Gulf Construction Online - Dubai office show attracts 250 firms

Expo News

The Office Exhibition last year ... more exhibitors expected this year.

Dubai office show attracts 250 firms

01 January 2009

INTERNATIONAL office designers and manufactures will converge at one of the largest and most influential industry exhibitions in the region, when the eighth annual Office Exhibition is staged in Dubai from March 3 to 5.

This year, more than 250 office suppliers from over 25 countries will participate in the show, which takes place at Dubai International Exhibition Centre to showcase premium, high-end, innovative office product designs and services.
A large line-up of international office suppliers and manufacturers looking to the Middle East for business opportunities have signed up for this year’s event.
In recognition of the impressive number of international companies at the show, the event will feature 12 national pavilions including Italy, Spain, the UK, the US and France four more than last year. The Spanish and Italian pavilions will be the largest, with more than 50 companies in total.
Exhibition director Sinead Bridgett said: “The Gulf is seeing unprecedented demand for office fit-outs and furniture, not only due to the extraordinary growth in many of the GCC countries but also because businesses are beginning to understand the importance of work environments and the effect on business, and how staff interact and perform. The event’s exhibitor line-up is drawn from the Middle East, Europe, Asia, the US and Australia, and will include manufacturers and suppliers of workstations and seating, consultancy and design, IT systems and security, filing and storage, floor and wall covering, lighting, office equipment and supplies.”
Visitors to this year’s event will have the chance to see the most modern techniques essential to maintaining a competitive edge as the industry changes, with a huge range of office seating, lighting and flooring solutions on display.
More than 7,000 trade professionals from all office sectors attended the Office Exhibition in 2008 and visitor numbers are expected to increase this year. As well as showcasing a wide range of innovative and original office furniture and interiors, the show will feature a seminar programme, with some of the industry’s top speakers discussing hot topics such as office design, implementation, and how companies can adapt to the latest trends.
Feedback from the Office Exhibition in 2008 showed that 40 per cent of visitors wanted to see more office technology solutions at the show. So this year, the event’s organiser dmg world media Dubai has launched two sectors: office technology and consultancy.
Bridgett said: “Now at the forefront of any office fit-out or re-design, office technology is fast becoming an essential consideration for designers, consultants and specifiers alike. The consultancy sector at the Office Exhibition will give end-users, which make up a significant part of our visitor base, the opportunity to source key designers to oversee and manage their office fit-out. Hence, the event will truly be a one-stop show for buyers, where they can meet both designers and suppliers.”
Commenting on the event, Steve Vellozzo, sales manager for Krueger International (KI) Middle East, a confirmed participant in this year’s event, said: “The Middle East is one of the most interesting and exciting markets at the moment, with the higher education and healthcare sectors still going very strong.”
He said the company had high hopes the event would help KI to maximise its Middle East growth potential, by showcasing its healthcare, education, business and government office environments at the year’s event.
The doors will once again be open to the next generation of designers in the second year of the “Inspire Us” challenge, sponsored by renowned Italian office company Frezza.
The competition, which is open to interior design students at four UAE universities, will require students to design a range of office furniture, which will be judged by award-winning architect Claudio Bellini and Sergio Lion, managing director and architect at the Frezza, live at the event.
The top four students will win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy, including a visit to the Frezza’s facilities to meet world-class designers, a tour of some of Italy’s most famous cultural sights and a trip to the Salone Internazionale Del Mobile in Milan, one of the world’s best interior design exhibitions.