CAIRO: The Egyptian furniture industry will take part in The Hotel Show 2006 for the first time this year as part of a government plan to get the industry to showcase its ability to take part in the increasingly profitable regional market. As the regional hospitality industry s meeting place, The Hotel Show will take place in Dubai. This is a country whose market dynamism has been recognized by overseas suppliers and will serve to publicize the ability of the Egyptian furniture industry to join the ranks of its regional competitors for a bite of the global hospitality market. The Industrial Modernization Centre (IMC), part of a national initiative jointly funded by the government of Egypt and the European Union to help develop international competitiveness in the private manufacturing sector, has funded and organized Egypt's participation in the exhibition, so that the industry and country can benefit from new opportunities arising from exposure to global markets and become internationally competitive on a sustainable basis. "We have seen the regional market grow exponentially and although Dubai clearly leads the way, massive investment is being poured in to tourism projects from Kuwait to Oman, said Adham Nadim, chairman of the Furniture Export Council and Head of the Furniture Steering Committee within the IMC in a statement issued by the Ministry of Investment. "With our well established industrial infrastructure, implementation of modern manufacturing principals, keen attention and quick response to the market demands of the overseas customers, low-cost manufacturing base, geographic location and cultural awareness, we are confident that we can compete for a greater share of the regional market. The Egyptian Furniture Industry has grown by massive proportions. Investment in the industry has topped $2 billion, and the market is worth $1 billion annually, employing more than a million people through 200,000 establishments, according to the ministry of investment. Currently, $200 million is spent for export, mainly to the USA, EU and the GCC. Based on the figures, the IMC feels that the stability and rapid growth of the regional market offers great potential for Egyptian exporters, according to Nadim. "Egypt has a relatively low cost labor force and immediate access to the regional markets. They are fully entitled to their ambitious export plans and The Hotel Show is the perfect platform to showcase the quality of their products, said Maggie Moore, project manager, The Hotel Show, on the exhibition's Web site. The Egyptian pavilion will represent the whole industry and communicate a clear message that hotel furniture from Egypt is not just a supply of furniture and furnishing items, rather, the Egyptian industry is equipped with the know-how and supplies to offer customers integrated interior design solutions which suit all levels of projects within the region. The Egyptian pavilion will take the form of a hotel room where a complete lifestyle concept is offered to the visitors by some of the most reliable exporters of the Egyptian industry in the various relative fields and will target the region s hotel contract furniture buyers. Companies from 31 countries have already signed up to exhibit at the show, including Mexico, Japan and Norway, due to participate in The Hotel Show for the first time this year, according to Moore. The Hotel Show, which will take place from June 4-6 2006, showcases the very latest equipment, technology and service innovations for the hospitality industry.
