Clearwater, a young UK water treatment specialist, says it came to the Big 5 as a small exhibitor but walked away with a large number of serious enquiries, not just from Dubai but also from around the Gulf, the Far East and Australia.

The Legrand Group, which is headquartered in France, continues to reinforce its presence in the region and shows such as the Big 5 have enabled it to create greater awareness of its products, says the company.

Global and regional digital leader LG Electronics has won Dh200,000 ($54,452) worth of commercial air-conditioning orders at the Big 5 show held recently at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre. "The contracts relate to villa projects in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain," explained Kyung Rin An, manager of LG's liaison office.

Mammut Building Systems, the largest manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings (PEB) in the UAE, says it has doubled its market share in the Dubai and the Northern Emirates and has just set up a sales office in Abu Dhabi to service customers in that emirate where it plans to acquire a 50 per cent of the PEB market by the end of 2003.

The Big 5, the recently-concluded giant construction and contracting industries exhibition, attracted over 25,000 visitors to the Dubai International Exhibition Centre (DIEC), an 18 per cent increase over the previous event, according to official figures.

S &B, a leading temporary fencing and hoarding manufacturer in the UK, says its participation at the Big 5 show has helped it gain a leap forward in its plans for the region.

Eurocon Building Industries, based in Ajman Free Zone, says its participation in the Big 5 show was a resounding success.