More categories have been announced for the prestigious MENALAC Leisure Industry Awards, which is set for March 24, 2020, at a gala event in Dubai.
The trade association will be holding its third annual awards night to recognise excellence and achievements in the leisure, attractions and amusement industry in the Middle East and North Africa.
There will be 24 award categories - four more than last year. Those applying to the manufacturers and suppliers will include Supplier of the Year, Best Product for Theme Parks, Best Product for FECs and Best Product for Water Parks. Any company in business since May 31 this year or product that has been in the MENA market since May 31, is eligible.
The association said in a statement that the increase in the number of awards reflected the continued growth of the attractions industry in the region. Nominations will close on January 30.
Each nominee will undergo a strict vetting and judging process to determine the winner and an expert jury will be appointed to carry out this process, filing their votes with an independent audit firm who will collate them.
“Following the tremendous success of the past editions of MENALAC Awards, we have received many requests from the manufacturing and supplier community of our business to create new award categories that will honour their products and services. Great products are an integral aspect to the success of any leisure facility and, therefore, MENALAC’s board of directors is pleased to accept their request and create four new award categories,” said Silvio Liedtke, the vice president and chairman of the events committee.
“The objective of the annual MENALAC Leisure Industry Awards is to raise the standard of the leisure attractions industry in the Middle East and set new benchmarks for the industry locally and globally. We want participants to challenge themselves in achieving excellence and honour them for their outstanding efforts via these awards,” he added.
“With the opening of the leisure and attractions industry in Saudi Arabia – the largest Arab economy - we expect the region’s leisure industry to expand rapidly. The wider awards category will help MENALAC to recognise more organisations and professionals in our wonderful industry.”
“I urge industry stakeholders to nominate themselves for these well recognised and admired Leisure Industry Awards. The opening of the nomination process also kicks off our full preparation for the annual gala. The 2020 edition will be a special one indeed.”
More than 700 senior industry stakeholders are expected to attend the gala event, which also includes the award ceremony and dinner.
MENALAC has evolved as an effective platform for industry players, professionals and regulatory bodies to work hand in hand to create a harmonious relationship between industry stakeholders, investors and authorities, as well as to spread the message of safety via many educational initiatives and industry forums.
The organisation, which was launched in 2016, has grown with a large number of active members across the region, where the leisure and entertainment industry is set to grow due to an increasing young population who are high spenders in leisure and entertainment attractions.
The Gulf Cooperation Council countries are investing significantly to develop their leisure and entertainment sectors to improve quality of life, celebrate national identities and diversify national economies.
Prakash Vivekanand, secretary general of the association, said: “The governments and the private sector businesses in the Middle East are spending a massive amount of resources to develop leisure and entertainment facilities that will boost international tourist arrivals and help the economies to grow. As the market expands, we at MENALAC are launching a number of initiatives, including an industry conference that will help not only increase investor interest in the leisure industry in the Middle East, but also increase interest among larger stakeholders into the leisure and entertainment industry.”
The conference and awards ceremony will be held in March 2020, alongside the exhibition, where several international and regional companies will participate, exhibit the latest technologies, rides and new products as well as discuss industry trends and issues.
