Event Preview: The Hotel Show Dubai

Celebrating its 15th anniversary, The Hotel Show Dubai will this year introduce a number of fresh exhibition areas, while its Vision Conference will look to build on its success with a host of new speakers

Taking place once again at Dubai World Trade Centre from September 28-30, The Hotel Show Dubai will see exhibitors coming from around the world and from across the hotel supply chain as it celebrates its 15th anniversary. Last year’s event attracted 16,749 guests over three days, with a total of 560 exhibitors.

Hotelier Middle East and Caterer Middle East will be the Exclusive Official Publications of the event.

Among this year’s exhibitors will be German safe manufacturer Hartmann Tresore, which will launch a new line of customised safe designs specifically for the Middle East. Sales & marketing coordinator Lady Anne Magbuhos explained the value of the event to the business.

“The Hotel Show is the leading event for the region’s most senior hotel and hospitality professionals from not only the local region, but also globally,” Magbuhos said. “It is the perfect opportunity for Hartmann Tresore to showcase our products and services. It also gives us the opportunity to identify new market trends to track the evolution of the hotel industry supply chain worldwide.”

Hampton Bed Company, based in the UK, will be exhibiting at the show for the first time. “The event is clearly an ideal platform not only to promote our products to the region, but also engage with wholesalers, distributors and agents,” explained managing director Ebrahim Patel.

“We know how demanding hotel clients from the Middle East are and we will present our high quality pocket spring mattress with high-end fillings and features not normally available on standard beds.”

Each day during the event, The Hotel Show Dubai Careers and Training Networking Workshops will provide a dedicated feature area for visitors to meet prospective employers and network with trade associations and training academies.

“The region’s industry is set to experience unprecedented growth — more than 280,000 new jobs will be created in Dubai alone, where 40% will be allocated to the travel and hospitality industry — and with this will come the need for ongoing training and development,” said event director Christine Davidson.

Meanwhile, around 70 experts from across the industry will contribute to the three-day Vision Conference, which will take place during the show. Among the speakers lined up are Hospitality Management Holdings CEO Laurent A. Voivenel and Citymax Hotels COO Russell Sharpe, while topics up for discussion will include shaping the future, sustainability from the ground up, and ensuring a successful business.

“We are confident these areas of focus will not only inspire the audience, but ensure they come away with a greater understanding of global hospitality industry trends, how to drive leisure demand as well as balancing guest satisfaction to meet sustainability requirements and government standards,” said Davidson.

“The programme will also explore emerging markets, address destination marketing, tourism infrastructure and theme parks, plus the power of the exceptional dining experience to drive revenue,” she added.

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KEY FOCUS AREAS

INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE

Among the most anticipated elements of this year’s Hotel Show will be the new International Village, which will be a special area dedicated to specific products showcased by their country of origin.

Featuring representation from Belgium, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Thailand and the UK, it will be spread across Halls 3 and 4 of DWTC and will feature elements from across the hotel supply chain.

Upon registration, visitors will be asked to identify which countries they are interested in viewing products from and this data will then be used to send targeted information relating to specific exhibitors from those regions.
The Philippines pavilion will cover 98m2, showcasing a range of certified, export-quality furniture.

Its presence at the event is being spearheaded by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arm of the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

With sales of US $6.9 million negotiated at last year’s show, CITEM executive director Rosvi Gaeto realises the importance of the event.

“Our participation at The Hotel Show Dubai will strongly sustain CITEM’s efforts to bring multiple business opportunities to the Philippines’ furniture industry,” said Gaeto.

“It is an opportunity to strengthen the international reputation of the Philippines brand as a design leader in Asia.”

SUSTAINABILITY

As demonstrated at Hotelier’s own summit on the topic earlier this year, sustainability is now a core part of the thinking of most hotels, and it will be extensively addressed at The Hotel Show too.

Partnering with Italian architecture studio WT Project, the event will introduce the ‘Future Hotel’ sustainable design feature, showcasing international brands, their products, design concepts and future trend predictions.

Located in Hall 8 of DWTC, the area will show how the latest technologies can be applied to architecture, with products aimed at protecting the environment, such as ventilated facades articulated according to building orientation, surfaces that integrate various regenerative energy production methods, geothermic systems, and photovoltaic and photocatalytic materials.

“Sustainability projects are not just a passing trend but they represent a real opportunity to improve building performance and quality of life of the local residents,” explains WT Project’s studio director Chiara Cantono.
“Materials and technologies of the latest generation are intelligent, interactive and above all, are low environmental impact materials paired to organic forms and natural iconography of the vegetable world.”

LEISURE SHOW

Soft-launched at last year’s event, The Leisure Show will once again be the ‘show within the show’, with Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) partnering with The Hotel Show on it.

The Leisure Show will focus on four key areas — outdoor design, furniture and equipment, pool and spa, sports & fitness, and recreational fun and adventure — giving businesses an opportunity to meet with the designers, architects, contractors, real estate developers, facility owners, managers, and the decision makers.

Among the new exhibitors taking part this year will be Canada’s International Play Company. The company’s operations manager David Romano said: “We specialise in commercial indoor play structure, interactive events and outdoor playgrounds and see The Leisure Show Dubai as the perfect platform to meet new and existing clients in Dubai and internationally.”

According to the show’s own figures, almost 8000 of visitors that attended in 2013 were looking to source leisure products, and 7% had a budget responsibility of more than US$1 million.

To find out more about The Hotel Show, The Leisure Show and the Vision Conference, visit www.thehotelshow.com.