Leading architects and interior designers will be showcasing their innovative designs and products in front of major retail buyers and students at an upcoming industry event in Dubai.

Index, the Middle East's premier interior design exhibition, will kick off on September 16 and run till September 18 at Dubai World Trade Center.

The eclectic show is also the soft launch for its new September dateline, said the event organiser dmg.

The show, which will be running alongside Furniture Interiors Manufacturing Show, is a must-visit for manufacturers, architects, interior designers, project managers, and buyers from all parts of the world, especially those with a keen interest in the Middle East’s burgeoning interiors manufacturing sector, it stated.

Samantha Kane Macdonald, the event director said: "We are thrilled with the quality and variety of designs and styles from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia that our many exhibitors will be showcasing at Index as well as the stellar line up of speakers that we have on board."

"The Silk Road is renowned for enabling transcontinental cultural interaction for many centuries. Index has endeavoured to present a one-stop interior design event featuring components, materials, designs, from Europe to Asia along with industry experts in order to kick-start an era of global design interaction. I am confident that the visitors will thoroughly enjoy the show," stated Macdonald.

To catch up on the latest and forecasted trends, the Index Design Hub will be the must-visit zone for architects, interior designers, retail buyers and students attending the show, she noted.

The Future Design Trends seminar by Victoria Redshaw from Scarlet Opus will inform the audience of the key colors, materials, patterns, textures and shapes for 2019. She will relate these to residential, workplace, hospitality and educational interiors.

The panel discussion by Interface will explore the importance of biophilic design for all interiors as well as how it can be applied in the Middle East, and Katherine Bruce from AESG will discuss how interior design can either improve or harm the health of end users/consumers, she added.

"Did you know that wool is one of the World’s most sustainable and eco-friendly materials that is able to bring health benefits to interior furniture and furnishings?," queried Macdonald. "Visitors get to hear more on this at the Wool Seminar," she stated.

There will also be a series of talks dedicated to discussing all things design in, for and from the UAE hosted by Tashkeel an art-enterprise that provides a nurturing environment for the growth of contemporary art and design practice rooted in the Nation, she added.

The opening day will see Dubai host its first-ever sleep challenge, sponsored by DeRucci, which will pit four expert snoozers against one another to see who can enjoy the longest, most peaceful nap right in the middle of the exhibition floor.

The four contestants were selected from an overwhelming number of entries that were submitted on Index’s Facebook page narrating the most bizarre sleep stories.

Appealing to the Picasso in all visitors at the show will be the Artist Avenue showcasing the captivating artistry of famous, and budding international as well as local artists, said the organiser.

The art catalogue features Iruvan Karunakaran’s ‘Bull’ that portrays its majestic beauty all donned up in local attire, Lion and the Sheikh by Dheeraj, Jesno Jackson’s Blue Series - a contemporary cubism artwork based on love and music, and Fahr AlSalih’s unique mosaic work made of sponges, acrylic, paint, ink and resin to name a few, it stated.  

Visitors will see showcases from exhibitors from all over the World along with leading names such as Crate & Barrel, Maisons du Monde, Miotto, VG New trend, and De Rucci, it added.-TradeArabia News Service