If the opening day energy and bustle on the showfloor at Epoc Messe Frankfurt’s Intersec event, Jan. 15-17 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, was any indication, then the safety and security industry in the Middle East is healthy and growing.

The showfloor posted 15-percent growth in exhibitors, from 817 exhibitors at last year’s event to 910 exhibitors this year, who showed off their products in four main sections focusing on commercial and information security, fire and rescue, homeland and policing and safety and health.

The actual size of the showfloor also saw a boost from 32,111 gross square meters (345,639 gross square feet) in 2011 to 35,759 gross sq. m. (384,906 gross sq. ft.) this year.

In addition, an estimated 23,000 visitors are expected to be at the show this year, compared with last year’s 22,000 visitors.

“The pre-reg numbers are amazing, compared with last year,” said Michael Dehn, Epoc Messe Frankfurt’s group exhibitions director.

The event opened with a traditional ribbon-cutting with gold scissors by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum from Dubai’s royal family who toured several booths on the showfloor, including the event’s gold sponsor Firex.

“For the second year in a row, we are the largest stand at Intersec,” said Dr. Hani Khalaf, marketing and sales director for Firex. 

At this year’s show, Firex brought 10 larger products, including fire-fighting aircraft, as well as 60-70 smaller products. “Fifteen to 20 percent of our annual revenue comes from this show,” Khalaf said. “Normally, we have very good results from this show.”

First-time exhibitor Alberta, Canada-based Lakeland College, an emergency preparedness training center, was on the showfloor less for sales, but more for connecting with people for possible future opportunities, according to Denis Cunninghame, the school’s dean.

“We are really here for the networking,” he said. “We want to get our name out there.”

Visitors such as Roland Wambach, export area manager for Germany-based Funkwerk Plettac Electronic, said he had been to the show four times before and specifically was looking at CCTV systems.

“It’s a comprehensive show for exactly what I need,” he added.

Germany-based Messe Frankfurt entered the Dubai market when it bought Epoc International, a local show organizing company, and, in a separate deal, the Intersec show.

Now, Dubai’s Epoc Messe Frankfurt, besides Intersec, has several shows that are brand extensions of the company’s anchor events, such as Automechanika and BeautyWorld.

Intersec, though, does not have a German edition of the show and is developed and grown into other markets from Dubai.

“It was about 10 years ago that Messe Frankfurt opened in Dubai and concentrated operations there,” said Wolfgang Marzin, the company’s CEO, at a press conference during the show. “It was a great decision.” 

Marzin was joined at the press conference by Hans-Joachim Otto, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, Germany, and Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Epoc Messe Frankfurt.

“Intersec Dubai is the largest trade show of this kind in the whole Middle East,” Otto said.

Marzin added that, even with the successful growth of the show so far, there still was room to expand it, and the company’s global safety and security portfolio, even more.

Pauwels identified one of the areas of growth within the show as aviation security and growth in the overall portfolio included India, which will see the launch of Secutech India in March in Mumbai.

Secutech India joins existing shows Secutech Thailand, Secutech Vietnam, Secutech in Taipei, Seguriexpo in Buesnos Aires and Intersec Buenos Aires.

Pauwels added there also was a possibility of expanding into Saudia Arabia in 2013.