INDEX 2024 Opens Tomorrow With Biggest Exhibitor Footprint In The Show’s History

INDEX 2024 opens a three-day run at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) tomorrow with its biggest international exhibitor footprint to date. Exhibitors from 34 countries across Europe, North and South America, Oceania, and the Middle East are taking part in what is now a global meeting place for the interior design and fit-out industries.

Spanning eight DWTC halls, this year’s show features more than 530 exhibitors, a 40 per cent uplift on last year, and is expected to attract upwards of 20,000 dedicated visitors.

Elaine O’Connell, Senior Vice President of Design & Hospitality at dmg event’s organizer of INDEX, says that the region is known for its appetite for innovation in architecture and interior design, with market analysts estimating that the GCC’s interior design services will grow 8.47 per cent annually until 2029, leading to a forecasted value of US $18.41 billion.

“The growth has been fuelled by massive regionwide investment in real estate, hospitality, healthcare, and retail, which has pushed projections for the GCC’s interior design services to a new high,” explained O’Connell.“This represents a huge opportunity in terms of business development for sector players on a global level, setting the foundation for putting the GCC market on the map as one of the most developed markets for innovation in design.”

The exhibitor line-up includes some of the industry’s biggest names and disrupters, such as Welspun, Fabric Library, The Design Destination, Surfaces Furniture, Sedar, Consort Architectural Hardware, Illuminate FZC, and luxury indoor and outdoor leisure products provider Sanipex.

“We are excited to be back at INDEX Dubai after a highly successful edition in 2023. We know 2024 will be bigger and better, with new launches, as well as new designs to showcase,” commented Kerrie Black, Group Merchandising & Marketing Director, SANIPEX GROUP, Middle East, a leader in luxury indoor and outdoor leisure products.

INDEX 2024 emphasises fast-evolving trends within the interior design landscape including sustainability, technology integration, and wellness – themes which run throughout the show’s 11 sectors of furniture and components, accessories and décor, kitchens and bathrooms, textiles and furnishings, lighting and home automation, design and fit-out, art, modular structures, architectural hardware, floors and surfaces, and sleep.

‘Furniture’ retains its standing as the largest segment with the Design & Fitout section registering its strongest growth to date. The sector themes will also run throughout the event’s two major conferences, the INDEX Design Talks and The Furnishings and Textiles Summit, which will feature addresses by more than 65 industry changemakers and trendsetters.

The newly launched KIDSPACE, a new-to-market exhibition by dmg events, will also open tomorrow, bringing the high-potential children’s interior design sector to regional retailers and distributors.

The new exhibition, a platform for children’s furniture, mobility, technology, and apparel – will run until 6 June alongside INDEX and Workspace, with the co-located exhibitions forming a powerful design showcase trio.

KIDSCAPE has received strong international support for its first showing, with over 70 innovative brands from Turkey, the UAE, France, Romania, and China featuring in the line-up. The exhibitor profile features some of the sector’s biggest trendsetters, including Dinkids, the Dubai-based furniture supplier; the UAE’s Kidzink, which designs amazing buildings and furniture that empowers children and teachers to be creative and critical thinkers; ALGT, the UAE distributor of Disney and Marvel and more; Larisa & Pumpkin, the Turkish creator of modern, high-quality playgrounds and CBA Meubles, a leader in the French furniture and flat-pack industries.

dmg events launched KIDSCAPE to plug the B2B gap in a regional market where high disposable incomes see national and expatriate families seeking the latest and safest design, furniture, and apparel for their children’s living and playing spaces.

KIDSPACE also comprises exclusive networking events from the region’s leading retailers and the inaugural KIDSPACE Talks conference, where industry professionals will explore the sector’s latest trends. Topics up for discussion include kids’ development, learning and wellbeing; design of playrooms and bedrooms; next-gen travel options for kids; child safety solutions; eco-friendly approaches to kids’ furniture, and mobility solutions for children with impairments.

Workspace:
Workspace, the ultimate B2B exhibition for solutions in workplace wellbeing, office interiors and workplace technology, has a strong international exhibitor profile with participants from Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Korea, Netherlands, Turkey, India, the USA, the UK, and the UAE. The profile includes innovatory leaders, including Interstuhl with its high-performance chairs, Alea with bespoke and sustainable office furniture, Frezza whose office furniture and solutions are designed to promote well-being, respect the environment, and improve workspaces, Sedus which produces modular office furniture and ergonomic chairs, as well as Haworth which designs and makes office furniture for inspiring workspaces.

The CPD-accreditedWorkspace Summit will see more than 30 experts take to the stage to address pressing issues, including trends in workplace design for sustainability and productivity and to support mental health as well as design to respect local traditions while meeting global standards.

This year’s show will also feature the inaugural Workspace Awards, which are aimed at acknowledging and celebrating the remarkable contributions of organisations in reshaping the modern work landscape to prioritize employee well-being.

This dynamic show trio will also run alongside other key exhibitions, including The Hotel Show and Leisure Show, thereby greatly enhancing exhibitor opportunities and positioning Dubai as the global meeting point for the design and fit-out, hospitality, and wellness sectors.