Essential Events

13th edition of GESS Dubai makes it mark

January 20, 2020

The Middle East’s premier education show returns this year with an exhibition showcasing a wide range of educational products from suppliers from all corners of the world and a CPD accredited conference featuring high-level speakers and innovative content.

Organised in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Education, GESS Dubai has been the leading platform where education stakeholders from around the region meet and do business as well as uplift education standards by enhancing teaching and learning techniques.

Matt Thompson, Project Director, Tarsus F&E, organisers of the global portfolio of GESS education shows, shares the latest about the Dubai edition that is on its 13^th year.

Why GESS Dubai is an important event for the education sector in the Middle East?

GESS Dubai has been the leading platform for education industry stakeholders to connect, learn and innovate. It has been the primary venue for educational institutions and top-level decision makers to explore the latest education-products and solutions from leading companies and brands from all over the world.

Education professionals attending the show will also learn from global and local experts who will share insights on new advances in technology that are making an impact on teaching and learning in classrooms as well as the latest trends on latest trends on leadership, pedagogy and teaching methodologies, curriculum developments, wellbeing and other important topics shaping discussions on quality education.

Acknowledged as the premier education B2B event in the MENA region, with international visitors coming from 68 countries, GESS Dubai is organised in partnership with the UAE’s Ministry of Education, as well as supported by the Ministry of Education Bahrain, Ministry of Education Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Arab Bureau of Education for Gulf States (ABEGS) and British Schools in the Middle East (BSME).

Why should education professionals visit GESS Dubai?

This year the conference runs under the theme of “Fuelling Minds with Passion and Curiosity” and will feature a range of renowned keynote speakers and educationalists sharing their knowledge and passion in over 300, free of charge, CPD accredited talks and workshops.

The conference content is more comprehensive than ever, and as a result we have added more rooms, such as the Immersive Technology Stage, a dedicated space which will showcase immersive technology and host a range of expert speakers, both local and international, to share best practice in the use of AR and VR for learning; as well as GESS talks Active, where visitors can experience the power of music, drama, art and exercise to get students active, smiling and engaged; and GESS Bites, which are dynamic, insightful and fast paced sessions designed to get visitors thinking on a variety of education viewpoints and inspirations to foster change, conversations and collaboration.

School leaders and teachers will take away practical tips from leading local and international experts that can easily be implemented in their classrooms to make learning more engaging for their students.

Why should suppliers get involved?

The exhibition provides educators access to the products and solutions that meet the needs of the modern classroom and transform the way students learn.

Last year, over 550 local and international companies showcased the latest educational products and solutions that teachers use to make them more effective in helping their students achieve better results.

GESS Dubai is the trusted platform for suppliers of the entire spectrum of educational products and services with a growing portfolio of companies and brands hosted in more country pavilions this year, such as Germany, Korea, Saudi Arabia, China, US, Finland; plus new pavilions from India and Singapore and largest UK pavilion in the event’s history.

We know that innovative products are key for schools, one of the key areas of the exhibition is the Start Up Pavilion, the biggest we have so far since establishing the event over a decade ago, where you can meet enterprising new small businesses that are shaking up the education sector with their disruptive new ideas. Many of these start-ups are providing innovative solutions geared specifically for learning situations in the Middle East, offering bespoke solutions for the unique needs of teachers and students in the region.

Our visitors come from over 70 different countries, more than in previous editions, including Australia, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, India, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Egypt, Kuwait, UK and USA.

Our audience of educational professionals represent the full range of educational establishments and all levels of the education community, as well as some of the most influential leaders and buyers.

What other important initiatives has GESS Dubai undertaken to strengthen its position as the leading education show in the region?

Our GESS Education Awards continue to grow in reach and prestige and is now on its 5^th year.

Since its inception, the GESS Education Awards have received entries from around the world, with entries coming from 46 countries including the UK, Denmark, South Africa, Colombia, Pakistan, Australia, Spain, India, Finland, Canada and the United States; as well as countries from the Middle East and Africa, including Kenya and Nigeria where the 2^nd GESS Leaders in Education Summit took place recently.

GESS Dubai also features a hosted Buyer Programme as part of Leaders in Education club where key decision makers in the UAE are selected to be part of to enjoy exclusive networking, content and tours of the exhibition. The 2019 event welcomed over 650 of the region’s most influential buyers to the show.

This year, we are launching an interactive visitor area, where visitors get a chance to create their own fingerprint character as part of the Mark You Mark wall, where we will be aiming to establish a world record for the most number of fingerprints gathered in a single event.

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