• Held in Abu Dhabi in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK)
• More than 3,000 attendees, and 100 exhibitors expected to participate
• Awards to be presented under categories of collaboration, game changer, innovation, and leadership

Abu Dhabi, March 3 rd 2019: Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Bett Middle East & Africa (MEA) is back with a two-day education technology summit and expo in partnership with Abu Dhabi Department for Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and in collaboration with their Worldwide Partner Microsoft. The event will be held on 22 and 23rd of April 2019 and will be hosted at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center “ADNEC”. After a successful event last year which saw a 45% year on year growth of visitors, and more than 60 exhibitors and 150 speakers representing 36 countries, this year the theme of the event is ‘Building a successful change culture to meet the evolving needs of 21st-century citizens’.

With the exponential rise of technology, the popularity of social media platforms and the ubiquity of smart devices, ‘online health and safety’ has never been more important. The benefits of edtech are enormous, from individualised learning and mixed realities, to the instant global connectivity that social media provides. But we need to balance these rewards by addressing the risks of being online - from cyberbullying and loss of privacy, to concerns around the mental health of social media users. So how should schools go about ensuring this?

From virtual reality (VR) field trips to virtual campus tours to aid recruitment, the future of education is one filled with exciting and untold possibilities. The Innovation Index survey, carried out by an independent party and commissioned by Bett, consisted of extensive research into the UK and EU education market, with responses from over 1,700 educators. There was a strong consensus on the benefits of edtech among 87% of the educators surveyed. Findings revealed that VR is not only here to stay; it’s set to become the ‘next-big-thing’ in the classroom, with headsets being considered by nearly a quarter of institutions.

As a four-day event with around 40,000 visitors from all over the world, approximately 700 exhibitors, and a jam-packed programme of speakers, sessions, continuing professional development (CPD) workshops and more, preparation is key to getting the most out of Bett. To help you do this, we asked a handful of seasoned show-visitors to share their top tips for making Bett a truly worthwhile and enjoyable experience.

The Bett Arena speakers for Bett 2017 have been announced, and are set to include Heston Blumenthal, Sir Tony Robinson, Ed Stafford, Eric Sheninger and Professor Stephen Heppell – to name just a few. The Bett Arena will host educators from across the globe, gathering on the show’s centre stage for a passionate, open, knowledgeable and entertaining look at how we can create a better future through education.

Returning to ExCel London from 25th-28th January, Bett 2017 will once again unite people from across the world who are committed to improving the future of education. With a new focus on game changers in education, the event will celebrate those people, products, ideas and organisations that are using innovation and creativity to tackle the challenges facing today’s education market. It will also bring together voices from across the sector – from industry experts and policy makers, to teachers, schools leaders, school suppliers, and even big names such as Heston Blumenthal and Sir Ken Robinson.

Bett, the leading global education event, will from 25th to 28th January return to ExCel London, with a fresh focus on game-changers within education. The event attracts more than 30,000 educators from across the world each year who come to see the latest and most innovative learning resources and to learn from the various seminars. The Bett Show is free to attend.

Bett Awards partners i2i Events Group and BESA (The British Educational Suppliers Association) have announced the launch of the education sector’s 20th annual Bett Awards. This ceremony brings together developers, suppliers and educational practitioners each year to recognise, reward and celebrate ICT excellence in the education sector. The 2017 awards introduce three new categories: ‘Best Education Support Resource for Parents/Home Learning’, ‘Edtech Start-up company of the Year’ and ‘Higher Education Digital Services'.