IBIS delivers on Middle Eastern promise

IBIS Middle East 2023 set new attendance records for both its welcome networking dinner and the all-day collision repair industry thought leadership conference on 7-8 February, with more than 200 delegates from 23 countries descending on Le Méridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre for the first IBIS event of the year under the 2023 theme, “Sustainable Strategies for Success”.

Dozens of people around the world also watched the event being livestreamed, and hundreds more are expected to tune in when the IBIS Middle East 2023 catch-up broadcast goes live on Monday (13 February).

“[This] beats any of the conferences I’ve been to in the past 10 years,” said one visitor attending an IBIS event for only the second time. Others commented, “a very good event indeed”, “looking forward to 2024”, “brilliant conference”, “excellent content”, and “immaculate organisation”.

A range of innovations were introduced this year in addition to the new “Sustainable Strategies for Success” theme and the extended T-shaped stage design which allowed for a more interactive and immersive delegate experience. These included multiple networking opportunities and whole-room Q&A discussions hosted by IBIS moderator Robert Snook and featuring 13 panellists from around the Middle East and beyond.

The four expanded sessions included a global collision repair industry first – insurers and bodyshops together on the same stage for the first time anywhere – and a morning keynote entitled “A Vision of our Future – How digitisation, big data and AI will enable a better tomorrow for us all”, delivered by Fareed Lufti, secretary-general of the Emirates Insurance Association.

The sessions were punctuated by multiple high-value networking activities, which included an informal open-air welcome supper on the first evening and a sumptuous lunch on day two, plus opportunities to exchange ideas during breaks for coffee and pastries.

News that delegate and livestream viewing numbers were up again delighted IBIS lead partners 3M, Axalta, Solera Audatex and Repairify, all of whom were able to showcase their products and services in the accompanying expo alongside partners BASF, Copart, Kapci Coatings, RS Automotive and XA Group, as well as global partners Automechanika, CESVIMAP, GiPA and WorldSkills International.

Next up on the IBIS Worldwide global calendar of events is the first IBIS ASEAN conference, which takes place on 16 March alongside Automechanika Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, followed by IBIS USA 2023 on 19-21 April in Nashville.

The IBIS Global Summit 2023 will take place on 28-30 June in Milan.

Visit www.ibisworldwide.com or subscribe to the @IBISworldwide LinkedIn and Twitter feeds to stay up to date about all IBIS conferences.

If you are interested in becoming an IBIS Worldwide global or regional partner, please contact head of sales Suzie Scott at [email protected]. For all other enquiries, please contact Emily Miles at [email protected].

Notes for editors

Since the first IBIS conference in 2001, the International Bodyshop Industry Symposium (IBIS) has become firmly established as the leading global conference and networking provider for automotive collision repair industry leaders and influencers.

The inaugural conference was held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales and hosted 120 delegates from 12 countries. Since then, IBIS events have been held at venues on five continents, reaching more than a thousand influencers each year, with the Global Summit annually attracting more than 350 delegates from around 30 countries.

IBIS continues to spread its world-class conferencing in new territories and has recently visited markets across the globe including Ireland, USA, India, South Africa, China, Brazil, Mexico, the Middle East and Turkey.

For general press enquiries please contact:

Simon Wait, Head of Editorial, IBIS Worldwide and bodyshop magazine
t: 01296 642836   m: 07936 902142   e: [email protected]

For future partnership enquiries please contact:

Suzie Scott, Head of Sales, IBIS Worldwide and bodyshop magazine
m: 07545 068455   e: [email protected]

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