Region's largest Design Show celebrates 21st anniversary

INDEX will celebrate its 21^st Anniversary as the Middle East and North Africa’s largest and longest established Interiors and Design Exhibition when it opens at the Dubai World Trade Centre this week. Running from October 22-25, 2011, the first day of INDEX will be a special Saturday as part of the Festival of Interior Design for the public who can witness the latest trends and innovations from over 900 exhibitors from almost 50 countries, along with a host of exciting features the show has to offer.

“For 21 consecutive years, INDEX has continued to improve and serve as a global platform to connect interiors brands, innovative manufacturers and design industry professionals.  INDEX has been a part of the growth in the UAE and is the region’s largest and longest standing event for the design industry,” said Paula Al Chami, Event Director for INDEX. “The first day of INDEX has been dedicated to the Festival of Interior Design where the public and trade professionals can share in the launch of our exciting features and product showcases. It’s a special Saturday event, as we wanted to invite the public to visit the show and witness the exciting and innovative world of design.”

The first day of INDEX will feature exciting events such as the Festival of Interior Design (FoID) Congress, which is being launched by the Association of Professional Interior Designers (APID), an organisation for professional interior designers in the Gulf Region. INDEX and APID have partnered to host an exclusive one day Congress at INDEX during the Festival of Interior Design which will attract constituents of the interior design industry and up to 400 delegates.

Running for the third consecutive year, the Majilis Design Competition at INDEX features six leading Middle East interior designers who have created designs of a contemporary Majlis, showcasing their vision of the traditional Middle Eastern space with a modern, cutting edge twist. This year’s six finalists include Sinmar Al-Said of Internal Line Interior Design, Ghandour El Habre of Khatib & Alami, Mimi Shakashir of 2berose, Carrie Das of ahk International, Basak Yuksel of PF Emirates Interiors and Rania Mahmoud Hamed of Von Saldern Hamed Design JLT. The winner of the Design Competition will be announced during the Saturday event on October 22^nd.

Other key features kicking-off on the first day and running throughout the exhibition include,  

K&B Essentials – a feature dedicated to bringing innovation and sustainability to the kitchen and bathroom sector;

LIGHTING | Visione – a celebration of iconic lighting products and truly inspiring innovations in lighting;

Les Collections Exclusives - an exclusive fashion show launched as part of INDEX Textiles;

Artists’ Avenue – an open art gallery featuring creations of the local contemporary artistic scene;

Design Talks - an interactive series of seminars with various themes;

INDEX Student Challenge – students tasked with creating design applications using local waste materials in the region.

INDEX 2011 will take place across ten halls at the Dubai World Trade Centre and will evolve its profile by introducing a brand new line up of six product-specific shows under the INDEX brand including Furnishings*, InRetail, Kitchen & Bathroom, Lighting, Outdoor Living and Textiles.  

The official opening of INDEX will be on Sunday, October 23^rd, 2011.