Coolest kitchen & bathroom designs at trade fair

The Gulf edition of the show forms part of a four-venue global programme, with ISH exhibitions being held in Frankfurt, Beijing, Chicago and now Dubai. Organised by Epoc Messe Frankfurt, the event is scheduled to be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 15th - 17th May.

According to Christopher Hudson, exhibitions director of Epoc Messe Frankfurt, the ISH Kitchen & Bathroom brand represents what's hot from a designers point of view. "Internationally, ISH is synonymous with cutting edge design, colour selection and use of materials, it presents a masterclass in what's best from around the world for interior designers and property developers in the Gulf area," he said.

Its global pedigree and regional success have resulted in substantial support from over 200 exhibitors coming from 15 countries. Ceramics giants Villeroy & Boch and Kohler, Keramag Victoria & Albert Baths Twyford and upscale kitchen suppliers, Allmilmoe, Franke and Miele, and appliance specialists Rangemaster, Teka and Bosch make up an exhibitors list that reads like a who's who of the kitchen and bathrooms industry. Bespoke whirlpools from Koller, exotic stone basins from Bati Bali and cherry wood bathtubs featuring mirrors with embedded TV screens from BMC Gulf are indicative of the extraordinary range of products being displayed.

In addition to the many international exhibitors, local manufacturers and suppliers play a major role in ISH Kitchen & Bathroom. The third largest ceramics producer in the world, RAK Ceramics features heavily at the event displaying some of their 6,000 model product range. Others include Topstone of Saudi Arabia and Mohamed Ibrahim Group of Dubai, add this to pavilions from Germany, the UK, Spain and Italy, its understandable why so many professionals from the interior design and building trades marked their diaries for the 15th - 17th May 2005 .

All are interested in the region's fast growing property market which provides countless business opportunities. Massive investment in the Gulf's mega-projects such as Dubai's Palm Islands, Doha's Pearl and the Durat Islands in Bahrain, have provided the spearhead for a liberalization of property ownership. Conservative estimates indicate that 50,000 housing units are currently under development, but many more are planned. This has just been added to by the announcement of the Waterfront project off of Jebel Ali, that will be home to 400,000 people.

This has not only boosted the demand for kitchen and bathroom products in general, but developers are having to invest in superior designed items to meet the expectations of the new and highly discerning demands of property owners. Dubai is fast becoming the Monaco of the Middle East and therefore design and style are key drivers in the specification process.

In addition to the stylish design focus of ISH Kitchen & Bathroom, this designer show includes everything else that goes into making kitchens and bathrooms work; kitchen and bathroom fittings, shower units, taps, sanitary ware, sinks, tiles, ceramics, specialized flooring and work surfaces.

Another advantage of attending is that ISH Kitchens & Bathrooms is co located with Lightstyle Gulf the design lighting trade exhibition with over 200 participating companies and Hometech Middle East tipped to attract over 18,000 visitors from around the Middle East region, the Sub Continent and Russia.