*The fastest growing Emirate plays host for the 11 th edition of The Exotic Wedding Planning Conference.*New programmes to provide a host of benefits for couples and wedding planners looking to organise spectacular celebrations in Ras Al Khaimah.
Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, 23 February 2023: Ras Al Khaimah is set to host the 11th Edition of the Exotic Wedding Planning Conference (EWPC), at Al Hamra Conference Centre from 1 - 3 March 2023. The largest wedding planning conference in the world, the event is set to welcome over 250 world-class wedding and event planners from more than 80 countries around the world. Providing the perfect platform for wedding industry professionals, the three-day event is designed to create an open marketplace of learning and sharing of upcoming trends, collaborative business set-ups, engaging discussions and a line-up of expert speakers paving the way for insightful conversations to shape the future of the industry. The world-class roster of renowned speakers include:
● Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, UAE ● Preston Bailey, President, Preston Bailey Designs, Inc., USA ● Walid Baz, CEO, Baz Events, Lebanon ● Ali Behnam- Bakhtiar, Founder, Ali Bakhtiar Designs, France ● Vandana Mohan, Founder, The Wedding Design Company, India ● Tara Fay, Chief Planner, Tara Fay Events, Ireland ● Nadia Duran, Director, Nadia Duran, Australia ● Amie Bone, Creative Director, Amie Bone Flowers, UK ● Tomas De Bruyne, Founder & CEO, Tomas De Bruyne – Floral Experiences Worldwide, Belgium ● And several other industry leaders
Under the key themes of incorporating cultural traditions into wedding planning, hyper-personalisation, dynamic trends of the future, ultra-luxury events and immersive guest experiences, the conference will celebrate the flourishing wedding industry and immense potential yet to be unlocked. With endless entertainment across the three days, including gala dinners, networking evenings and exclusive tours, the final day of the conference will feature the APEX Awards, highlighting outstanding talent and commendable initiatives, and recognising the hard work of those in the destination wedding industry. Raki Phillips, CEO at Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: “Ras Al Khaimah’s position as a leading MICE; wedding destination went from strength to strength in 2022 with a 35% increase in MICE events and a significant increase in wedding revenues compared to 2021. With our stunning topography, extensive hospitality portfolio, and close proximity to Europe, Asia and Africa, we look forward to showcasing our nature Emirate to industry experts, and cementing our reputation for weddings, special events and celebrations of all kinds.”
During the wedding planning conference, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) will introduce a new Weddings Incentive programme aimed at providing a myriad of benefits for couples and wedding planners looking to host nuptials in Ras Al Khaimah. The Weddings Incentive programme will include complimentary services, and airport support for charter flights, while any specialised permits and fees will be waived off to further ease procedures. In parallel, the Authority will also reveal details of a new Wedding Certification programme as part of its drive to bolster the Emirate’s position as a world-class wedding destination. Rishikesh Shetty, CEO of Exito and EWPC commented: “We are thrilled to bring EWPC back to Ras Al Khaimah, with the 11th edition welcoming over 250 destination wedding planners from 80 different countries. With the wedding sector back in full swing, we look forward to providing an inclusive and collaborative platform to support industry professionals following two years’ worth of postponed events. As well as making this the most successful edition and the largest B2B wedding convention to date.”
Delegates will also be able to experience one of the most diverse and naturally beautiful destinations in the region, as highlighted in Time magazine’s World’s Greatest Places of 2022 and CNN Travel’s best destinations to visit in 2023. With the Emirate’s wide variety of unique venues stretching across stunning terracotta dunes, breath-taking mountains and pristine beaches, there are endless experiences to explore from heritage sites to the UAE’s only traditional pearl farm – Suwaidi Pearls and stunning hot air balloon flights.
The Exotic Wedding Planning Conference joins a portfolio of high-profile events hosted in the Emirate, including the upcoming Arab Aviation Summit hosted for a third year in a row, the Global Citizen Forum’s acclaimed annual summit and a number of large destination wedding groups hosted over the past year. To find out more about the Exotic Wedding Planning Conference please CLICK HERE.
