Dubai: The Dubai Shopping Festival is witnessing increased sponsorship interest this year as more and more companies come forward to support the event.
With just over two weeks to go for the inauguration of the 11th edition of the event, companies are making a beeline every day to the DSF office with sponsorship applications.
The office is receiving applications from shopping malls, retailers, distributors and companies to participate in the event that promises customer loyalty in the post-festival period as well.
Registrations will continue until January 3. Application forms can be collected from the DSF office in the Department of Economic Development building in Dubai.
Two new categories of support sponsors have been introduced this year to encourage larger participation.
These include: Participating Brand that targets people who are interested in running a non raffle-based promotion; and Official Brand for DSF Events, meant only for brands/products looking for exclusive selling rights and additional business opportunities.
With a record 105 sponsors last time, which indicates the business community's confidence in the festival, the DSF office expects a much higher number this time round.
Entertainment
Australia's Circus Oz will perform
The Big Top from Down Under will come to Dubai to perform at the Dubai Shopping Festival 2006, courtesy Mashreqbank which is sponsoring Australia's most contemporary circus Circus Oz.
Circus Oz has performed in more than 26 countries to over two million people. They have broken box office records at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
"We are thrilled to bring such a renowned circus to Dubai. Circus Oz has performed all over the world in venues as varied as a refugee camp in the West Bank, in indigenous communities in the Australian desert and in a glass opera house in the Brazilian rainforest. Along the way they have translated parts of the show into scores of languages from Hindi and Japanese to Danish," said Atif Bajwa, head of retail banking group, Mashreqbank.
The circus will perform at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre from January 11 to 13. There will be an evening performance on the opening day and afternoon and evening shows on Thursday and Friday.
"Circus Oz provides a spectacle of unrelenting energy, humour, multi-skill playing, surreal imagery, grace and strength, fully integrated with a live and original musical score," said Saeed Al Naboudah, CEO of DSF.
Mashreqbank has also announced that it will be give away tickets to children of charity organisations in Dubai.
