Breakbulk Middle East set event safety benchmark

Breakbulk Middle East (BBME) will return to Dubai for a third consecutive year from 9-10 February 2021, where this year's edition welcomed 3,444 visitors coming from 72 countries.

A key pull factor: A raft of stringent anti-Covid measures at Dubai World Trade Centre, the same venue that ushered in the return of MICE in the UAE with the ‘Ai Everything x Restart Dubai Summer Conference’ held on 16 July.

These safety measures encompass physical distancing, enhanced cleaning and hygiene, mandatory detection and tracing, and communication. For 2021's event, BBME continues to up the safety game with these additional steps:

A contactless registration system with limited onsite registrations to manage overcrowding, while also streamlining queuing at entrances. All attendees will be issued with an e-ticket in advance to gain access to the event. Entry and exit will also only be one-way.

Specially created four-metre gangways will run the length of the Sheikh Saeed Hall 1 to widen aisles, and ensure safe physical distancing.

New meeting areas will be drafted into the floor plan of Dubai World Trade Centre, to allow face-to-face meetings for up to 4 people while incorporating safe physical distancing and other added protective design features.

An expanded Breakbulk Middle East Main Stage theatre to allow safe physical distancing measures.

Increased times between content sessions to allow for enhanced cleaning of the area.

H.E Eng. Ahmed Sharif Al Khouri, director general of the Federal Transportation Authority for Land and Maritime, Abu Dhabi, applauded the UAE's resilience in fighting the pandemic, "as well as its emergency response readiness, and successful planning and action".

"The pandemic has underpinned the need for businesses to be agile to remain competitive. Now with a gradual return to normalcy, the nation serves as a model for how public and private collaboration is crucial in addressing challenges.”