The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) has announced the launch of a new online Events Licensing System (ELS) aimed at supporting Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector.
The standardized and unified online platform will attempt to streamline the official registration of all events administered, organized and managed across Abu Dhabi.
HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of TCA Abu Dhabi, will form a committee to oversee the implementation of strategies and policies surrounding the coordination of events in Abu Dhabi between the relevant authorities by providing support for necessary services and facilities, while enhancing the contribution of government, private sector, and relevant stakeholders when organizing events in the emirate.
The introduction of the ELS will drive tourism industry growth within the emirate through improving event planning and by developing industry best practice in line with Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, TCA Abu Dhabi said.
The ELS will allow for a streamlined process of registration while outlining licensing requirements, connecting to ticketing and other electronic systems, and providing insight on industry-wide metrics. The centralized system will also assist host venues in identifying potential calendar conflicts and opportunities for TCA Abu Dhabi to identify clusters of sector specific event promotional opportunities, such as the recent Abu Dhabi Aviation & Aerospace Week, a series of aviation themed industry and consumer events staged in April 2016.
ELS will be applied in the fourth quarter of 2016. The service will be applied to entities that organize and manage events across Abu Dhabi which include those with dedicated spaces for hosting functions. Its scope also covers events held in tourism investment areas and free zones.
ELS places an emphasis on processing event licenses and collecting key information from functions across the emirate, including agendas, participants, speakers, set-up dates and locations, among others. The new service will cover all entertainment, sports, art, culture, education, tourism, health, and any other events relating to these fields.
The service requires event organizers to register all their events on the website, which includes all necessary information about requirements for obtaining licenses, in addition to the ticketing systems where tickets can be issued, distributed and marketed, as well as other electronic solutions.
TCA Abu Dhabi will produce an event and statistics guide for events organized in the emirate. It will also organize extensive workshops with stakeholders and event organizers from government and private sectors to introduce the new electronic system, the registration mechanism for various events and the application process for event licensing.