2,500 high profile delegates to attend the conference held under the aegis of Dubai SME and Dubai Economic Council

Confirmed attendees include investors, heads of Government departments, successful SMEs & C-suite executives

Dubai, UAE; March 18, 2015: SME World 2015, the second edition of the largest entrepreneurship conference in the Middle East & North Africa region, opened today at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai. Themed 'Accomplish Your Vision,' the keynote address was delivered by Shamma Bin Hammad, Director of Governance at The Executive Council.

A platform for global thought leaders to engage with regional audiences and present insights on entrepreneurship, the first day of SME World 2015 featured two panel discussions on 'Vision 2021: How would the big bang plan transform Dubai's economy?' and on 'How to make home-grown brands globally competitive?' In addition, several workshops and a speed networking session were also organized.

The keynote on the second day of the conference will be delivered by Professor Tony Buzan, the world-renowned inventor of Mind Mapping and expert on the brain, memory, speed reading, creativity and innovation. He has been named as a global top five speaker by Forbes magazine. In addition, panel discussions on the second day will cover 'What are the high voltage/ danger zones for SMEs?' and 'Problems of being super successful.'

SME World 2015 hosts almost 2,500 investors, heads of government departments, successful SMEs and C-Suite executives. It is held under the aegis of Dubai SME and Dubai Economic Council (DEC) and is organized by SPI Group, the owners of several successful event and content platforms in the UAE.

In addition to the panel discussions, workshops and keynote addresses, SME World 2015 features an Expo where regional SMEs showcase their products and services, present their success stories and share plans with industry, government, investors and the general public.

At the opening ceremony of SME World 2015, Shantanu A.P., CEO of SPI Group said: "In the UAE, we treat the mission of nurturing the growth of our SME sector as a top priority. It is heartening to see that this attitude is being adopted region wide and SMEs are now seen as a key engine of economic growth. The SME World summit plays a critical part in mentoring, guiding and networking not only within the SME sector but also with larger businesses, investors and government community. The continual year-on-year growth of the conference proves that small businesses, the larger business community and facilitators support our mission of SME development. We are proud to bring such a vital platform for the development of regional entrepreneurship."

Jon Williams, Managing Director, Al-Futtaim Motors, expressed excitement at participating at this year's event and said: "Al-Futtaim Motors was built on the principles of SME, starting the business with a shipment of just 28 vehicles sixty years ago. Today, we offer our SME customers the best business solutions, ensuring that Toyota is the automotive partner of choice for businesses."

Emirates NBD are Lead Sponsors of SME World 2015 and Al-Futtaim Motors-Toyota is Sole Automotive Partner while Dubai SME is the Strategic Alliance Partner and Dubai Economic Council is Event Partner. Dubai Internet City is the Strategic Knowledge Partner, B4U Aflam is TV partner, 7Days is Sole Newspaper partner and Bayt is Strategic Career Partner.

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About SPI Group
A premier marketing and lead generation strategies company, SPI Group offers visibility and recognition to SME's. It provides platforms to brands who want to engage with SMEs and is also a distributor of various innovative brands across the globe. In addition to the SME World Summit, SPI Group organizes the Emirates NBD Global Business Series and the biggest Innovation and technology event of this region - The Global Innovation Summit.

For further information please visit www.smeworld.ae and for media related requests, please contact:
Sandeep Sharma
SPI GROUP - DUBAI UAE
Phone: +9714 2659704
Fax: +9714 2690566
Email: sandeep@spiholding.net

© Press Release 2015