The 2016 Saudi Arabia Hotel Supplies Exhibition concluded on Thursday, May 19, following a three-day event held at the Jeddah Convention and Events Center, under the patronage of His Highness Prince Abdullah bin Saud bin Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of the Tourism Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who was joined at the opening ceremony by Mohammed Abdullah Al-Omari, Director General of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage in the Makkah and Jeddah region.
Exceptional Growth in the Hotel and Hospitality Sector
During the opening ceremony, which was attended by a large number of professionals in the hospitality and tourism sectors, Mr. Gary Williams, Director of the 2016 Saudi Arabia Hotel Equipment Exhibition—co-organized by dmg events—His Highness Prince Abdullah bin Saud bin Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the distinguished guests of the exhibition, wishing them a pleasant stay at the exhibition. Williams described the hotel exhibition as an event that is a must-attend for hospitality professionals seeking to establish a tangible presence in the Kingdom,” For his part, Mr. Elliot Rizk, Vice President of M.I.C.E Arabia, the exhibition’s organizer, said: “The hospitality sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is experiencing exceptional growth, with the number of hotel rooms expected to double by 2018, and the Saudi Arabia Hotel Supplies Exhibition is the leading event that highlights everything needed to establish and operate a hotel or restaurant in the Kingdom.”
New Products Enhance the Hospitality Experience
During the exhibition, exhibitors unveiled exciting new product launches, particularly in the technology sector. Unity, a leading provider of guest access and electronic security systems headquartered in Spain, chose the Hotel Equipment Exhibition in Saudi Arabia as the platform to launch its innovative smart wristband—Kyung—which allows hotel guests to make payments and access rooms and other restricted areas, Samsung introduced a new hospitality management solution called Link HMS Solutions, which allows in-room televisions to serve as a central control unit for guests to customize lighting, temperature, and other settings, while allowing the hotel to send personalized notifications to them.
Interior Design and Hotel Amenities
For its part, LG Electronics unveiled “innovative display technologies,” including an 86-inch, 7-foot-long “ultra-stretch” high-definition signage display. Among the other product areas highlighted at this year’s exhibition, interior design, lighting and design, operational equipment and supplies, hotel, restaurant, and café furnishings, cleaning and laundry, food and beverage, and other hospitality-related sectors.
The list of exhibitors includes Rak Porcelain (which will launch eight new collections at the exhibition), C.M.T. Technologies, Poly Products – Raha, Sohar Poly Industries, Hotec GT, Al-Zubair Furniture, Al-Gharini Amenities, Artasa Paris, Silent Night, Rom Net TV, ABB, Al-Rawda Trading, Salto Systems, Stres Les d’Écornez, and many others.
Hotels: A Strong Market for Innovative Technologies
The fourth edition of this exhibition featured a 360-degree virtual reality tour of Unity’s full product range, experienced through a head-mounted VR device, In this context, Mr. Denis Laboro, Unity’s Distribution Sales Manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, said: “Given the growing youth population in Saudi Arabia, rising levels of domestic tourism, and increasing use of the internet and social media, it is no surprise that hotels here have become a strong market for innovative technologies and, consequently, the highest standards of service quality, There are many opportunities here; that’s why we’ve made a point of participating in every edition of the Saudi Hotel Supplies Exhibition, where we’ve achieved remarkable success. This year, we plan to truly exceed visitors” expectations with our new products, which we will be unveiling at the exhibition for the first time.“
