Index 2013 exhibition opens in Dubai

Index International Design Exhibition and The Office Exhibition trade shows opened today at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Taking place for the first time simultaneously, the two exhibitions bring the latest international innovations and trends for the residential and commercial interior design sector to Dubai catering to the increasing demand from the entire MENA Region. Organized by dmg events, Index 2013 and The Office Exhibition will run until Thursday, 23rd May.

At 11am Index was officially opened by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance. The ceremony was followed at 12noon by the ribbon cutting ceremony of The Office Exhibition by Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qatami, Minister of Education.

Both inaugurations concluded with a tour of the shows to meet and greet the exhibitors.

Accompanying the tour of Index 2013 exhibition were Geoff Dickinson, President of dmg events Middle East and Africa, Mike Allsopp, Senior Vice President- Design of dmg events, and various dignitaries. Accompanying the tour of The Office Exhibition were Geoff Dickinson, President of dmg events Middle East and Africa, Mike Allsopp, Senior Vice President- Design of dmg events, and Rebecca Lockwood, Project Manager of The Office Exhibition, and various dignitaries.

Celebrating respectively their 23rd and 12th editions, Index and The Office Exhibition have established themselves as the leading regional events for architects, designers, project managers, office managers, facilities managers, and retailers not only from the Middle East and Africa but also from India, Pakistan, Europe and the United States.

“With leading international brands attending, the two exhibitions offer industry professionals an unrivalled occasion to be inspired and source products for their projects, to network with established clients and new potential ones, to discuss key industry topics and listen to the vision of industry experts. Having the two exhibitions taking place at the same time and under the same roof, it provides both exhibitors and visitors with even more opportunities and an invaluable professional experience,” added Frederique Maurell.

Spread over a total of 48,800 square metres of floor space from Halls 1 to 8 and Sheikh Saeed Halls 2 and 3 of the DWTC, the list of exhibitors attending these editions covers 850 companies from 45 different countries for Index and 120 exhibitors from 20 countries for The Office Exhibitions.

The Design Talks, the free-to-attend seminars and workshops held by industry experts that this year include two different programmes, kicked off today with sessions dedicated to Project Management. Attendees will be accredited with 2 PDUs (Professional Development Units) from PMI-USA - and Retail Design.

The focus for tomorrow, the second day of the Talks– Tuesday 21st May – will be ‘Interior Design’ and ‘Commercial Design, Fit-Out & Management’.  The topics will be covered  with a line-up of inspiring sessions including ‘Milan design trends review’ by Matteo Bianchi, Owner and Director of Matteo Bianchi Studio; ‘Design trends 2013, 2014 and beyond’ by Ms Shelley Pond, Creative Director at Scarlet Opus; and ‘Effective Workplace Strategies’ by Jan Johnson FIIDA, VP Design and Workplace Resources, Allsteel.

Index 2013 and The Office Exhibition are open to industry professional and trade visitors every day until Thursday 23rd May, from 11am to 7pm with a late night opening on Wednesday 22nd May till 9pm; both shows are also open to non-trade visitors upon purchasing a four-day entrance pass for Dh150.

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