150 exhibitors from 17 countries are taking part in the inaugural edition of Equip’Hotel Middle East Exhibition & Conference (EHME), a major trade show focussed on the region’s hospitality industry that commences tomorrow at ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre).The inauguration of the event will take place under the patronage of HE Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) & Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC). EHME (www.equiphotelme.com), to be held 14 - 16 December 2008, is organised by Reed Exhibitions Middle East. The event will showcase the latest products, services and technologies for the hotel, restaurant and catering sectors besides featuring specialist conferences emphasizing trends such as the green hotels and shariah compliant hotels. Showcase seminars highlighting innovative technologies and a Hosted Buyer Program (HBP) are also part of the agenda at EHME. Of the 150 exhibitors, 89 are international companies from countries including the US, Canada, Spain, Italy, Norway, Turkey, Switzerland, Portugal, Lebanon, Egypt, Oman, Syria and Thailand while the remaining 61 are from the UAE. Germany and France have national pavilions at the event. EHME is being organized by Reed with the support of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. The UAE capital’s leading hospitality groups, Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) and National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels (NCTH), are show partners. According to a Lodging Econometrics (LE) report released earlier this year, the number of hotel projects under construction in the Middle East in Q1 2008 stood at 527 (156,000 guestrooms). 88 projects with 23,756 rooms were expected to open during the course of this year (2008). In 2009, 167 additional hotel projects (43,400 rooms) are scheduled to open. Figures released by the ADTA (Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority), show that the UAE capital is planning to increase hotel room capacity to 25,000 by 2015 and develop over 100 hotels in the next ten years. "The Middle East is poised to remain one of the most dynamic markets for the hospitality sector. With EHME, Reed has created a platform for hospitality industry buyers from the region, and for global suppliers, to meet, network and build business relationships aimed at effectively supporting the industry through its current and future growth phases," said Frederic Theux, President of Reed Exhibitions Middle East. Theux also added that despite the current financial downturn, the hospitality sector remained an integral part of the growth agenda for the region’s governments and would continue to attract investments. "Opportunities will continue to exist well into the future," he said noting that several companies at the exhibition and speakers at the specialist conferences at EHME would focus on technologies that deliver cost efficiencies while minimizing environmental impact. Exhibitors at EHME represent 14 sub-sectors: Building Layout & Fitting products; Tableware; Laundry; Coffee Making & Bar equipment; Hotel & Restaurant concepts; Food & Beverage; Vending; Kitchen Equipment; Linen & Professional wear; Furniture & Design; Guest Amenities; Spas; Bathroom & Wellness; and Sound & Lighting Technologies. Leading exhibitors at the event include Samsung, Alpha Data, Sarya Trading, Nakkash Gallery, Procurio General Trading LLC, Euphoria, Swede Dreams, Technogym and Tecking Socotex, Garnier Thiebaut, Bang & Olufsen, Colunex, UNIC SAS, Hotelys and Go In GMB. The Hosted Buyer Program (HBP) organised at EHME is aimed at providing top-end buyers from the region’s hospitality industry, the chance to network and evaluate products and solutions from local and regional exhibitors at the show. The 3,000 visitors expected at EHME will include buyers from international hotel groups, officials managing hotel apartments and tourist facilities, restaurant and catering operators, chefs, distributors, importers, wholesalers, educational institutions, government authorities, investors, promoters, developers, design and planning consultants, architects and interior decorators. Two specialist conferences will be held during EHME. Expert speakers from around the world including Hospitality and Green Building pioneers, top consultants and senior managers from the IT and Building sector will address the "Growth of Green Hotels Conference" which will take place on the 14th December. Leading speakers at this conference include Wen I Chang, President of the Atman Hospitality Group, Mario Seneviratne, Director - Green Technologies FZCO, Founder & Secretary to the Board - Emirates Green Building Council, Ralph Noblet, Director of ECOS Hotels, Markus Oberlin, General Manager, Farnek Avireal Middle East, Andrea Boeing-Spiess, CEO of Eco Crown Hospitality, Anas Sawaf, Real-Estate Vertical Manager, Cisco and Michael Hartmann, Senior Vice President, at Siemens. The other specialist conference at the event will be hosted by MKG Hospitality, a leading hotel, catering and tourism sector consultancy. Speakers at this conference will present an overview of Abu Dhabi’s and the Middle East’s hotel market, the challenges of quality management in the hotel sector and the rise of Shariah compliant hotels.

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