The largest and most influential construction event in the Middle East is coming back on 26-29 November at the Dubai World Trade Centre with an impressive array of new features.
Under the theme “Shaping the future of construction”, The Big 5 2018 will introduce never seen before technologies and innovative solutions. It will shed light on rising entrepreneurs that promise to disrupt the construction sector, as well as on the women that are pushing the industry forward. On its 39th edition, the show will once again pave the way for new partnerships, boost investments and connect professionals from around the world, in Dubai.
“Technology is quickly reshaping the world of construction. Today, it offers unprecedented opportunities to work faster, more efficiently and more sustainably. Industry players who embrace innovation in a sector that is widely considered a late technology adopter, can truly go a long way in building success, and staying on top in an extremely competitive market.”-Josine Heijmans, Portfolio Director at dmg events
The event will feature the first FutureTech Construction Summit on November 26. The conference will be fully dedicated to exploring future trends and technologies through case studies, panel discussions and thought-provoking presentations. Under the theme of “Empowering Innovation in the Construction Ecosystem”, the FutureTech Construction Summit will unveil how construction industry professionals can achieve higher productivity, greater sustainability and enhanced affordability in their projects with the help of technology.
At a dedicated Live Innovation Zone, visitors will be able to discover new products and solutions presented at interactive live demonstrations. A permanent display of all the most innovative products at The Big 5 will also offer a glimpse of what is shaking up the construction industry today.
Next to the Live Innovation Zone, selected start-ups in the construction industry will display the technologies and solutions that will revolutionize tomorrow’s built environment. The Big 5 Start-up City will gather the next construction tech disruptors, a selection of rising stars that will soon make an impact in the field. In order to support these innovative entrepreneurs, The Big 5 will offer a prize to the most innovative start-up, which will be selected by a panel of judges through an exciting competition.
Bringing the industry forward also means changing the popular misconception of relating construction to a man’s job. This year, The Big 5 will therefore launch the Big 5’s Women in Construction Seminar and Awards, which will offer strong, powerful and successful women an international stage where to share their experience on how they are changing the game and making an impact.
Addressing the need to reinvent gender diversity in the workspace, The Big 5’s Women in Construction Seminar and Awards will pave the way to overcome today’s challenges and advance the entire industry, together.
Cynthia Corby, Audit Partner & Middle East Construction Industry Leader at Deloitte & Touche Middle East and one of Middle East’s Most Influential Women in 2018 according to Forbes, Shorouq Hamawi, Regional Communications and Marketing Manager at Mott MacDonald, and Marcus Taylor, Managing Partner at Taylor Sterling, will be part of a dedicated panel discussing this particular topic on November 28.
A wide education agenda will also come back this year at The Big 5. The popular CPD-certified and free to attend workshops will run in four dedicated theatres as BIM Talks, Architecture Talks, Project Management Talks and Design Talks.
Moreover, beyond the FutureTech Construction Summit and the Women in Construction Seminar, the “How to Do Business in the UAE” Seminar will provide terrific value and business intelligence to exhibitors and visitors interested in navigating the burgeoning UAE construction market.
Taking place on November 28, “How to Do Business in The UAE” will be presented with the support of Dubai South Business Park, hosting high profile speakers like Manal Al Bayat, Senior Vice President - Content and Programming at Expo 2020, and Hussain Al Fardan, Head of Innovation Centre, Strategy & Corporate Excellence at Dubai Customs.
Covering an area as big as 16 football fields one next to the other, The Big 5 will showcase thousands of construction products and solutions from around the globe. Over 2,500 construction companies will take part in the exhibition, clustered in five dedicated sectors: MEP services, Building Interiors & Finishes, Building Envelope & Special Construction, Construction Tools & Building Materials, and Construction Technology & Innovation.
The Big 5 Solar, the Urban Design & Landscaping Expo, HVACR Expo, Middle East Concrete and The Big 5 Heavy will run as part of The Big 5 this year, creating one mega construction event from 26-29 November at the Dubai World Trade Centre.