Future Office, a new feature added to Office Exhibition

The Future Office is a new feature to the show, and provides a visionary peak at what offices will look like in years to come. Brought together by dmg world media, the organisers of The Office Exhibition, The Future Office is the result of a design collaboration between some of the leading companies in the region - Mazari Consultants, Frezza SpA, Quantum Glass, 3D Lux, BAAJE, In Out Space and Skad Media, in addition to Hewlett Packard who are providing state of the art technologies.

Designed with optimum employee health, safety, motivation and productivity in mind, the futuristic design combines sleek desks with complementary laptops, unique glass panels which can switch from being transparent to opaque at the flick of a button, and energy-saving light panels. In addition, it uses creative ceiling materials, such as stretchable sheets incorporating sustainable low energy lighting and colour changing light, which improves productivity.

At the other end of the design spectrum, The Office Exhibition also supports tomorrow's generation of design stars through the Student Loft Design Competition, sponsored by Frezza SpA.

This competition provides a unique opportunity for students to get direct exposure to the industry, and teaches them how to create designs that not only look good, but which are feasible and can be reproduced. Students from four local Universities competed to design a meeting table or area, a workstation, a reception desk or an office lamp. Success went to the girls this year, who scooped all three awards: Farzaneh Eslami from American University of Dubai won an award for her "Armed" lamp; Aahd Alanqar from Abu Dhabi University for her "The Strips" reception desk; and Israa Mahmoud from Ajman University for her "Serenity" workstation.

Speaking about her award, Farzaneh Eslami, AUD, said,

"I am so surprised that I won, but delighted! This was a great experience for me, and was the first time I have really had to think about the practicalities of my designs. Winning has given me much more confidence, and I am sure that it will help me enormously in my future career."

The winners' prize is a week long trip to Milan, Italy, where they will be able to visit the famous international design fair, as well as Frezza's office in Venice where they will be able to get a real feel for how the company works.

Sinead Bridgett, Show Director, The Office Exhibition, said, "The Office Exhibition has had a great start. The brand new Future Office feature has definitely been a talking point, and provides food for thought for anyone looking at setting up a new office.

"The response to the Student Loft competition was great, and it was encouraging to see so many design students taking part with such enthusiasm. We know from previous winners that the award has helped them in their career by providing access and exposure to leading design companies, and I am confident that this years award winning students will go on to achieve great things."

The Office Exhibition, now in its 9th year, is a premium showcase for the high-end products, technology and services that combine to create outstanding working environments. The exhibition, which is the only event of its kind in the Mena region, is taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 9-11 February 2010.