Gulf Will Be New Luxury Capital Of The World!

With all the money pouring into The Gulf from high oil prices, the real estate boom, and massive business expansion via Mega Projects like Dubai International Financial Centre, Business Bay, Bahrain Financial Harbour and King Abdullah Economic City....is it any wonder that the Luxury Industry is skyrocketing in The Gulf? Yachts! Private Jets! Exotic Cars! Luxury Estates! Multi Million Dollar Jewelry....and much, much more are all in high demand in The Gulf! Therefore I was not surprised when I received an invitation to an event called Leaders in Luxury.

Leaders in Luxury is a 2 day forum developed by World Business Research (WBR) for leaders in the luxury industry, and will take place Oct. 20-22, 2008 at The Monarch Dubai. It will be THE place to be if you want to expand your luxury brand in the Middle East. Here are some of the people and companies that will be attending:

> Concetta Lanciaux, Strategic Luxury Goods Advisor, Senior Advisor to the Chairman, Groupe Arnault,

> Anan Fakhreddin, Head of Sales & Marketing, Abyaar Real Estate Development,

> Ravi Thakran, Group President - South Asia, South East Asia and Middle East, LVMH Group,

> Patrick Chalhoub, CEO, Chalhoub Group,

> Philippe McGarry, Managing Director, De Beers Middle East,

> Sonya de Castelbajac, Regional Marketing Director, YSL Beaute Middle East,

> Pierre Fayard, Managing Director, Sephora Middle East,

> Guido Grassi Damiani, Chief Executive, Damiani Group,

> David Beath, Internal Innovation, Jumeirah Group,

> Joe Nahhas, Regional Director, Montblanc,

> Hugues de Pins, Regional Director, Vacheron Constantin,

> Stephane De Palmas, Director, Van Cleef & Arpels,

> Hugues Jucker, Regional Director Middle East, Chopard,

> Fabian Krone, CEO, A. Lange & Söhne,

> Carmine Rotondaro, Worldwide Real Estate Director, Gucci

> Tawfique Abdullah, Chairman, Damas Jewellery,

> Werner Baumgartner, Managing Director, Swarovski Middle East.

Very, very impressive, and that is just a partial list! Here are some of the industries that will be represented at the event:

- Real Estate
- Automobiles
- Hotels and Resorts
- Travel and Leisure
- Spa
- Boating and Yachting
- Sports and Sporting Goods
- Fashion and Accessories
- Fragrances and Cosmetics
- Jewelry and Watches
- Aviation
- Interior Design
- Furniture
- Electronic Appliances
- Dining
- Wines and Spirits
- Financial Services
- Food and Beverage
- Home and Home Furnishings
...and many others.

There will be many forums taking place at Leaders in Luxury, some that I find of particular interest include:

**Charting The Evolution Of The Luxury To New Luxury And The Impact On Future Luxury Business Models.

**Defining Luxury - What Does It Mean For Today's Luxury Consumer In The Middle East?

**Identifying Innovative Market Entry Strategies And Developing Business Models Suited to the Middle East.

**Successful Retail In the Middle East - What Works & What's Unique?

**Harnessing The Power Of Celebrity Endorsement.

Leaders in Luxury will conclude with an Awards Ceremony:

'The Leaders in Luxury Middle East Awards were conceived to identify and honor regional luxury leaders and their contributions in the Middle East. The Awards aim to elevate and highlight innovations and creativity in the luxury industry that have not only touched the hearts of luxury consumers, but also inspired their peers.

'A panel of industry Judges is being assembled now to assess all the nominations in a rigorously independent and impartial process managed by WBR Ltd. The Judges, drawn from the ranks of industry practitioners and thought leaders, will evaluate all the nominations to determine the shortlist, and will select a winner in each category, with the results kept confidential until the Awards Ceremony,' according to WBR.

Leaders in Luxury will be a first class event definitely worth attending! The Luxury Industry in The Gulf is going to continue growing at a super-fast pace. In fact, The Gulf could very well emerge as the new Luxury Capital of the World!

This link takes you to the Leaders in Luxury website:

http://www.wbresearch.com/luxuryinteractiveme/