The Office Exhibition 2008 creates a new benchmark for the future

But even by its own high standards, Office Exhibition 2008 surprised one and all with its stupendous success. Exhibitors, visitors, participants, special guests and even the organizers were unanimous in their appraisal of the event that is now well and truly established as world-class in every sense.

More than 6,766 trade professionals streamed into the Dubai International Exhibition & Convention Centre over the three days, making it the largest Office exhibition on record so far. Over 300 exhibitors from across the world from Germany, the UK, the USA, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Cyprus and the Middle East vied for the spotlight, and the smiling faces at the end of it all indicated that a majority of them had a happy outing. Wilkhahn, the leading German exhibitors who were participating for the second time at the Office Exhibition, were extremely pleased with the response at this year's event.

"The UAE is an important market for us, and exhibiting at Office Exhibition plays a crucial role in strengthening regional brand awareness," said Mr. Buckhard Remmers, the head of International Marketing and PR at Wilkhahn. "The region is a growing market for high-end products, and our range of high-end office chairs and conferencing solutions struck a chord with the visitors," he added.

Many exhibitors from across the globe shared his sentiment, and this was the highest praise the organizers could have got about the event's success. "The fact that more and more international names have earmarked Office Exhibition as a must-attend event is testament to the growth in size and stature of the event," said Ms. Paula Al Chami, director of the Office Exhibition. "I would like to say a big thanks to everyone involved in making this exhibition a grand success, including the media, who have played a crucial role in highlighting how much was there on offer at this year's event," she added.

The trade visitors to the show were equally delighted. "The show is a big boon to small and medium scale dealers like us," said Mr. Waheed Salman a furniture designer in Dubai and a trade visitor at the exhibition. "We would normally never get to see such world class work at close range, and seeing designers like the ones on display here is highly inspiring. It gave us a good indication of the direction the market is heading," he added.

A keen sense of timing and strategic thinking by the organizers also played its part in the event's success. The show dates for this year's event were preponed to accommodate the needs of exhibitors and their clients, and coincided with the start of the annual tender process and the marketing campaigns of international manufacturers.

Besides showcasing the best designers in the world, Office Exhibition 2008 added a new dimension to its repertoire this year. The event played host to a series of seminars and conferences featuring some of the most prominent names in the office interior design business. Leading the way was the much-anticipated Business by Design workshop hosted by Fred Berns, perhaps the biggest name in the business of interior design. His four-session workshop was a masterclass in every sense. Another highlight of the show was the Workplace Freedom Seminars. The seminars showcased how one's office space can be used to make a powerful statement about the company's business, culture and success.

The Office Exhibition always has one eye on the future, and the "Inspire Us" challenge put forth by Frezza SpA in association with The Total Office gave two architectural and design students from AUD a once-in-a-lifetime tour of the Frezza facility in Venice, Italy.

On the whole, it was yet another successful year for the Office Exhibition. If its track record of getting bigger, better and most exciting with every passing year is anything to go by, next year's event will well be worth waiting for.