The Middle East's largest office fit-out and design show opens in Dubai next week

The event, which has seen has seen exceptional growth in the last 12 months, achieved a 60% increase in sales this year, increasing exhibition floor space by 5,000 square metres.

Taking place from 3 to 5 March 2009 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, The Office Exhibition will give visitors the chance to view a huge range of modern and innovative office solutions and meet with suppliers, designers and manufacturers of office furniture, lighting and flooring,

Sinead Bridgett, Exhibition Director at dmg world media said this year's event saw a significant increase in international presence and as a result, the event will feature 12 national pavilions, including Italy, Spain, Germany, UK, Turkey, Cyprus, Portugal and Korea.

Bridgett said: "International office suppliers and manufacturers are looking to the Middle East for business opportunities. The Office Exhibition is well known locally and internationally as a world-class trade event where people can network and develop new business contacts.

Jenny Bell, Marketing Manager at CMD, said the company's participation in last year's event was highly beneficial. "Our new Middle Eastern operation opened its doors in July 2008 following the success and interest from our attendance at The Office Exhibition last year."
Office Exhibition 2

To complement the networking needs of exhibitors and visitors, the event organisers have introduced a new show feature, The Indy Lounge. The networking and new business area has been designed by business people, for business people, creating a space for important meetings to take place, away from the busy show floor.

Another new element of this year's show is the Office Talks seminar programme, which will host some of the industry's top speakers discussing hot topics such as the latest trends in office design, facilities management, sustainability and workplace productivity.

Continuing to attract and inspire the next generation of designers, the Loft Student Design Competition is being held for the second year. The student competition, open to interior design university students, will be judged live at the exhibition and four winners will be announced on 4 March.

Regular visitors to The Office Exhibition herald the event as a vital tool for attracting business, making contacts and keeping up to date with new office designs, trends and technologies.

Ashraf Ali Ghansar an Interior Designer for Karani Interior Decorators said: "It is important to visit The Office Exhibition to see the latest office designs and understand the future trends. The UAE is very design orientated and a lot of importance is placed on interiors in the workplace."

Raksha Patel, Director of Mode Lighting Middle East said:

"The UAE is our primary target market, it's where we generate the most revenue. So it's important to visit The Office Exhibition to source ideas and find new suppliers to work with in the future."

Bridgett said: "Now in its eighth year, visitors and exhibitors see The Office Exhibition as a valuable one-stop shop for the region's architectural and interior design firms, consultants and specifiers, agents and distributors to meet potential clients. Last year more than 7000 trade professionals from all office sectors attended the event, and this year we expect more visitors and interest from a wider audience."

For easy access to the exhibition venue, visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the RTA shuttle bus which will run every 30 minutes from the RTA Bus Station at Convention Gate via Crowne Plaza, French Connection, Al Murooj Rotana, Dusit Dubai then returning to Convention gate.