Portuguese companies make a debut at the Hotel Show

Portugal's exports to the UAE rose by 23 per cent between 2001 and 2003, a fact that augurs well for the 21 Portuguese manufacturers who are taking 400sqm of exhibition space at the Hotel Show in Dubai, 17 - 19 May.

These Portuguese exhibitors will make their debut as a unified group when they participate under the umbrella of the Portuguese Trade Centre. "Portugal's exports to the UAE reached more that €25 million in 2003," said Carlos Costa, Director of the Portuguese Trade Centre.

"While electrical equipment and machinery, electronics, wood pulp, paper, building materials, garments and footwear account for the bulk of Portuguese exports, there is a huge potential for manufacturers of furniture, lighting, tableware, fabrics, home textiles and decorative glass looking to cash in on the huge hotel developments in the UAE and the region," he said.

Taking place at the Airport Expo Dubai, The Hotel Show is organised by event and marketing specialists Streamline Marketing and is an invaluable opportunity for hotel owners, operators and developers, with exhibitors showcasing a huge range of products and services vital to a hotel's day-to-day running. At the event Centímetro, a leading Portuguese furniture designer and manufacturer will promote its first overseas office which is opening later this month in Dubai.

"Earlier this year Centímetro merged with Dubai-based Mostfirm interiors, forming a new company - Mostfirm Centímetro which will represent it in the region and can provide total furniture and upholstery solutions for all kinds of spaces," said Ricardo Morte, partner and CEO of Mostfirm Centímetro.

"We chose Dubai for our first office abroad because of the enormous growth registered by the hotel sector here and in the rest of the Gulf," he said. "Hotel decision makers are now increasingly looking for originality in design solutions with price becoming secondary and this is yet another reason why we think we can do well in this market."

Producers of upholstery and curtain fabrics, TMG Décor hopes its debut at the Hotel Show will boost its market share in the region. Part of Têxtil Manuel Gonçalves, Portugal's biggest textile group, the company has a capacity of about 10 million metres of fabric per year and a turnover which reached more than €40 million in 2003.

"Some 80 per cent of our produce is being exported to countries in Europe, the USA and Asia and we hope the Middle East will soon become a region where we experience substantial growth," said José Las Casas, the company's commercial director.

Leading Portuguese porcelain manufacturer of kitchen and table ware, SPAL will use the event to launch its most recent brand - hotspal. Created in co-operation with renowned chefs, the collection features uniquely-designed lines of porcelain tableware, large buffet pieces, cutlery, pans and other stainless steel and glass accessories.

The Hotel Show is held under the patronage of H.H.General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE Minister of Defense and Chairman of the Government of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, which uses its international network of offices to promote the event. The exhibition is owned by the UK's Daily Mail Group and is also supported by the UK, German, Spanish and South African governments and various Italian regional governments.

Visitors will meet the full spectrum of suppliers to the hospitality industry, including producers of computer hardware and software, fitness, spa and pool equipment, furniture, interior design, tableware, kitchen equipment, management and reservation systems, telecommunications systems and uniforms.