PRESS RELEASE
FCM Expands Meetings & Events Division in the UAE amid surge in Corporate Travel Spend
United Arab Emirates, 24 February 2026 – FCM Travel has expanded its Meetings & Events offering in the United Arab Emirates, introducing a simplified end-to-end solution designed to help organisations plan, book and deliver corporate meetings and events with significantly less time, effort and administrative burden.
The expansion responds to a growing trend of teams such as HR, Marketing and Office Management being tasked with organising events on top of their core roles, often without the tools, supplier networks or industry knowledge required to manage them efficiently. According to industry research, 32% of travel buyers are expected to assume responsibility for meetings and events, driven largely by cost and efficiency pressures.
Companies are increasingly looking for one partner who can manage everything from sourcing venues to coordinating travel and on-site logistics so their internal teams are not pulled away from their core roles,” said Ciarán Kelly, Managing Director, FCM Travel – MEA Region. “Our offering takes the heavy lifting off clients and gives them more time back, better visibility and a smoother experience.
A Fully Integrated Model
FCM Meetings & Events provides companies with a model that consolidates planning, sourcing, travel, policy alignment, cost control to registration, delegate features and execution into one service, replacing what is typically a fragmented process involving multiple departments and suppliers.
Key Features Include:
Responding to Market Shifts
As corporate travel and event budgets increase, organisations are looking to maximise impact while reducing the time and complexity involved in coordination. Recent industry research indicates:
- Over 50% of corporate travel budgets are now allocated to meetings and events.
- 75% of organisations prioritise attendee experience, while 67% cite venue accessibility, transport connectivity and overall cost as key decision factors.
- 84% identify safety and security as the primary consideration when selecting event locations.
In addition, organisations are increasingly using meetings and events as a strategic tool to enhance employee engagement, reflecting a clear shift towards creating more meaningful in-person experiences for their teams.
“The UAE market is extremely active in hosting conferences, incentives and executive meetings,” Kelly added. “Our role is to make that process more efficient and strategically aligned - delivering better outcomes without adding operational strain. Through our local expertise and global network, we are expanding our capabilities, enhancing client visibility and raising the standard for managed meetings and events across the region.”
Convenience Meets Visibility
Through integrated reporting and analytics, companies gain enhanced visibility over spend, supplier usage and attendee patterns, helping departments such as Finance and Procurement plan more effectively without adding extra internal workload.
Media Contact
Amanda Gavin
AMG Consulting
Email: Amanda@amgconsulting.ie Mobile: 055 556 1588