The interiors and design section of gulfBID did brisk business yesterday as the event at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre attracted record number of visitors.

Local companies as well as regional and international players participating in gulfBID  - the leading buidling and interiors exhibition for the Northern Gulf -- were all full of praise for the quality of buyers attending the show and the amount of business being generated.

Thai company Fabric, which makes high-quality curtain materials chose gulfBID to launch itself in the region.

"We already have a few contracts in Dubai but we want to expand across the region," said overseas sales and marketing manager Jane Ramos.

"I found out about this event on the Internet and it seemed the ideal opportunity to access interior designers and retailers. The first day was a bit quiet but we have had a very good response today, particularly from Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia."

The Far East was also represented at the show for the first time by Malaysian office furniture company ACMI.

"We currently distribute products in the region through Dubai we but thought this event was an excellent opportunity to break into the Bahraini market, which looks to be booming," said deputy general manager S L Lim.

Bahrain-based Emilia, the high-quality wallcoverings, shades and blinds business, which also has an office in Doha is another first time exhibitor.

Chairman Hussain Owainati said his staff on the stand had been run off their feet with visitors since the show opened and there were crowds queuing up for samples yesterday.

"There is a lot of growth in the market at the moment right across the region and this show is helping us expand our business," he said.

"We have already done a lot of business and made some very good contacts."

Force 10, the Abu Dhabi-based group, which offers total building solutions ranging from construction to interior design has voted the gulfBID exhibition a major success.

The company, which is at the event for the first time, has been picking up business from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman at the show.

"We have had a massive amount of interest from both private companies, individuals and government bodies," said manufacturing division manager Badeea Al Rashid.

The company, which has been highly-successful in the UAE decided to come to the Bahrain show to expand its business in the northern Gulf.

"We have an agent in Bahrain but this show has really kickstarted a lot of opportunities for us," he said.

"We have seen so much interest from visitors and have made a contact in Saudi Arabia, which will probably see us setting up an agency there in the next few weeks."

Dyrup Paints, whose agent in Bahrain is Delmon Paints, is attending the show for the second time and claimed it was even better than last year.

"We have already had a lot of enquiries, particularly from Saudi Arabia," said Dyrup representative Mahmood Ebrahim.

Almaroos Total Solution, a Bahrain company specialising in locks and other hardware, believes gulfBID has really taken off this year.

The company, which has major contracts with Riffa Views and the Interior Ministry is at the event for the third time.

"We have met a lot of potential customers, both locally and from Saudi Arabia. We have already produced quotations for work for some Saudi visitors during the show," said senior sales engineer Naresh Reddy.

Dubai-based BTL Worldwide have already had a lot of success marketing Australian manufactured parasols that include heating and cooling technology to palaces, villa developers and hotels and the leisure sector in the UAE made their debut at this year's show and have been favourably impressed.

"We came here to break into the growing market in Bahrain and, of course Saudi Arabia and we have already made some important networking contacts," said director Darren James Brackett.

"Whether this yields actual business remains to be seen but at the moment it looks pretty positive." -TradeArabia News Service