Last week I attended World Travel Market, my first ever visit. It was huge, almost an assault on the senses. Next time, I will formulate a plan of who to see and where to go, might make things a little less overwhelming.
Despite the competing demands for my attention, what really stood out was the size of the space taken up by the Saudi Tourism Authority. At 2,180 sqm, it was the largest exhibitor at WTM this year.
The stand for the Saudi Tourism Authority was created by Multilem, they also design and constructed stands for AlUla, Diriyah, Soudah and Embratur Brazil. In total, an impressive 3,214 sqm of space, just under three Olympic swimming pools. The Red Sea installation had a four-metre high Red Sea Assouline book complete with LED screens.
If you haven’t heard of Multilem before, they were founded in Portugal over 35 years ago. They have production hubs in Portugal and Angola, and eight offices across Portugal, Spain, UAE, KSA, USA, Angola, Brazil, and the UK. They have delivered over 300 projects annually, reaching 50+ international locations. Backed by a talented team of over 200 professionals, Multilem have collaborated with some huge brands, including Visa, Google, Amazon, Apex Brasil, and Saudi Tourism Authority.
According to their website, they are, “a global leader in brand experiences, specialising in the creation of activations, live events, exhibition stands and immersive spaces, Multilem is seeing a continued demand for B2B events in Europe, with growing trends for events that incorporate personalisation, digitally driven elements including AI, and sustainability.“
While admiring the stand, I was offered cardamom coffee in a small paper cup, and to be honest, I really liked it. Wouldn’t want a mug of it though. The immersive exhibit was impressive. It was full of middle eastern colours, motifs and meaningful patterns. It really brought a look and feel of the middle east.
I had chance to chat with Dorothee Anjos, who is the General Manager of Multilem Middle East. We talked about how the company started with a team of eight women, the time it took to construct the exhibit (three days) and much more. I hope to have Dorothee on the podcast really soon. Their PR agency quickly reached out and provided some details about the company and a quote from Dorothee…
“As the B2B events industry evolves, Multilem is proud to evolve with it, by consistently adapting to meet the needs of our clients and interests of audiences. Looking to World Travel Market and beyond, we envision the industry seeing an increase in events which are digitally led, place sustainability at the heart, and are personalised to audiences to ensure they stay consistently engaged.”
My first visit was to WTM was an amazing experience but a long two days. I’m looking forward to next years event and excited to see what Multilem will come up with next!
Thanks to Katie Wright who provided the stats, company info and the main image above.
