Over 750 local and international companies have participated in this year’s Hotel Show held from September 16 to 18 at Dubai World Trade Centre. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and CEO and Chairman of the Emirates Group inaugurated the event and the leisure show, which sees participation from various technology and sports equipment companies that have revolutionised the hospitality trade. The hospitality leadership forum opened with Olivier Harisch, CEO, Emaar Hospitality Group sharing the road to 2020 and how Emaar copes with the number of rooms, strategies to recognise women in leadership roles at Emaar, how they use technology as an enabler, etc. He reiterated that people have an emotional investment in hotels and thus, hotels need to be constructed in a smart manner alongside a smart procurement.
Philip Wooller, Director for Middle East and Africa at STR Global reiterated the evolving scale and structure of Dubai’s room supply. He said that Dubai is on its way to a steady growth plan as it is an emerging destination, which still leads the way with US $180 as average room rate. Apart from the forum, the inaugural Chef’s table and the second Middle East housekeeper’s league of champions events enthralled the visitors further. Various companies supplying décor had created masterful resort areas, which received enough attention from the participants.