The Middle East's premier hotel supplies exhibition, The Hotel Show, has been rated among the top 10 events in its sector worldwide by the British government, which has agreed to provide grants to British-registered companies appearing at the Dubai showcase over the next two years.
The announcement, by the British Government's trade development organisation, Trade Partners UK (TPUK), is expected to significantly boost the line-up of British companies for the three-day exhibition, taking place this year from May 20-22 at Airport Expo Dubai. "This is excellent news, as Britain is a major trader with the Middle East countries, and also a key international player in supplying the hotel industry," said Joanne Evans, director of Streamline Marketing, organisers of The Hotel Show. "The grants will be a prime incentive for some of the leading British suppliers to the hotel industry to be present, not only for the next two years, but on an ongoing basis." Realising the exhibition's potential, The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce successfully applied for the grant from the TPUK. The chamber's project manager, Simona Novelli, said: "The grants reflect the importance of the Middle East region as a whole, and of The Hotel Show as a platform for suppliers looking to capitalise on the major growth of the hotel industry in the region." The grants are designed to encourage ongoing support for the show in the long term. The grants apply to companies which are UK-registered, in the manufactured goods sector, and retain profits in the UK. Recently the Commercial Office of the American Consulate in Dubai announced that it will, for the first time, have a dedicated booth at the exhibition for American suppliers. The Northern Ireland government has also officially backed the show's largest single exhibitor, Madini Hotel Works, while 12 national pavilions, bringing exhibitors from Europe, the Far East, the US, South Africa and Australia have been confirmed. More than 50 per cent of available exhibition space is already booked for this year's exhibition. Running alongside it will be The Office Show, which gives office suppliers a valuable introduction to the rapidly expanding Middle East office development sector. A major conference, bringing together top international speakers, is to be held alongside the show. The Hotel Show Conference will be held on May 20-21 to deal with a wide array of issues and trends in the international and Middle East hotel sector today.