Twenty-four companies have signed up as founder members of the Middle East Leisure & Attractions Council, or MELAC. The association was officially launched at DEAL back in April after two years of meetings and will be chaired by Majid Al Hokair of the Al Hokair Group in Saudi Arabia.
The new group replaces a defunct trade association and promises a “more democratic decision-making process,” according to Gerry Robinson, its interim general secretary. “The establishment of MELAC comes at a time when the leisure and attractions industry in the Middle East and Africa seeks to professionalise the way it operates,” he adds. “The association will provide a range of services and benefits for members.”
MELAC hopes to hold its first council meeting in September. A conference and several other events are planned over the next 12 months and the association has also nominated DEAL as its official trade show.
For more information contact Gerry Robinson, tsi_ltd@hotmail.com, or look out for the imminent launch of the MELAC website: www.melac.org