Index generates $40.5m from sales, orders

Index International Design Exhibition (Index) confirmed its status as the leading design exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) by revealing figures from its recent 2012 UAE edition of the show. dmg::events, the organiser of the Mena region’s largest and longest established interiors and design exhibition, announced that its 900+ exhibitors reported sales and new business orders worth more than $40.5 million over the four days of the show, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre recently with visitor numbers up seven per cent on last year’s figures. “Index exhibition was once again a huge success and we couldn’t be more satisfied with this year’s results”, commented Frederique Maurell, Index Event Director. “Launched 22 years ago, the exhibition is becoming every year bigger and attracting a wider public from both the region and the rest of the world. This year’s figures show that the design sector in the region is going from strength to strength, and the UAE is at the heart of the industry’s success and growth. I would like to thank the UAE government for the support given to the exhibition, as well as the venue hosts the Dubai World Trade Centre, the show’s exhibitors and attendees, who together have made it possible to achieve these stunning results”. During the four days of the show industry professionals and design passionate immersed themselves in the latest in international design and interiors trends with more than 900 exhibitors, representing 45 countries, showcasing their products across 34,000m2 of floor space. Figures from an exhibitor survey conducted during the show also revealed that 86 per cent of Index exhibitors were pleased with the quality of the show, and 80 per cent of those companies are planning to return for Index 2013.   Frederique Maurell said: “The show was a success not only from the visitors’ perspective — the number of registered visitors went up of seven per cent this year — but also from the exhibitors’ side.” “Index has proved once again that it is the regional platform to create new business opportunities for the interiors and design industry — over half of our of exhibitors saw real orders for their products at the event with more than $40.5million generated as new business and in orders. The success of the 2012 edition means that space is already at a premium for the 2013 show next May,” Frederique Maurell added. Index 2013 will take place from 20th till 23rd May 2013 at the Dubai World Trade Centre and will feature more than 1,300 exhibitors spread across 55,000sqm. The show will now run alongside The Office Exhibition, which will showcase the most innovative and creative working environments for offices, sports venues, and education and healthcare facilities, as well as a range of other commercial environments. Four new product specific shows that were introduced to Index in 2012 will return for 2013 — Inspire, Couture, Surfaces & Finishes and Furniture — as well five more — Furnishing, Kitchen&Bathroom, Lighting, Outdoor Living and Textiles — and the 20 national pavilions, which were all packed with visitors, are also confirmed as part of the next edition. As part of the exciting new collaboration between the Index International Design Exhibition and The Office Exhibition, Index InRetail will be migrating to the Office Exhibition in 2013. As an established exhibition in its own right and eleven year history in the region, InRetail will continue to serve Mena’s retail industry. The free to attend features and events including the perennially popular Design Talks running throughout the exhibition will also be included in the May 2013 line up, as will Index Cinema — which screened a variety of interesting short films for the architecture and design community — and Ignite,  a fast-paced geek presentation evening where speakers are given 20 slides, each shown for 15 seconds, giving each speaker 5 minutes of fame to speak about their design ideas and personal or professional passions. Index will also run its second Saudi Arabian edition from Nov.12-14, 2013 and its first event in Kuwait from Sept.16-18, 2013. For 22 years Index has provided a business and networking opportunity for buyers and sellers of interiors products and services from around the world to source an astounding array of the very latest design innovations, trends and techniques. Launched 22 years ago, the exhibition is becoming every year bigger and attracting a wider public from both the region and the rest of the world. This year’s figures show that the design sector in the region is going from strength to strength, and the UAE is at the heart of the industry’s success and growth. From Gulftoday