Region's largest, longest established Design Exhibition opens

INDEX, the Middle East and North Africa’s largest and longest established Interiors and Design Exhibition, was inaugurated today by H.H Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Celebrating its 21^st anniversary, the show is a key platform for architects, designers and specifiers to source interiors and design solutions. INDEX 2011 features over 900 exhibitors from almost 50 countries and showcases 20 national pavilions, providing product specification by sector and country. The show will run until Tuesday, October 25^th 2011.   

“We are honored to have H.H Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum inaugurate INDEX 2011 for us. We thank the UAE government for its continued support as we work together to position the region as a hub for the design industry. With the GCC real estate market stabilizing, there will continue to be strong demand for interiors and fit-out in the region.  INDEX caters to this demand by bringing together products and services from over 900 international exhibitors,” said Paula Al Chami, Event Director, INDEX. 

“After 21 successful years, INDEX returns on a larger scale by introducing a brand new line up of six product-specific shows under the INDEX brand including Furnishings, InRetail, Kitchen & Bathroom, Lighting, Outdoor Living and Textiles and a host of exciting events and features,” added Al Chami.

INDEX 2011 is currently showcasing an impressive line up of top international manufacturers and brands, bringing their latest products, trends and design innovation to this region. Key exhibitors at INDEX  include, 4 Homes, Airstar Space Lighting, Alpha Crystal, Amber Gallery, Archimedia, Avenue, B.LAB ITALIA, Delta Faucet, DL Décor, Ecosmart, EGO Paris, Fabbian Illuminazione, Garden Light, Gea Luce, Hansgrohe, Harbour Outdoor, Harem, ILID, Jardin d’Ulysse, Johnson Tiles, Jordi Mila, Kafka Goes, Pink, Kermi, Kohler, Kollektion, Laufen, Lelievre, Leto Appliances, LP Vietnam, Maison D'Art, Mattar Bin Lahej, Neil Corder, Nobilis, PF Emirates, Poliedrica, Porada  Arredi, Preciosa, RAME, Razzeti Errepi, Rivoli Silks, Roca, Rubelli, Scavolini, Silvan Floors, The Horologist, The Kontainer, Toto, Trevi, Ulusal and Zeitraum.

Highlights of the inauguration day include the launch of the InRetail Summit, bringing together the biggest retailers across the MENA region to speak about innovation as a solution to today’s market challenges and highlight important retail projects. Key speakers on the first day of the summit include Mohi Din BinHendi, President of BinHendi; Mohammed Al Fahim, CEO, Paris Gallery Group; Simon Marshall, CEO, Fawaz AlHokair Saudi Arabia; H.E. Engineer Salah Salem Bin Omair Al Shamsi Former President of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and UAE Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Nisreen Shocair, President, Virgin MENA.

Design Talks, the interactive series of seminars, continued on the second day of INDEX with the theme ‘Talk Business’, covering topics such as Engaging Customers, Rethinking Value and Financial Management. Key speakers during the day were Designer Jordi Milà of Jordi Milà Barcelona and Senior Partners of Insight With Passion, Richard Gomersall and Kate Hardcastle. 

Another highlight of the day included a Trend Tour by UK-based trend forecasting agency Scarlet Opus, who guided visitors through the latest innovations and trends of the industry. The day ended with judges facing the difficult task of selecting the Best Stand Award from over 900 exhibitors.

As part of the Festival of Interior Design, INDEX hosted the public yesterday (October 22^nd), which also featured the Festival of Interior Design (FoID) Congress, an exclusive one day Congress at INDEX which attracted constituents of the interior design and architectural industry. Also during the first day, Sinmar Al-Said  of Internal Line Interior Design was announced as the winner of the INDEX Majlis Design Competition. The competition featured six designers who designed a contemporary Majlis, showcasing their vision of the traditional Arabic space with a modern, cutting edge twist.