The Hotel Show Dubai, a leading business-to-business event for the hospitality industry in the Middle East and Africa, opened its doors today (September 28) in Dubai, UAE.

The event will run for for three days, participated by serious industry buyers and over 600 suppliers of the newest products and global brands.

The 15th edition of the event aims to deliver a full end-to-end offering in hotel, hospitality and leisure, from investment, design and build, through to refurbishment, fit out and operations of hotels, restaurants, leisure destinations and resorts, said the event organisers.

Recognised as the leading, dedicated platform for the industry, The Hotel Show Dubai 2014 also features a high profile educational conference, bespoke awards, interactive features and business building networking opportunities.

More than 16,700 hotel and hospitality professionals had attended last year's event, where almost $4 billion of business was committed for the following 12 months.

Christine Davidson, the event director, The Hotel Show Dubai, said: "While we have been at the heart of the industry for 15 years, we also look forward to the dynamic opportunities that the market here has to offer the international supplier base."
 
The key players in the interior lighting & design; hotel training & careers; operating equipment and hotel/restaurant/café (Horeca); retail, franchise and services; hotel investment; development and build; technology and facility management sectors are also attending the show.

"The Hotel Show Dubai is now established as not just an exhibition, but an annual meeting place for sourcing, networking, and education. The Middle East is recognised as one of the fastest growing economies in the world - with forecasts of up to three per cent growth before 2016 – and we are delighted to be able to offer real business opportunities to all who participate," he added.

The key highlights at this year's show include:

*The International Village: A dedicated area that emphasises the global proposition of the event, thus creating a true identity for each country and its suppliers. Over 300 international companies are profiled - a 41 per cent increase year on year – in over 29 dedicated country pavilions, where more than 45 countries are represented with products including Austria, Belgium, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam and the UK.

*The Vision Conference: A senior management-level, educational programme featuring both regional and international influencers and pioneering thought-leaders who will share their insights of topical, dynamic issues and trends in live debates, panel discussions, presentations and case studies for the next three days.
 
*The Leisure Show: With the leisure and outdoor industry now accounting for over 70 per cent of the total travel and tourism spend in the GCC, The Leisure Show is the only B2B event in the Middle East and Gulf region which addresses the leisure industry in its wider scope.

More than 1,500 professionals from theme parks, spa resorts, sports facilities, golf courses, real estate and shopping malls had attended last year’s launch edition, specifically looking for outdoor and leisure products, furnishings, equipment and services, said Davidson.

The event is organised in partnership with the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, he added.-TradeArabia News Service