Hours after the region’s biggest showcase for the hospitality industry opened for business on Sunday morning, hotel suppliers were already signing lucrative deals with the region’s leading hotel chains.
First-time, Brazilian exhibitor Nadir, a glass and tableware company, secured a total of seven deals during the first five hours of The Hotel Show.
“We have already sold seven containers worth of goods,” said Leila Da Silva from Nadir.
The company which exports globally, claims the Middle East market currently accounts for five per cent of its export value and that this figure is growing significantly. The Nadir is one of nine Brazilian exhibitors coming under the banner of the Sao Paolo State Government and the Arab Brazilan Chamber of Commerce.
Dubai-based florist services provider, Flowers by CONTEMPO has signed a contract with the new Courtyard by Marriott hotel, which opened at the end of April within the Green Community, Dubai Investment Park.
The company, which will supply flowers for the new hotel's rooms, suites, restaurants and public spaces, already enjoys established relationships with some of Dubai's most well-known hotel properties such as the Fairmont, JW Marriott and Ibis, as well as the Ritz Carlton and Royal Mirage.
"There is huge scope for development in the hotel side of our business and this explains our debut at The Hotel Show," said Eisenhart, Flowers by CONTEMPO.
"The demand for florist services in a typical five-star hotel can come up to Dhs.100,000 per month," said Stephen Eisenhart, general manager, Flowers by CONTEMPO. "Last year we sourced flowers worth ˆ750,000 on behalf of our clients and this year we've projected a 25 per cent increase," he said.
The Flowers by CONTEMPO, which sources flowers from as far afield as Europe, Latin America and Asia, is also using The Hotel Show to announce the opening of its third retail outlet in July at the Green Community Shopping Centre.
Porcelain table ware manufacturer, Tunisie Porcelain, which holds 11 per cent of the market share in the Gulf region, made contacts potentially worth ˆ40,000 during the first few hours of The Hotel Show.
“We made eight important contacts so far and we hope this will lead to substantial business in the months to come,” said Taha Ben Abbes, Sales Manager, Tunisie Porcelaine, who is also on the lookout for distributors to represent the company in the Gulf market.
Running between 11am and 7pm until Tuesday, 24 May, The Hotel Show expects to attract some 8,000 hotel managers, owners and developers as well as architects, interior designers and specifiers working with hotels.
Reflecting the wide variety of goods and services from all over the world, the exhibition features four hundred twenty five exhibitors from 41 countries, including eleven national pavillions representing France, Australia, China, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Malta, Mexico, Spain, Turkey and the UK.
