Big 5 opens: Mega projects and market recovery entices industry

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai, officially inaugurated The Big 5, Middle East Concrete and PMV Live 2013 at the Dubai World Trade Center.
With a history of more than 33 years in the region, the event has grown 10 percent this year, and brings together more than 2,500 exhibitors from 65 countries with an anticipated 60,000 construction industry professionals on site over the course of four days.
Professionals from the construction industry gather together to showcase and source new, innovative and sustainable products, see the latest trends, get an update on regulations impacting design and build, and identify new markets and business opportunities.
Opening alongside The Big 5 will be Middle East Concrete, the largest event for the concrete industry showcasing innovative concrete products, technical seminars and live product demonstrations, as well as PMV Live, an interactive event for the plant, machinery and vehicle industry highlighting the latest heavy vehicles and related equipment throughout the four day event.
Andy White, group event director for The Big 5 2013, said the event continues to grow with each edition and is still considered the region’s most important event for the building and construction industry.
“This year The Big 5 is once again giving architects, interior designers, contractors, developers and all other construction professionals, access to the full spectrum of products. Our educational program has also expanded this year giving our visitors access to hundreds of free seminars, workshops and regulatory updates,” he was quoted as saying in a press release received here.
As part of The Big 5, international and regional experts will be addressing industry issues such as sustainability and low energy emitting materials, project management in construction, building interior trends, façade design, fire safety and managing aging structural asset portfolios at over 100 free to attend seminars running throughout the event. Best in class studies will be presented during the Sustainable Design & Construction Conference including the LEED Platinum rated DEWA building and the futuristic White Sky iHouse.
Dubai Municipality will also be presenting on the update to its Green Building Codes, due to go live from January 1, at a free to attend seminar on the 25 November.
This year’s event also includes a new arena specifically dedicated to building interiors, bringing together a wide range of products and services catering to this sector of the industry.
The new arena provides a selective platform for this increasingly influential market segment, currently worth around $10 million within the GCC.
In addition to the new arena, the exhibition will be further broken down into product specific sectors, including HVAC, Coatings, Adhesives & Sealants, Kitchens & Bathrooms, Windows & Doors, Steel, Marble, Slate & Ceramics, Water Technology and General Construction. The show ends on Thursday.