An impressive line-up of 150 overseas and Middle East exhibitors will assemble in Dubai for The Hotel Show, the specialised hotel supplies showcase to the hospitality industry, next month. With major Middle East hotel developments creating thousands of supplier opportunities, exhibitors will be bidding for their share of business worth millions of dollars at the three-day exhibition, which has received official recognition and endorsements from the British, American and Northern Ireland governments. Taking place at Airport Expo Dubai between May 20-22, The Hotel Show has been rated among the top 10 events in its sector worldwide by the British government, which has also agreed to provide grants to British-registered companies appearing at the event over the next two years. Joanne Evans, director of the organisers, Dubai-based Streamline Marketing, said: "The Middle East remains an important market for all the major players in the hotel supplies industry worldwide, and this is reflected in the number and range of exhibitors." Exhibitors will include manufacturers in air conditioning, audio visual, video conferencing and sound systems, bathroom supplies and bed linen, building materials, cutlery and crockery, carpeting and curtains. Also on show will be producers of computer hardware and software, fitness, spa and pool equipment, buses, vans and limousines, landscaping services, management and reservations systems, telecommunications systems, uniforms, and dozens of other products and services vital to a hotel's day-to-day running. As an added attraction this year, developers will reveal plans for 89 hotels to be built as part of The Palm development, the spectacular $3 billion project in Dubai to construct two islands which will be visible from space, in one of the most ambitious tourism ventures ever undertaken. Running alongside the show for the first time will be The Office Exhibition, giving office suppliers a valuable introduction to the rapidly expanding Middle East office development sector. Last year, The Hotel Show attracted exhibitors representing more than 200 companies from 13 countries in Asia, Australia, Europe, the GCC, North America and South Africa. The event recorded more than 3,500 visitors from the international and Middle East hotel industries. Visitors this time will include developers and representatives behind plans to build more than 140 luxury hotels and resorts within the next three to five years, creating 34,000 new hotel rooms, in the region. The show is held under the patronage of Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister, Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the chairman of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. The event was acquired last year by dmg World Media, a subsidiary of FTSE100 company, The Daily Mail & General Trust plc, and is already benefiting from ambitious international marketing initiatives in the wake of the buyout. With the core of its traditional exhibitors returning, The Hotel Show 2002 has also been boosted by extraordinary interest from new exhibitors worldwide, reflecting its growing recognition as a major event on the hospitality industry calendar. "There has been tremendous interest, vindicating the strong belief we had that, despite the tourism slump at the end of last year, the Middle East hotel industry would regain its lustre," said Evans. The Seychelles, the archipelago of idyllic East African islands, will be marketed at the show as a prime holiday destination by Mohamed Al Geziry Consultancy of Dubai, which also represents Odette AG, a Swiss consultancy for project financing and development of tourism, marketing, construction, technology and trade. Adding to the cocktail of products on display, Innovaciones Mecanicas of Spain will introduce a range of orange juice makers designed to produce natural tasting juice, with no bitterness. Driving home the show's diversity, Liberty Automobiles Co of Dubai will be offering test-drives of luxury Cadillac Sedans and 4x4 vehicles to senior hotel representatives looking to boost their vehicle fleets. From the exotic island of Bali, reputed Malaysian manufacturer Warisan will be showcasing furnishings and innovative lighting, while also using the show to promote its establishment of a permanent Middle East presence in Dubai, to supplement operations in the United States and Italy. Once again, Madini Hotel Works is the single largest exhibitor. The 2002 show will also host five new national pavilions representing Turkey, Thailand, Lebanon, Taiwan and the Philippines. These join pavilions representing North America, Germany, South Africa, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Australia and Hong Kong.