August 09, 2015

A wide range of construction industry topics delivered by renowned international industry speakers will be featured at the upcoming Big 5 Kuwait. The largest construction event is set to take place from September 14 - 16, 2015 at the Kuwait International Fair. Architects, Interior Designers, Consultants, Procurement Managers, Contractors, Real Estate Developers, Engineers, and Government personnel attending the three-day exhibition can participate in and learn from more than 20 free Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accredited workshops.   

During the three day course of the event, some of the topics to be discussed include: 

•    Update and overview of Kuwait's 2035 renewable energy targets and Kuwait’s green building framework
•    New trends and innovations in interior design; 
•    BIM modeling and applications;
•    Health and safety in construction masterclass;
•    The Internet of Things: Making smart cities a reality; and 
•    Cost-benefit analysis of internal facilities management (FM)

Some of the featured speakers at the workshops are Simon Palmer, Partner, DLA Piper; Loic Finlan, Senior Sustainability Manager, KEO International Consultants;  Stewart Cripps, HSE Coordinator, SSH;  Alaa Dalghan, General Manager UAE &  Director, Middle East & Africa, B&B SmartWorx; Mike Wood, Consultant, Ministry of Electricity and Water; Eng. Mohammed Abdulrazzak, Vice-Chairman, Technical Committee, Kuwait Green Building Council; and Dr. Moetaz Al Hawary, President, American Concrete Institute Kuwait Chapter.

“The series of free-to-attend CPD-recognised workshops at The Big 5 Kuwait 2015 will provide all visitors an ideal venue to better understand the local industry, know its needs and navigate its many aspects. The latest insights and new strategies to be gained by our attendees will contribute to the growth of their businesses and, consequently, the entire local sector. Furthermore, the subjects have been chosen specifically in accordance with the current industry requirements and trends to ensure that the attendees will obtain new and updated information” Stewart Cripps, HSE Coordinator, SSH added. 

A half-day workshop on ‘How to trade in Kuwait’ will also be staged to help the international exhibitors and local distributors navigate through the unique process of doing business in Kuwait.  The session will provide delegates with an important background on how and where to get started; local partnerships; licensing, permits and visas; premises and employment; taxation requirements; Kuwait foreign offset contributions; and risk management and exit procedures. 

Ioannis Spanos, Senior Sustainability Manager, KEO International Consultants stated: “The participants can expect an extensive range of highly interactive and informative lecture series that will cover various key aspects of the construction sector including state of the art sustainability developments. We look forward to speaking with decision makers, industry leaders, policy makers and other stakeholders from both the government and private sectors. Our ultimate goal is to share our knowledge and skills in sustainable energy and sustainable construction that will further reinforce Kuwait’s market and contribute to the global industry’s growth.”

The exhibition comes at a time when Kuwait’s growing construction market is being driven by the energy sector.  According to the International Monetary Fund, energy projects constitute 40 per cent of the country’s total construction projects as of May 2015. A research done by Ventures also shows that the government’s overall energy construction spending is expected to reach USD 100 billion over the next five years as it began the implementation of its comprehensive 2030 strategy. 

More companies are increasingly considering the educational features of any trade fair, such as seminars, workshops and open forums, when taking part in an event. According to a recent survey conducted by dmg events, approximately 64 per cent of respondents affirmed that industry-focused educational content would influence their decision making.