In the last 10 years the main goal of Plexistab was to establish itself as a leader in the East-European market and develop long-lasting relationships with customers from the rest of Europe. In 2019 we can proudly say that this goal has been achieved. Plexistab is present in almost all countries in Europe and serves happy customers every day.
But Europe can never be big enough to sustain our strive for new markets. Quickly, Plexistab embarked on new challenges, starting to sell in places like Australia and North Africa.
Nevertheless, some markets are more complicated than others. The Middle East is one of those places with huge potential, but a lot of specifics, that need to be understood and respected when doing business. In order to understand these special requirements of the market Plexistab needed the opportunity to speak with customers directly and the perfect gateway was The BIG5 Dubai. Our participation in this exhibition was Plexistab’s biggest priority for 2019 and proved to be worth it.
The attraction of the Middle East market has become even greater now when its largest economies have successfully been diversified and markets like Kuwait, Oman and Israel no longer depend solely on oil production.
Still remains the challenge that the region is very close to China, Korea and India – places famous for their competitive Plastics Industries. Also, the Middle East is not short of local producers, in Saudi Arabia, Israel etc.
So, is there a place for a European producer, with products answering EU standards, therefore with a different level of quality and pricing?
Judging from Plexistab’s success at The BIG5 exhibition, we would say – yes, there is.
We were able to get in contact with above 50 potential customers from UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Iran, Jordan and Israel. Many of these markets are completely new to us, so we are excited to grow the trust of our customers and establish long-lasting presence on these markets.
Which Plexistab Products were most interesting for The BIG5 visitors?
Not surprisingly, 032N – our Oil resistant hose was of big interest to our potential customers, after all there are more oil-heavy economies in the Middle East than anywhere else on the planet. Nevertheless, as was mentioned before, many of the Middle East countries have managed to diversify their economies, so that they no longer depend entirely on oil.
At The Big 5 Dubai, of course, the big player was Construction. Products like 021N for delivery of slurries, concrete and other abrasives and 010N – for suction and delivery of sewage and sea water were a priority for many customers.
There was also interest in our Pressure Spray Braided hoses 340N and 380N, used in hydraulic systems.
Lastly, the number one product we presented at The BIG5 Dubai were our Layflat hoses. As opposed to Europe, in the Middle East the high pressure hoses – 208N and 216N were more popular, as they are used not that much in agriculture, but in Industry, and for dewatering projects.
What will be new in 2020?
2020 will be a special year for Dubai. It will be the host of a World Expo – one of the oldest and largest international events on the planet, taking place every five years and lasting six months. Innovations launched at World Expos include: the telephone (Philadelphia, 1876), the Eiffel Tower (Paris, 1889), the Ferris wheel (Chicago, 1893), the X-Ray machine (Buffalo, 1901), the ice cream cone (St Louis, 1904), the commercial broadcast television (New York, 1939), IMAX (Osaka, 1970), touchscreens (Knoxville, 1982) and the humanoid robot (Nagoya, 2005).
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo ever hosted in the Middle East. It is expected to attract 25 million visits, with 70 per cent of visitors projected to come from outside the UAE.
The BIG5 Dubai will take place during the hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai, so it is expected to be the strongest edition of the exhibition to date. Plexistab will be there, for sure. See you next year!
What is The BIG5 Dubai?
The Big 5 is the largest and most influential building and construction show in the Middle East.
This year the event was celebrating 40 years since its establishment in1979. During this time the event has launched hundreds of thousands of products, it has facilitated partnerships, advanced knowledge, but most importantly, it has served as the gateway for international companies to access the Middle East market.
The Big 5 has turned into a global hub for the constructionindustry, catering to the needs of all construction projects from inception to completion.
Gathering buyers and manufacturers of construction products from around the world, The Big 5 also offers a broad educational agenda, with high-level conferences and over 100 CPD-certified workshops across four days.
