM) Portfolio comprises leading travel events, online portals and virtual platforms across four continents. The events are:
WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. The show facilitates business connections for the global (leisure) travel community. Senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating travel industry contracts. Next live event: Monday 6 to 8 November 2023 at ExCel London
WTM Latin America takes place annually in the city of São Paulo and attracts around 20,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers qualified content together with networking and business opportunities. In this its ninth edition – there have been eight face-to-face events along with a 100% virtual one, which was held in 2021 – WTM Latin America continued to focus on effective business generation and achieved the advance booking of six thousand meetings that were held between buyers, travel agents and exhibitors in 2022. Next event: Tuesday 4 to Thursday 6 April 2023 – Expo Center Norte, SP, Brazil
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2022, WTM Africa facilitated more than 7 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 7% compared to 2019 and welcomed more than 6 thousand visitors (unaudited), the same number as in 2019.
About ATW Connect: Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel, LGBTQ+ travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.
WTM Global Hub, is the new WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub
