We recently returned to GESS Dubai as an exhibitor – and what a difference a year has made!
GESS Dubai remains the leading education conference and exhibition in the MENA region. With a global audience and more than 300 suppliers and brands, it’s the meeting place for the education community to connect and share ideas.
A year ago, our first visit to this fantastic event marked the beginning of our expansion journey into the Middle East. After months of research and relationship building, we’ve now started supporting teachers and schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. This year’s exhibition was the natural next step in reinforcing our presence in the UAE.
Having first spent a day visiting Hartland International School, Citizens School and Dubai English Speaking Schools (DESS), we gained invaluable and meaningful insight into what high-quality teaching and learning looks like here in the UAE.
The exhibition itself was then the perfect platform to meet with other leading schools in the region for valuable conversations around teacher recruitment and retention – an issue at the heart of every successful school community.
Over the three days our stand was a hive of activity from start to finish – not least from the friendly competition as delegates and exhibitors vied for the top spot on the Red Lester darts leader board! It was wonderful to see so many cultures and nationalities connecting and laughing.
The whole event was packed with energy, insights and plenty of inspiration, and we loved every minute of it. A few of our highlights included:
- Networking with fellow educational suppliers as part of British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA). The conversations, collaboration and shared passion for improving education truly stood out and made this visit even more worthwhile
- Attending the BESA and ISC Networking Breakfast, exploring the growth of the education sector in the UAE. Key discussions focused on how education suppliers and international schools can collaborate to deliver even better learning outcomes.
- A refreshing panel discussion with Dr Helen Wright and David Lees from Citizens School, Dubai, exploring Project Based Learning and the power of collaboration between schools and parents to nurture entrepreneurship and wellbeing in children’s learning.
- Phil Long from Arcadia British School’s brilliant session on STEM and the impact of hands-on learning to spark curiosity and engagement in the classroom.
- Listening to Kai Vacher from British School Muscat and Hugh Viney’s session on hybrid education, exploring the evolving balance between online and in-person learning and what it means for the future of schools.
We’re now busy following up with everyone we met and are excited to start working with our new contacts. So, until next time…
