Mediaquest, Motivate, ITP, Media Factory and CPI, five of the biggest independent publishing firms in the UAE, have taken a huge step towards improving workplace efficiency following an agreement to adopt Adstream's digital print workflow solution - Quickcut.

The new technology enables publishers to manage advertising copy digitally, speeding up the production process by eliminating returns and make-goods, and guaranteeing better cost control and total quality control.

It is the first time Adstream's solution, already in use in 42 countries worldwide by in excess of 18,000 publications, will be seen in the Middle East. The software carries out 280 checks on all files sent from an advertising agency to publisher, ensuring ads go to press to the right specs and knocking as much as 30% off the creative and production process.

'This is pivotal moment in Middle East publishing,' says Dominic McGill, Business Development Director at Q2 Arabia, Adstream's exclusive Middle East partner. 'It means publishers can ensure accuracy for the advertiser, save on production costs, and, ultimately, extend their deadlines. We are delighted to be working with the most progressive of Dubai's publishers.'

Between them the five publishers a range of marketing leading titles, including Time Out Dubai, Arabian Business, Grazia, Hello, Autocar, FourFourTwo and Gulf Marketing Review.

Adstream's products are currently used by the best in world-class publishing, including NewCorp, Time Inc., The Financial Times, Australian Consolidated Press, Wall Street Journal, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, The Times of India and IPC Media.

Q2 Arabia, a media solutions consultancy based in Dubai, says the relationships should lead to greater standardization across the region's print and publishing industry.

'The Middle East's printing and publishing sector is expected to be worth approximately $1.7 trillion by the end of this year,' says McGill. 'There is a great incentive for companies to employ best practices, work towards innovation and look to world class standards.'

ITP, the Middle East’s business and consumer magazine publisher, announced today the set up of a new office in Bahrain to manage its regional operations and support stronger regional market growth and reach. The office will also support new magazines aimed at the Bahraini domestic market.

“ITP has a long heritage of working closely with advertisers and readers alike based in countries around the region, and we believe our enhanced presence in Bahrain will facilitate the smooth and effective expansion of those regional operations,” said Walid Akawi, CEO, ITP Publishing Group. “We are excited about this expansion and are aiming to work closely with our regional customers as we expand and enhance our solid regional base.”

ITP’s Bahraini office will support the company’s central customer services, logistics and management offices in Dubai and will aim to provide extended regional reach, particularly into the Kuwaiti, Saudi Arabian and Levantine markets.

“The region is seeing phenomenal growth in many industries and sectors, an expansion that is driving the need for more quality print and online media to reflect the informational needs of these markets,” said Marc Wildman, General Manager, ITP Bahrain. “Bahrain wasn’t a difficult decision as a regional base: we truly believe its location, excellent communications infrastructure and solid logistics capabilities are uniquely positioned to support our regional business model.”

At its early stage, the Bahraini office will focus on developing ITP’s Construction and Women’s Weekly groups of titles in both the Bahraini domestic and GCC regional markets, as it gears up to support all ITP publications.

The Arabian Business Media and Marketing Conference kicked off at the Dubai International Convention Centre's Sheikh Rashid Hall.

The first day of the annual regional conference was keynoted by Piers Morgan, former editor of The News of The World and The Daily Mirror, who addressed the power of celebrity.

The two day conference continues tomorrow and addresses critical issues faced by the media and marketing industry in the region.

'We are delighted that the conference has once again been a packed event attended by the movers and shakers in our region's media and marketing industry,' said Waleed Akawi, CEO of ITP. 'We're looking forward to a lively and energetic debate as this important sector comes to terms with the challenges, realities and opportunities that face it.'

The first day of the conference tackled topics about such as the value of advertising and the power of the PR stunt, with colourful figures from the Middle East and further afield sharing the stage. The second day of the conference will see major addresses from key figures including Emaar chairman Mohammed Alabbar, Al Jazeera Network director general Wadah Khanfar, Hydra Properties chairman Dr. Sulaiman Al Fahim and IAA President Joseph Ghossoub. The conference is being hosted by editor, television presenter and ITP chairman Andrew Neil.

ITP, the Middle East's leading business and consumer magazine publisher, has announced the launch of Harper's Bazaar Dubai.

The new English-language magazine, with an initial print run of 15,000 copies, is available from retailers immediately, circulated across the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar and will be published by ITP Consumer Publishing.

Harper's BAZAAR Dubai will join the ITP growing portfolio of market-leading women's titles that already includes Viva, L'Officiel, and Grazia.

Former Grazia editor, Rachel Sharp, has been appointed as editor-in-chief for Harper's BAZAAR Dubai, and says that the launch is a timely recognition of fashion's importance to Dubai and the wider Middle East region.

'Everybody in the fashion industry that I speak to in Milan, Paris and New York is desperate to be involved in the excitement of Dubai. It is a huge market for them and they are delighted that a magazine with the authority of Harper's BAZAAR is launching in the city,' said Sharp.

At 176 pages, the premiere issue of Harper's BAZAAR Dubai is one of the largest launch issues the Middle East has witnessed, as well as the biggest that ITP has produced in its 20-year publishing history. Advertisers in the March issue include Burberry, Chanel Couture, Christian Dior, Clinique, D&G Eyewear, Estée Lauder, Longines, Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, Eli Tahari, Versace, Louis Vuitton, and YSL Beauty.

'With its ever-expanding luxury business and fashion-forward population, Dubai is the perfect place for Harper's BAZAAR to launch its 22nd edition,' said George J. Green, president of Hearst Magazines International, ITP's publishing partner for Harper's BAZAAR Dubai. 'We are pleased to be working with ITP to bring BAZAAR's highly-regarded expertise to this market.'

The March issue of Harper's BAZAAR Dubai features international recording artist Shakira on its cover, photographed by Robert Erdmann. Shakira, who is of Middle Eastern origin, gives an interview to BAZAAR prior to her first concert in the region in three years. The issue also include features on designers such as John Galliano and BIBA's Bella Freud; a couture report from the Paris fashion shows; coverage of the UAE's burgeoning art scene; tips for luxury living; design interiors; and beauty must-haves.

First published in New York in 1867, Harper's BAZAAR has been the magazine of choice for fashion-obsessed women every since. The title doesn't just dominate in its native United States; but it is also guiding women's taste in 21 other countries around the world including the UK, Australia, Singapore and Russia. The UAE is BAZAAR's 22nd global edition.

Hearst Magazines International selected ITP as its partner in the Middle East after an extensive selection process. The glamour and style of Dubai and its residents were an instant attraction to the Hearst team, and they were convinced that its women deserved a magazine of Harper's BAZAAR's stature.

'They were dazzled by the energy and enlightenment of Dubai's people, and were convinced that the city's women would fall in love with the style and authority of Harper's BAZAAR. When we showed them that cities all over the Gulf, including Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha and Oman were developing with the same passion, they knew that they had to bring a Middle East edition of BAZAAR to this market,' explained Walid Akawi, CEO of ITP Group Holdings, the parent company of ITP Consumer Publishing.