$290m technology spending forecast for new GCC hotels

"This is a very large market relative to the rest of the world and is a reflection of the record number of hotel projects upcoming in the region in spite of the impact of the global downturn," said Maggie Moore, Exhibition Director of The Hotel Show.

The Hotel Show, the region's premier trade show for the industry, takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 24-26 May 2009 and will host the latest products, services and technologies from all aspects of the hospitality and leisure sector.

The data on communication infrastructure budgets for upcoming Gulf hotels has been compiled by research company Proleads for The Hotel Show which will feature a special security and technology arena. The accompanying Seven Star Conference will also devote sessions to technology and design, technology for profit, future trends and technological requirements in hotels.

According to the Proleads data, spending on communications infrastructure from cabling, telephony, hotel management systems to hotel room TVs will peak this year in the United Arab Emirates at almost $81m but decline in 2010 to just over $46m. Qatar will also record a slight fall from $5.7m this year to just over $3m in 2010.

The rest of the Gulf Co-operation Council countries will record rises, led by Oman where spending is forecast to increase from $4m this year to more than $29m in 2010. Over the same period, the forecast for Saudi Arabia is a rise from $27m to $32m; Bahrain $14m to $18.5m;Kuwait $6m to almost $10m. Overall, the forecast for the GCC is for spending on communications infrastructure to reach in excess of $290m over the two full years.

The latest technology solutions for the hospitality sector in areas such as guest and function rooms, public areas, business centres and back offices will be on display at The Hotel Show.

Samsung, which will be exhibiting at the show, with their new range of flat panel televisions, recently announced the launch of a new range of hospitality TVs. Designed to reflect contemporary style in hotel rooms, the new TVs are ready for high-definition digital broadcasts and are made with more environmentally friendly materials. Importantly, they are also energy efficient, saving up to 60% on standard power consumption.

Other sectors of the show will include Interiors & Design; Operating Equipment & Supplies; and The Resort Experience covering all things outdoor; including furniture, accessories and design, including spa equipment and supplies. The Hotel Show 2009 also sees the launch of the first Middle East Spa Summit, addressing issues and trends in spa treatments as well as design, environmental impact, human resources, management and operations topics.

Industry partner for The Hotel Show is Hepo; Corporate Catwalk sponsor is A Ronai; the hotel sponsor for the conference and summit is the Grand Millennium Hotel; audio-visual sponsor is Almoe and the conference producers are D'Events.