Back in the 80s, we started exhibiting in The Big 5 like anybody else with an 18 sqm shell scheme. More than three decades later, we keep participating in the show. Whereas now, our exhibition space covers nearly 100 sqm.

When we first decided to participate in The Big 5, we saw the show as an opportunity to let the local market know about the new products we were bringing to the UAE, like the country’s first elevated water tank and the first diesel engine power station. Throughout the years, exhibiting at The Big 5 allowed us to find customers, business partners and even talent.

More than that, The Big 5 allowed us to become a Gulf-wide company. As many people acknowledge, The Big 5 is not just an exhibition about Dubai or the UAE: people from all over region visit the event. Meeting these industry professionals helped us be confident that our business was exportable, and that we could successfully operate in neighboring countries as well. The Big 5 has encouraged us to look beyond the UAE borders and now we have offices and run operations across the entire region, from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman.

Recently, when The Big 5 changed the organization of its floor plan introducing dedicated product sectors, we further grew our participation in the show. We started exhibiting with two stands in different product sectors, and this enabled us to focus on specific product ranges, which would not get noticed otherwise in one big stand. The new product sectors at The Big 5 also enhanced our ability to cross-sell, ending with a much greater visibility.

Looking back at the past decades, we can state that the growth of Dutco has been truly parallel to the one of The Big 5: from a small show taking place in just a couple of halls, to the massive, international and successful exhibition it is today.

Nagarajan C.V.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Dutco Tennant LLC.