Dubai an overall guide:

What basically works here in Dubai for you the DMC? What types of event could prove difficult and what types of event are very successful?

Dubai has played host to so many types of event that it would be impossible to list them all here so we have split this into three sections. Budgets, numbers and programme giving you information on how initially to approach these subjects. Remember that these are for a quick quideline, if you need specifics, ask us we have a maximum 24 hour turnround on replying to emails.

Budgets:

Whilst Dubai is not the most expensive place in the world or the cheapest, our experience is that it is very good value for money. 5 star Hotels range from Dhs 850/950 (US Dollars 250 approx) in the city to Dhs 1700/200 and above (US Dollars 550 approx)on the beach. So when you are looking at the city properties you are saving about 50% of your hotel budget.There are times when, if we manage to hit a period where the hotels have an unwanted space in their booking level (this is unfortunately quite rare) where we can squeeze the rates downwards, but at the moment you would have to be willing to fly tomorrow – or in August – to take advantage of that!

Numbers:

We would say that from and organised event point of view that you limit the numbers to a maximum of 1500 and a minimum of about twenty. (Although we do weddings for just the two main protagonists, no problem at all!

With very high numbers access to venues and activites starts to get complicated although in a meeting situation with lower numbers of group activities things are easier.

Programmes:

From a conference point of view – with the newer larger hotels that have opened we now have much greater scope for bigger more complicated conferences. Some of the hotels also have a very high level of in-house AV equipment, others that you would think would have, don’t just not have the equipment – they charge delusionary amounts for us to bring in our own.

With larger numbers hotels can be restrictive, 300 rooms is about the most we can expect to get in any one hotel after that we are looking at splitting over more than one property.

In the city in this respect we are very lucky as we have both the JW Marriott and the Renaissance hotel right next to each other giving us a minimum of 500 rooms within walking distance of what is indeed the best hotel based conference facility in Dubai, the pair of hotels are further enhanced by the additional meeting rooms in the Renaissance. On the beach we can achieve higher numbers by using Madinat Jumeirah and Jumeirah Beach Hotel, but of course we are looking at a very much higher budget.