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Dubai hotel event draws 40pc more visitors

Dubai, June 16, 2011

The Hotel Show 2011, a leading tradeshow which recently concluded in Dubai, recorded an increase of 40 per cent in the number of visitors year-on-year.

The total number of visitors to the event organised by dmg::events at the Dubai World Trade Centre was in excess of 14,800 compared with 10,500 in 2010, which are to be audited by US-based BPA Worldwide.

“More importantly, 38 per cent of visitors were looking for new suppliers this year and more than 28 per cent of those surveyed placed orders in excess of one million dollars,” said Frederique Maurell, exhibition director, The Hotel Show.

Industry analysts estimate $6 billion worth of hotel-related projects mainly in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are due for completion within the next two years, in a concerted effort to diversify their economies away from hydrocarbon receipts.

“This is the perfect platform to talk to professionals from the area who are too busy to travel to Europe. It’s a good place to come and source materials for Middle East projects,” said Roberto Garcia, sales area manager, Andreu World from Spain.

Companies representing 420 brands from more than 45 countries occupied 20,000 sq m of exhibition space, covering operating equipment and supplies, interiors and design, outdoor and resort experience and security and technology.

Germany had the largest country pavilion this year, which was an impressive 600 sq m and accommodating 29 exhibiting companies. This was followed by Turkey, France, Italy, Cyprus, China, Thailand, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and the UK.

“We know there’s a huge market out here, so [participation in] The Hotel Show was an attractive proposition. The quality of visitors coming to the stand has been excellent and there’s been a lot of interest in the product,” said British exhibitor Eric Swithenbank, sales and marketing manager, Portable Floormaker.

The inaugural summit Hotel Innovation, Trends and Technology (HITT) 2011 ran alongside the exhibition attracting over 100 delegates.

“The Hotel Show is all about variety, understanding the latest innovations and where the industry is going. The other aspect is listening to the experts in the industry explaining what is the latest and what the trends are at the conference session,” said Michael Scully, managing director – Hospitality at Dubai-based Seven Tides.

Other show highlights included the Middle East spa awards, the student design gallery and awards and the corporate catwalk as well as a buyers programme which attracted 500 key buyers representing projects valued at over $1 million.

The Hotel Show 2012 will now take place from May 15 to 17 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. – TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Dubai | visitors | Hotel Show 2011 | HITT |

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