19 May 2016
JEDDAH: The 4th annual Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2016 opened Tuesday.

The three-day event is being held with the support of Prince Abdullah bin Saud bin Mohammed, chairman of the Tourism Committee in Jeddah, at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events, until Thursday (May 19).

Prince Abdullah was accompanied by Mohammad A. Al-Amri, GM of Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) for the Jeddah and Makkah provinces. Thousands of hospitality industry professionals are expected to attend the show.

"We are honored that Prince Abdullah and Al-Amri opened the 4th edition of the Hotel Show Saudi Arabia and toured the exhibition," said Gary Williams, event director of The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2016 at dmg events.

"The Hotel Show is a must-attend event for hospitality professionals looking to establish a presence in Saudi Arabia," he added.

"Saudi Arabia's hospitality industry is experiencing extraordinary growth. Here in Jeddah alone, the number of hotel rooms is forecast to double by 2018," said Elliot Rizk, vice president at co-organizer MICE Arabia. "The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia is the leading showcase of everything needed to build and run a hotel or restaurant in the Kingdom."

Exhibitors' launches revealed new products on the first day of the event, particularly in the technology sector. Onity, a major provider of electronic locking and guest access sys​tems based in Spain, selected the Hotel Show Saudi Arabia as the platform to launch Qing, described as its innovative smart bracelet, which enables hospitality guests to make payments and enter rooms and other access-controlled spaces.

The Hotel Show visitors can see the full Onity product range through a 360 degree, virtual reality (VR) tour via a VR headset. Onity Distribution Sales Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa Denis Laburu said: "With the young population in Saudi Arabia, rising levels of domestic tourism and high Internet and social media usage rates, it is not a surprise that hotels here are becoming such a strong market for innovative technologies and, in turn, the highest quality of service. There is a lot of opportunity here, and we have participated in every edition of the Hotel Show Saudi Arabia with great success. This year, we plan to really exceed visitors' expectations with our new product launches."

Samsung launched a new hospitality management solution LYNK HMS Solutions which enables in-room smart TVs to act as a central control for guests to personalize room temperature, lighting and other factors, while the hotel can send personalized notifications.

LG Electronics revealed 'innovative display technologies,' including an 86-inch Ultra Stretch seven-foot-long UHD signage display.

Other product areas on display at the event include interiors, lighting and design; operating equipment and supplies; HORECA; cleaning and laundry; food and beverage; and other hospitality related sectors.

Exhibitors include RAK Porcelain (launching eight new collections on-site), CMT Technologies; Poly Products Raha, Sohar Poly Industries, Hotec GT, Zubair Furnishing, Allegrini Hotel Amenities, Artasa Paris, Silent Night, RoomNetTV, ABB, Roudah Trading, Salto Systems, and Stressless by Ekornes.

Alongside the Hotel Show, the Vision Conference Saudi Arabia returns for its second year with speakers from King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), Saudi Green Building Council (SGBC), Al Kamal International, Hilton Worldwide, and Ramada Hotels, among others, set to inform the Saudi market on the latest hospitality industry trends.

There is a free registration facility available for attending the Hotel Show and Vision Conference, Saudi Arabia 2016.

© Arab News 2016