Biggest Hotel Show ever opens today

The industry showcase, organised by dmg world media Dubai Ltd one of the region's leading exhibition companies, had to increase the amount of exhibition space by 2,500 square metres to accommodate surging demand from international and regional exhibitors.

Maggie Moore, Exhibition Director, The Hotel Show, commented, "This year's show is the biggest ever. We have 700 exhibitors from 46 different countries and 16 national pavilions. Making their debuts this year are Brazil, Canada, China, Greece, Malta, Mexico.

In total we have sold a total of 10,600 square metres, which is a 30 per cent increase year-on-year and clearly reflects the confident nature of the regional hospitality industry," added Moore.

Visitor numbers are also expected to top the 8,124 recorded last year, which in itself was a 44 per cent increase over 2004. This year it is anticipated that the show will attract over 10,000 visitors, of which an estimated 50 per cent will be international and regional visitors, a clear indication of the mounting overseas interest in the event, especially from Kuwait, Iran and Europe.

The enhanced quality of visitors is also a trend set to continue, last year, Managing Directors and General Managers accounted for over a third of the total visitors, giving exhibitors access to key decision makers, boosting their on-site orders and providing quality sales leads.

On show will be a wide variety of products and services, including furniture and furnishings, bathroom supplies, tableware, entertainment, fitness and leisure, security, cleaning and laundry, signage, reservations, accounting and training.

Running concurrently with the exhibition for the first time is the 'Seven Star Conference' which will address key industry issues such as customer service and loyalty, restaurant concepts, market trends and security. A high quality speaker faculty has also been assembled from regional and international industry experts, like Tom McLoughlin, Vanessa Main, Gerhard Hardick and Lisa Steele.

Undoubtedly the star attraction will be international award-winning creative guru, Karim Rashid, who is a leading figure in the fields of product and interior design, fashion, furniture, lighting and art. He is best known for bringing his minimalist, high design aesthetics to a mass audience.

Moore stated, "Rashid will share his vision for design values in 'the beautiful shrinking world,' a concept that truly inspires him, as it affords everybody the chance to be motivated by each and every culture, everywhere and at anytime."