INDEX 2011 confirms status as the top interiors and design event in the region

INDEX, the Middle East and North Africa’s largest and longest established Interiors and Design Exhibition, today revealed figures from its show and confirmed its status as the region’s leading sector event. Over 27,870 people – 11.4 percent more than the previous edition - visited the 2011 show which took place from 22^nd to 25^th October at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

INDEX is undoubtedly the most important occasion for the MENA region’s Architect and Design community to meet, discuss and do business.  Trade visitors were the largest attendees group making up to two thirds of show visitors (18,719 people) with some non-trade visitors, media and students also attending. Over 11 percent of attendees flew into Dubai from other GCC countries as well as from Europe, the USA, African countries, India and Pakistan.

The high profile of the exhibition was reinforced by the numbers attending through the ONE VIP Programme. Over 1,600 influential VIP buyers from ongoing projects with budgets totalling US$ 102,500 million were present at the event.

“INDEX 2011 was a great success both from the exhibitors’ and visitors’ perspectives; we hit the mark with INDEX’s innovative profile for 2011 that introduced a new structure and additional show features to the event”, said Paula Al Chami, Event Director for INDEX 2011. “During the event, professionals and design-passionate people had the opportunity to immerse themselves in new trends and innovations from the international design industry. Visitors packed the halls and all the features – from “Les Collections Exclusives” to the Design Talks and the Student Challenge – got an incredible response. We couldn’t be more satisfied with this year’s result”.

A total of 918 companies participated at INDEX 2011, showcasing their products across 10 halls and occupying 18,213 m² of floor space. The international nature of the exhibitions was also reflected in the origin of the exhibitors who came from 45 countries, 20 of which had dedicated national pavilions including France, Italy, Indonesia, Spain, Korea, Portugal, Turkey, Thailand and Singapore.

“The six product-specific shows - Furnishings, InRetail, Kitchen & Bathroom, Lighting, Outdoor Living and Textiles - that were introduced this year received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our visitors. ” said Naomi Barton, who has been appointed as the new Event Director for INDEX 2012. “We have already started working on next year’s INDEX event and we will keep improving its format and add to the content to cater to the design market’s evolving needs. New product sectors that will be part of INDEX 2012 include four new show areas: Inspire, Couture, Furniture and Surfaces & Finishes will next year be part of INDEX, making the 22^nd edition of the event larger and even more memorable than the previous shows”.

The new shows will continue to give the exhibition a more product-specific structure, making it easier for visitor to find what they are looking for. Couture will be dedicated to high-end luxury furniture; Furniture will showcase contemporary and classic bedroom, living and dining furniture; Surfaces & Finishes will focus exclusively on surfaces, flooring and finishing products; and Inspire is a new high-end home fashion and lifestyle section of INDEX 2012.