The Office Exhibition 2011, a premier trade show in office fit-outs and commercial interior design, ended its 10th anniversary edition on a record high.

The three-day show, which ran from May 17 to 19 in Dubai, enjoyed a 62 per cent increase in the number of visitors from last year, making the event the strongest on record, said event organisers, DMG Events.

Both visitors and exhibitors to expo were optimistic about the outlook for commercial fit-out projects in the Gulf region, with many reporting an improvement in qualified business opportunities secured during the event, following a slowdown in the market in previous years, they added.

Scott Savage, regional director for HNI Corporation in Europe, Middle East and Africa said, “Around 20 per cent of our projects in the region come directly from The Office Exhibition. It is a very important business platform for us.”

Savage’s comments were echoed by fellow exhibitors. Before the conclusion of this year’s show one third of participants had re-signed for the 2012 edition.

The growth in attendance at expo also confirmed its regional and international appeal, attracting visitors from as far as the the US, Spain, Italy, Turkey, India, Pakistan, UK, GCC and North Africa.

Pichanee Chaisingharn, brand manager of Rockworth, Thailand said, “We have been exhibiting here for the last five years and we agree that this is the best industry show in the Middle East. It has helped us develop contacts and we're happy with the results.”

The exhibition floor proved a source of innovation and inspiration for the region’s architecture and design community.

Natalie Okoya, owner of Lindsay Interior Design in Nigeria, visited the show and said: “We came here to look for library furniture and were very impressed by the products on display. There is an incredible variety and the show has given us a good understanding of the market.'

'There is a plethora of new, interesting and fresh ideas that definitely prove how important this show is to the design community,' she added.

In a first for The Office Exhibition this year, DMG Events partnered with the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) to provide visitors with access to better education opportunities and innovation in office design.

In addition to running a series of product and project design award programmes IIDA convened the first Design Executive Roundtable event for local design professionals. 

Following positive feedback from roundtable participants organisers of the exhibition, in collaboration with IIDA, will now grow the event into a Dubai Design Summit, a two-day convention for designers, architects, product manufacturers, CEO’s, executives, directors, HR managers and the entire business community.

This interactive, forward thinking event will respond to the ongoing metamorphosis in the workplace and its impact on commercial design. The inaugural Dubai Design Summit is scheduled to take place in January 2012.

David Wilson, event director of The Office Exhibition, said: “The show’s 10th anniversary was celebrated with phenomenal appreciation from exhibitors and visitors. We are delighted to see there is global interest in the regional office fit-out market.  We look forward to presenting an even more exciting roster of features and inspiring workplace ideas next year.”

The Office Exhibition will return next year from May 15 to 17 with a showcase of high-end products and services.-TradeArabia News Service