Doha marketing conference to attract more than 200 delegates

The burgeoning conference sector in Qatar has been strengthened further with the news that The Middle East Marketing Forum will host its three-day meeting in Doha on January 12 – 14, 2004.

The event, positioned by organisers as one of the leading forums for marketing in the region, is tipped to attract more than 200 regional marketeers to the city to discuss the theme Marketing in a Changing World with a host of international speakers, including the world-renowned marketing guru Philip Kotler.

According to conference organisers Gray Business Communications, the decision to host the event in Doha was a natural one, as the conference and event sector in Qatar continues to boom.

Conference director Judith Gray said: “There has been a huge amount of investment in the capital’s infrastructure which has provided an excellent foundation for the in-bound conference and incentive market.

“In addition, the economy in Qatar is developing at speed, which will allow us to gather valuable market news as it develops.”

Kotler, a prolific author and recognised as one of the most prominent names in the marketing world, is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech to the event via live video-link from his base in the United States. He addressed the first Marketing Forum event in Dubai three years ago to a sell-out audience.

Gray said that the news that Kotler will address the event is confirmation The Middle East Marketing Forum, now into its fourth year, is firmly established as the authority on marketing information in the Middle East.

She added: “We have seen The Marketing Forum establish a solid reputation over the past four years. The participation of Professor Kotler emphasises our belief that it is vital for Middle East companies to concentrate on developing their long-term business through focusing on strategic marketing.

“Professor Kotler is one of a kind: an award-winning educator, influential corporate adviser to blue-chip brands such as IBM, General Electric, Shell Oil and AT&T, and a global marketing guru. But, more than all these, he is a first-class speaker, and we are thrilled to be able to have him participate again at the Middle East Marketing Forum.”

This year’s theme of Marketing in a Changing World was deemed inevitable at a time when the eyes of the world are on the Middle East, and marketeers have to adapt to a changing global market on a day-to-day basis.

“There has never been a more critical time to ensure that marketing activities – and organisations - can be swift to adapt to an evolving marketplace. As we have seen in the last 12 months, the world can change significantly and we, as marketeers, need to be flexible to change,” said Gray.

Among the other speakers are: newscaster Tim Sebastian; Dr Henry Azzam, CEO of Jordan Invest in Amman; Dr Zainab Karake Shalhoub, associate dean of the Business School, American University of Sharjah; Professor Colin Gilligan of the Sheffield Business School in UK; and Trevor Stokes, president and CEO of American Express Middle East and North Africa.

The three-day forum has already attracted some international sponsors, including BBC World, Q-Tel, Qatar National Bank, Al Jazeera, The Economist magazine and Canon.