The state-of-the-art office solutions will take centrestage at the eighth annual Office Exhibition, one of the largest and most influential industry exhibitions in the region, to be held in Dubai from March 3 to 5.

International office designers and manufacturers will converge in Dubai to tap into the growing demand in the Middle East region for office space, said the organisers dmg world media.

This year more than 250 office suppliers from 25 countries will showcase premium, high-end, innovative office product designs and services at the show.

Exhibition director Sinead Bridgett said, “The Gulf region is seeing an unprecedented demand for office fit-outs and furniture, not only due to the extraordinary growth in many of the GCC countries but also because businesses are beginning to understand the importance of work environments and the effect on business, and how staff interact and perform.”

A large line-up of international office suppliers and manufacturers looking to the Middle East for business opportunities have signed up for this year’s event, he noted.

"In recognition of the impressive number of international companies at the show, the event will feature 12 national pavilions including Italy, Spain, UK, US and France, four more than last year. The Spanish and Italian pavilions will be the largest, comprising of more than 50 companies in total."

“The event’s exhibitor line-up is drawn from the Middle East, Europe, Asia, the US and Australia, and will include manufacturers and suppliers of workstations and seating, consultancy and design, IT systems and security, filing and storage, floor and wall covering, lighting, office equipment and supplies,” Bridgett added.

Visitors will get a chance to see the most modern techniques essential to maintaining a competitive edge as the industry changes, with a huge range of office seating, lighting and flooring solutions on display, he said.

More than 7,000 trade professionals from all office sectors had attended last year's Office Exhibition.

A seminar programme will also run alongside the show, with some of the industry’s top speakers discussing hot topics such as office design, implementation, and how companies can adapt to the latest trends, he remarked.

"Feedback from the Office Exhibition in 2008 showed that 40 per cent of visitors wanted to see more office technology solutions at the show. So this year, event organisers have launched two niche sectors; office technology and consultancy, Bridgett observed.

"Now at the forefront of any office fit-out or re-design, office technology is fast becoming an essential consideration for designers, consultants and specifiers alike."

"The consultancy sector at the Office Exhibition will give end users, which make up a significant part of our visitor base, the opportunity to source key designers to oversee and manage their office fit-out.  Hence, the event will truly be a one stop show for buyers, where they can meet both designers and suppliers," he added.

Continuing to attract new audiences to this year’s show, the doors will once again be open to the next generation of designers in the second year of the “Inspire Us” challenge, sponsored by renowned Italian office company Frezza SpA.

The competition, which is open to interior design students at four UAE universities, will require students to design a range of office furniture which will be judged by award winning architect Claudio Bellini and managing director and architect at the renowned Frezza SpA, Sergio Lion, live at the expo.
 
The top four students will win a 'once in a lifetime trip to Italy', including a visit to the Frezza SpA facilities Italy to meet with world class designers, a tour of some of Italy’s most famous cultural sights and a trip to the Salone Internazionale Del Mobile in Milan, one of the world’s best interior design exhibitions.-