Saying what you mean

Saying what you mean

Kipp’s an honest sort of site; we wish some of the UAE’s event organizers could be as bold as us. We could start by renaming IDEX as ASTBUTAKTALCEX.

February 20, 2011 3:07 by Samuel Potter

Kipp has got nothing to write about. What with all the political upheaval in the region, and the truly historic events, there is a real shortage of business-related stuff around today, particularly anything to get amused, angry or interested in for the blog. Either that or it just pales into insignificance in the face or these world-changing uprisings.

That, dear reader is honesty. We may not bring you much, but we bring you that. For the most part. Occasionally. Oh alright, when it doesn’t get us in trouble.

One place we’d like to see some Kipp-style honesty is the IDEX, or the International Defence Exhibition, which has just opened in Abu Dhabi. In particular, we’d love to see that term ‘defence’ changed.

The ‘defence’ industry.

“Hey you, what the heck are you up to with that grenade?”

“That? Oh, I’m defending myself.”

They should be honest! No one would mind. For instance, Kipp has had more than half a dozen invites to IDEX from various companies, but we’re still sat at our desk eating digestives. Why? Well, we can’t really get excited by it. But, if it was called the Awesome Stuff That Blows Up Things And Kills Things And Looks Cool Exhibition (or ASTBUTAKTALCEX for short) we’d be there like a shot. The content is the same, but it’s all in the marketing.

The same goes for the PR. Instead of inviting Kipp to check out ‘active protection’ or ‘biometric surveillance’, tell us something more like we can hold a gun and sit in a tank. Seriously. Kipp really wants to hold a gun and sit in a tank.

Likewise, the jazz festival. Half of the music seems to be anything but jazz, so why not just call it the ‘Dubai Music Festival’? You’d avoid alienating all those people who get nervous when they hear the word jazz, and might bump up the audience a bit. And GITEX sounds like some sort of disease. In reality it’s the Gulf Information and Technology Exhibition, which sounds as dull as ditchwater. How about the ‘Gizmotorium Emporium’? Or ‘The Magic Land of Technology You Don’t Get But That You Really, Really Want’? Or, at a push, ‘Electonics And Stuff’. Are there any things you’d like to see renamed?