The 5th edition of the Media and Marketing Show (MMS), the region's premier event for the media and marketing industry, opened its doors to the public and media professionals today.

The 3-day event was inaugurated by HH Sheikh Hasher Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, Director General, Department of Information, Dubai, who stressed the importance of niche industry events such as MMS as key to bolstering the media and marketing sector and fostering the overall resurgence of the economy.

Organized by the Domus Group, MMS 2009 has a strong focus on the broadcast and production industry, attracting industry giants CNN and Al Arabiya News Channel, as well as O3 Productions, MBC Group's production arm, Busy Bee and more. In addition, the event will also present first time participant Samanyolu TV, one of the highest-rated TV channels in Turkey. Other prominent exhibitors from the broadcast industry include Al Aan TV, Orient TV, Al Aquaria TV, Decision Makers and Fujairah Media.

Mr. Fadi Ismail, General Manager, O3 Production, said: "Production is the core pillar around which the media industry has grown and production quality has become a key determinant of the success of dramas, documentaries, corporate films, news and entertainment programmes. As MMS puts the spotlight on this pivotal sector of the media industry we are extremely happy to take the lead and launch the Production Zone at this year's event."

MMS 2009 will also host a two-day workshop, titled "Breaking the News" on November 4th and 5th. Organized by Center for International News Education & Media Advancement, "CINEMA", the workshop is designed for broadcast professionals who want to enhance their television news reporting, presenting, and production skills. It will introduce participants to inside secrets and power techniques practiced by the top television and broadcast news networks in the United States and around the world.

Maysoon Abulhoul, Managing Director, Domus Group, said: "Despite the general gloomy environment we found ourselves in earlier this year, the media and marketing industry has proven resilient and continues to assert a bright and positive outlook for the months and years to come. We are pleased to announce that exhibitor participation at this year's event is at an all time high and the attendance on the first-day is strong."

Every sector of the communications industry has a strong presence at this year's event - TV stations, website portals, advertising and media services companies, satellite communication, production companies, publishing houses and many more.

Market research pioneers IPSOS started a series of workshops that will stretch over the three day event, stressing on effective outdoor and broadcast advertising measurement.

The second day of the show will feature the Al Arabiya Media and Communication Forum, in which participants will be discussing the Future and Challenges of the industry and the impact of the financial crisis on telecommunication and how best to find opportunities and maintain sustained growth.

The Media and Marketing Show 2009 is taking place from November 3-5 at the Zabeel Hall, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and opens its doors from 10.00 am to 7.00 pm.

Maysoon Abulhoul, Managing Director - Domus Group

This year's Media and Marketing Show 2009 (MMS), features an impressive list of media companies and UAE governmental bodies including The Road and Transportation Authority (RTA).

Now in its fifth year, MMS will focus on broadcast media and will feature CNN and Al Arabiya News Channel, two giants of the international broadcast news segment. The event will also present first time participant Samanyolu TV, one of the highest rated TV channels in Turkey.

O3 Productions, a subsidiary of the MBC group, will bring to the event its expertise in video production and content creation for broadcast media and make.

Other prominent exhibitors from the broadcast industry include Al Aan TV, Orient TV, Al Aquaria TV, Decision Makers, Fujairah Media, and Busy Bee Studios

"The Media and Marketing Show has been growing in strength each year and has evolved into the flagship event of its type for our exhibitors. Despite the economic downturn, media companies have recognised the importance of participation in the show to showcase their products and services to potential customers. We foresee a 10% growth on exhibitors numbers from last year," said Maysoon Abulhoul, Managing Director, Domus Group.

This bears testament to the show's reputation as the one and only specialised event for the media and marketing industry and the resilience of the industry itself.

MMS 2009 will also include conferences and seminars that will run in parallel throughout the three-day event. These include:

• The Al Arabiya conference on 4 November, entitled 'The future of media and telecommunications,' a platform for senior level executives to discuss the future of the media and telecommunications industry, and the rapid growth and development of today's communication channels.
• One of the region's leading media research agencies Ipsos MENA, will provide guidance on how companies can gain valuable consumer insight and save on marketing costs through more effective advertising spreads and better use of various media channels.
• A series of internal conferences organised by the Domus Group will be held over the three days of the show, featuring key speakers from the show's exhibitors: AY Marketing & AEC Partners, and UK media company IMS.

