ICCA’s new partnership with Arabian Travel Market (ATM) reinforces ICCA’s commitment to driving tourism growth through the business events sector in the Middle East. This collaboration will also see the debut of IBTM @ ATM in 2025, a dedicated feature to spotlight and elevate the region's business events industry.
The International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), The global community and knowledge hub for the international association meetings industry, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the leading international event for the travel and tourism sector.
As the official Business Events Partner for ATM 2025, ICCA will lead sessions on the evolving landscape of global business events, including seminars focusing on the sector's future and addressing key trends such as sustainability, digital transformation, and the integration of AI to enhance event experiences.
Furthermore, ICCA will be responsible for facilitating the attendance of key international association buyers, showcasing the region's diverse offer for event planners, and its capacity to attract large-scale congresses with the long-term outlook of contributing to the region's economy and development.
Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA: “ICCA proudly announces our collaboration with ATM as we celebrate the exciting inclusion of business events as a foundational segment in future editions. This collaboration represents a significant step toward driving meaningful business engagements, with dedicated sessions, research reports, and networking opportunities for key stakeholders. Together, we aim to bring the best of the Business Events to ATM, fostering connections that will leave a lasting impact. The strategic partnership also highlights ICCA’s commitment to sharing exclusive insights on the global meetings industry and future best practices. We look forward to working together in 2024 and beyond.”
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: "Our partnership with ICCA reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional value to the business events sector, which has always been a cornerstone of ATM. We look forward to leveraging ICCA’s global network and insights to deliver unparalleled value to our exhibitors and attendees as we explore the future of business events, particularly in the rapidly expanding international market.”
The latest insights from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) show a strong recovery in the business events sector. Business travel spending is expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2024, reaching a record US$1.5 trillion. Dubai has already secured 175 international business events in the first half of 2024, a 24% increase compared to last year, according to Dubai Business Events (DBE), highlighting the UAE’s importance as a key destination for business events.
Claudia Hall, Exhibition Director, IBTM World, said: “As the global platform for the Business Events industry, IBTM is excited to be part of the collaboration with ATM and our long-standing strategic partner ICCA to deliver a tailored experience for event planners and suppliers in the region. With substantial growth anticipated for the business events sector in the Middle East, and increasing demand from suppliers and buyers at ATM wanting to connect, do business and share knowledge and insights, it feels like an opportune moment to use our expertise to support this growth.”
The latest ATM news stories are available at https://hub.wtm.com/category/press/atm-press-releases/
About ICCA
ICCA is a global community and knowledge hub for the international association – and governmental – meetings industry. Founded in 1963, ICCA specialises in the international association meetings sector, offering data, education, communication channels, as well as business development and networking opportunities. Today, ICCA continues to advocate for the world of international meetings. The ICCA Association Community offers associations across the world education, connections, tools, and resources to help them organise more effective and successful meetings. Read more: www.iccaworld.org
About ATM
Now in its 32nd year, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. Held annually at the Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024 spanned 12 halls, making it the largest edition to date. The event attracted over 47,000 attendees and more than 35,000 visitors (including 6,000+ high-value buyers) and over 2,550 exhibitors and representatives from over 161 countries. In 2025, ATM will expand to 13 halls, growing across all sectors, and will continue to be a crucial gathering for the global travel and tourism industry. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai
ATM takes place from 28 April to 1 May 2025, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai
https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html
Arabian Travel Week is a week-long festival of events from 28 April to 4 May, alongside Arabian Travel Market 2025. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes IBTM @ATM, Start-Up Competition, Influencers' Event, GBTA Business Travel Forums, ICCA Forums and Business Exchange and ATM Travel Tech. The event also features ATM Buyer Networking and a series of country forums.