In May 2021, Education UAE was proud to be a sponsor of The School and Nursery Show, which had its first event back since the start of the pandemic. The School and Nursery Show has been running since 2014 and to say that there was a huge amount of excitement about the return of this event was an understatement. The live and in-person event was absolutely buzzing with parents, educators and children.
The event started with the opening by The Knowledge and Human Development Authority, who were the Knowledge Partners for the second year running. M. Hind Al Mualla, Chief of Happiness, Creativity and Innovation at KHDA, welcomed exhibitors and visitors to the event, recognising how crucial good relationships are in the UAE’s education sector.
For the first time in 18 months, parents could speak directly to UAE schools and nurseries and gather valuable information to help them make the critical decision as to where to register their children. Choosing The Dubai World Trade Center as the venue for their 2021 show, with its excellent accessibility and signage, The School and Nursery Show went beyond the Covid-19 precautionary measures, delivering an event that felt safe and comfortable.
“We have always recognised the importance of face-to-face meetings when parents are choosing an educator, but this event has really highlighted this fact. The decision of where to register your children is very personal, and the personality and ethos of the school and its leaders is critical. It was fantastic to see educators connecting and engaging with parents, and it further proves the importance and need for physical events for certain business categories,” Catherine McEvoy, Managing Director of The School and Nursery Show
The School and Nursery Show reported record attendance numbers at the event. “We were absolutely delighted with the response to the event. Schools and nurseries confirmed their best ever number of interested parents, and their feedback suggested that the majority anticipate that over 20% of leads will convert into registrations.”
Discussions are available for people to listen to after the event via our social media platform, and some have almost 12,000 views
Indeed, at 5.00 pm, there were still queues of people waiting to get into the event, and once inside, parents were really engaging with the schools and nurseries in attendance. Many parents were looking for advice in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the uncertainty that still prevails, such as opportunities for home tutoring.
There were some new elements to the show in response to the pandemic, too, with live-streamed panel discussions that anyone could tune into and ask questions live. Catherine states: “We chose to do some elements of the show differently this year; it was a great opportunity for us to use our strength at reaching parents online and to help more parents than ever listen into important discussions between the countries leading educators. These discussions are available for people to listen to after the event via our social media platform, and some have almost 12,000 views. It’s an incredible opportunity for schools to get that level of exposure.”
The School and Nursery Show went beyond the Covid-19 precautionary measures, delivering an event that felt safe and comfortable
When asking parents why they visited the show, they all spoke of how important it is for them to speak face to face to the schools. Other points raised were the ability for parents to meet Principals and senior staff from the school, rather than just admissions teams. It allowed them to ask very specific questions and get detailed responses.
When asked why they had chosen to visit the school, Katie, a visitor at the show, said: “The School and Nursery Show was a great opportunity for us to find a school for our child. We were so confused by all of the choices available, especially about the curricula. Here you get to know about the different curricula available in the city and how to work out which is best for your child, which is very important.”