Aside from broadcast, representatives from Maktoob.com Ayna Corporation, RAK Media City will also be exhibiting at the three day show.

The Media and Marketing Show, which will be held at the Zabeel Hall, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday 3 to Friday 5 November from 10.00 - 19.00 daily, is a major must-attend networking platform for anyone in the broadcast media business. MMS is an annual industry event that boosts the fast growing media and marketing sector and provides a forum for communication professionals from across the region.

Marketing Show Managing Director, Ms. Maysoon Abulhoul

Media and Marketing Show 2009, the region's prime media and marketing related event, announces its strategic partnership with CNN, the world's leading international news provider.

As the show's International News Partner, CNN will be sponsoring the Media Center that will host journalists during the 3 day event.

In addition, CNN delegates will be present at the dedicated stand to network with other media representatives and discuss the latest issues and challenges in the media scene. They will also be attending various workshops and conferences that will take place during the show

Commenting on the partnership, Ms. Maysoon Abulhoul, Managing Director MMS, said:
'Year after year, MMS is proving to be the leading exhibition in the media and marketing field. MMS 2009 has partnered with the finest names in the media and marketing industry such as O3 Productions, Al Riyadh Newspaper, Al Ayyam Publishing, Maktoob, ITP, Mediaquest, Dar Al Sayyad to name a few making the event a rewarding, enriching and successful venture. Today we welcome CNN onboard as our International News Partner and we are very pleased to be in collaboration with such a prominent media giant.'

She further added, 'This has all been made possible with the trust that the esteemed regional and international players have placed in the show and with our organization's unwavering commitment to doing all that we can to enhance the overall communications industry across the globe.'

Managed by the Domus Group, MMS 2009 features innovative resources such as workshops, seminars, knowledge sharing discussions and extensive networking opportunities for members of the industry. MMS 2009 is the ideal forum for communications professionals, producers, service providers, specialists and media and marketing executives.

CNN, the world's leading international news provider, has become synonymous with fast, accurate and impartial coverage since it went on air as the world's first 24-hour news channel in 1980.

CNN's branded networks and services across television, radio, mobile services and the Internet are available to more than one billion people in more than 200 countries and territories, and has global and local reach through 47 bureaus worldwide.

Moreover, in 2000 CNN launched its first Arabic Dubai-based website, a leading online news and information site providing the latest international and regional news in Arabic.

The Domus Group, organizers of the Media and Marketing Show 2009 (MMS) in partnership with Ipsos MENA, one of the region's leading media research agencies, will provide guidance on how companies can gain valuable consumer insights and save on marketing costs through more effective advertising spreads and better use of the various media channels.

Ipsos MENA is conducting a detailed media and advertising trend analysis study looking at the top advertising agencies, leading brands and sector performance in the region. The study will lead to a research paper that will be shared with the media and marketing professionals at the research pavilion at MMS 2009.

'Shrinking marketing budgets and growing competition can mean only one thing - the need to better know and understand the consumer to be able to anticipate their behavior, and this is possible only through an increased investment in consumer research,' said Ms. Maysoon A. Abulhoul, Managing Director Domus Group.

She added: 'As the leading forum for the region's media and marketing executives, MMS 2009 is proud to have Ipsos MENA on board as the research partner, who in this role will demystify consumer and media research.'

She added: 'Ipsos will also be conducting a series of three workshops and a live audit to gauge the level of visitor satisfaction to this year's show. The training sessions will revolve around advertising expenditure measurement, media planning software and people-meter TV audience measurement.'

Commenting on the announcement Elie Aoun, Managing Director, Ipsos MENA, said:
'This is not the first year we partner with MMS as the show offers us an ideal platform to reach the key media and marketing professionals in the local and regional market. With the financial crisis hitting almost every sector, Ipsos MENA will offer during the show high value-added analytics and market insight to help companies get more information about consumers and their behaviors during tough financial times.'

The Media and Marketing Show is an annual industry event that provides a boost to the fast growing media and marketing sector and provides a forum for communication professionals from across the region.

The Media and Marketing Show 2009 will take place from 3 to 5 November at the Zabeel Hall, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.