The second annual HDI Middle East and Africa (HDI-MEA) Conference and Expo kicks off in Egypt today (Saturday, May 26, 2007), showcasing a range of call center, outsourcing and IT service management ‘best practices’ at Cairo’s Intercontinental City-Stars Hotel from May 26 – 31, 2007.
The six-day event, organised by HDI-MEA, the world’s largest membership association for internal and external IT service and support professionals, in association with the Information Technology Industry Development Agency of Egypt (ITIDA), and Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV), is the premier platform for call center and technical support professionals to examine approaches to boost performance and quality in the workplace.
Moustafa Kadous, President and Chief Operating Officer, HDI-MEA, commented, “We are expecting a very large participation at this year’s event, as the call center and outsourcing industries are two of the fastest growing sectors in the Middle East at the moment. We have secured a prestigious line-up of speakers and attendees, including industry thought leaders, government dignitaries and top executives, to form a Middle Eastern ‘think-tank’ that will promote further maturation of the service industry.”
Under the theme ‘Gateway to new horizons’, the interactive exhibition features global call-centre outsourcing companies, leading technology solutions providers and professional certification training companies, showcasing managed services, problem and change management, knowledge management, virtual support, self-service, and training solutions.
The exhibition features a distinguished ensemble of exhibitors, including DKV; Axios Systems; Business Monitor International; WASLA Contact Centre; FrontLiners; HDI-MEA; Invita; Quint Wellington Redwood; CompTIA Middle East; IT works Magazine; Raya Contact Centre; C3; and Smart Link, Inc. The exhibition is free and open to the public from 11.30am until 19.30 on Sunday and Monday, and from 11:30 – 16:30 on Tuesday.
A specialised Conference has been organised alongside the Exhibition, incorporating more than 30 conference sessions and speeches by industry experts from the UAE, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Several high profile keynote speakers have been confirmed, including H.E. Dr Tarek Kamel, Minister of Communication and Information Technology in Egypt; Dr. Ahmed Darwish, Minister of State of Administrative Development in Egypt; Mr. Othman Sultan, CEO of Du, and others.
In addition to workshops, networking and social activities, industry awards will be presented during the event, honoring Middle Eastern support organizations that have achieved the highest standards of customer service and most enhanced the image of the industry. The early results of the annual HDI Industry Practices and Salary Survey will also be revealed, highlighting trends in the call center and outsourcing industries, and promoting new performance and operational benchmarks for support services.
HDI is the world’s largest membership association for technical service and customer support professionals and has more than 10,000 members worldwide and business partners in six continents. Almost 90 percent of the Fortune 500 companies have participating HDI members, who spearhead the advancement of the IT service and support industries. HDI Middle East and Africa (HDI-MEA) serves 71 countries with headquarters offices in Dubai, UAE, and supporting offices in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. For more details about the exhibition and conference, please visit www.hdi-mea.com/hdi2007.
