The 2nd ASIS International Middle East Security Conference & Exhibition in Bahrain was the first to be called off. Originally scheduled for Feb. 20–22, organizers had to cancel the conference on Feb. 19 when “many countries updated their travel advisories for Bahrain to negative.” Unfortunately, some conference attendees were either already in Manama or en route, and funds spent on preparation and materials specific to the event were unrecoverable.
The Society of Petroleum Engineers has decided to postpone the Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference (MEOS) scheduled for 20–23 March 2011 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Center. New dates for the 17th edition of MEOS have yet to be announced. The 4th Middle East Risk Management Forum 2011 originally to be held in Bahrain on the 14th and 15th of March has been shifted to the 24th and 25th of April in Doha, Qatar. Also, the Bahrain Petroleum Company has decided that the 19th Middle East Petroleum & Gas Conference (MPGC 2011), originally timed for April 10–12, 2011, will be re-scheduled to September 2011, with exact dates to be determined.
The latest event to be moved is MEFTEC, a major financial technology event for emerging markets. Originally to be held in Bahrain on April 18–19, 2011, it will now take place in Abu Dhabi at the national exhibition center, ADNEC, on May 30-31, 2011.
“Though we feel optimistic the situation in Bahrain will return to normal during the coming weeks, we have come to the conclusion that the best approach is to relocate this year’s show to Abu Dhabi,” said Mark Beaumont, the regional managing director of MEFTEC organizers, Media Generation Exhibitions Ltd. “For us, the views of our participants are of the utmost priority, and we are satisfied that the right call has been made.”
This will be the first time MEFTEC takes place outside Bahrain in its seven-year history, and the organizers are planning to expand the event, inviting wait-listed companies to exhibit as more space is available at ADNEC. While the organizers admitted that migrating to new dates and a new venue within a tight time frame created challenges, they believe that the inconvenience is outweighed by the benefits of having a successful and well-attended show.
And while MEFTEC’s organizers thanked the Bahraini authorities for supporting MEFTEC since its inception, Syed Faisal Abbas, project director of MEFTEC stated, “We are confident that MEFTEC’s move to Abu Dhabi will help broaden the reach and appeal of the event and open up new business opportunities for all participants.”
