ANIEME, The Spanish Association of Furniture Manufacturers and Exporters will exhibit at Index 2008 for the first time, taking a stand of 400 square metres in Hall 5. ANIEME will bring a group of around 10 companies to the show.
ANIEME represents around 250 member companies, all of them household/contract furniture manufacturers covering a cross section of product areas including bedroom and living room items, sofa sets and occasional furniture. All of the members are focused on the export market, and offer styles ranging from classic through to contemporary and avant-garde, fabricated in a variety of materials such as wood, wrought iron and rattan.
ANIEME has been developing various promotional programmes in the Middle East market for several years now, including Trade Missions with Spanish manufacturers to UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Now, due to the increasing pace of development in the contract furniture sector throughout the region, ANIEME will use INDEX 2008 as the platform to grow the regional presence and awareness of its members.
The Association was founded in 1977 to serve the interests of the Spanish Furniture industry and help promote its presence on an international level. With the support and collaboration of ICEX, the Spanish Foreign Trade Institute, ANIEME annually prepares and develops specific promotional plans for the furniture sector.
Spanish art and design has always proven popular in the Middle East, as its Islamic influences go back as far as 700 AD, when the Moors conquered Spain, meaning that most Spanish artists worked in the Islamic style. This showed itself in abstract designs, the use of light and shadow in stunning architecture such as the Moorish palaces of Al Andalus, the Alhambra in Grenada and the famous mosque at Cordoba, all of which are highly representative of the country's cultural heritage. Today these influences are still visible in many artistic forms.
The Spanish presence at Index has grown considerably over the past few years and last year 25 Spanish companies exhibited at the show.
"Due to the ever increasing growth in business potential across the Middle East as more and more commercial projects and hotels planned and already underway, we feel the time is right to establish a solid presence for the Spanish Furniture industry. Index offers the perfect environment to reach the key market players, and we are confident that our presence will be instrumental in developing relations with what is one of the best traditional markets for Spain as well as being one of the fastest growing regions anywhere in the world," said Graciela Soler of ANIEME.
"We are delighted that ANIEME have chosen to exhibit at Index this year, strengthening what is already an increasingly important presence from Spanish companies," said Kim Willis, Exhibition Development Director of dmg world media Dubai, the organisers of the event. "This selection of highly creative Spanish furniture will add yet another dimension to the show's already diverse and original collection of products."
Trade between Spain and the UAE has increased dramatically since the beginning of the millennium. Since 2002 the value of imports to the UAE from Spain has more than doubled, reaching US$ 1,035,500,000 by the end of 2006.
From January to November 2007 the total amount of Spanish furniture exports increased by 16.3% year on year, with the main export market being France. Saudi Arabia and the UAE ranked 16th and 21st respectively in the list of export values by country, total exports to Saudi Arabia reaching €15.8 million and to the UAE €11.2 million - in the case of UAE this represented a year on year increase of 6.7%.
The region's premier interiors event, Index provides a uniquely comprehensive showcase of every type of interior product, service and furnishings. Its international reputation has been built on its effectiveness in opening up avenues to new markets and providing a second to none visitor list made up of architects, specifiers, designers and collectors from around the Gulf. Expanding the range of furniture products on offer can only provide visitors with more choice and inspiration, adding to the already diverse selection of eye-catching interior solutions provided at the show.
"ANIEME's participation at Index 2008 will provide access for new Spanish companies into this important market as well as strengthening the presence of companies who already have links to the region," added Soler.
Index 2008 sees the event celebrating 18 highly successful years in the region. Internationally acknowledged as one of the world's most important showcases of the very best in furniture and interior design, the event will again be the one of the biggest trade shows in any sector in the whole of the Gulf region, featuring more exhibitors, expanded country pavilions and the leading regional and international names from the interiors and furniture industry.
Index, the Middle East's International Furniture and Interior Design Exhibition, takes place from 3 - 7 December 2008 at Dubai International Exhibition Centre.
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About dmg world media Dubai Ltd.
dmg world media Dubai Ltd, part of the dmg world media group of companies, has a wealth of experience in organising exhibitions to the very highest international standards. Index, The Big 5, The Office Exhibition and The Hotel Show are all leaders in their respective market sectors.
One of the largest exhibition and publishing companies in the world, the dmg world media group of companies produces more than 300 market-leading trade exhibitions, consumer shows and fairs each year. It also publishes 60 related magazines (including gulf interiors), newspapers, directories and market reports. The company employs over 800 people in its worldwide network of 38 offices in the USA, UK, Canada, Brazil, France, China, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. dmg world media is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT), one of the largest and most successful media companies in the world. For more details, view www.dmgdubai.com
For further information on this release, please contact:
Sara Armitage Evans
Integra - Integrated Marketing Communications
Office #502, 5th Floor, CNN Building,
Dubai Media City, Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
t: +971 4 3672886,
f: +971 4 3661076,
m: +971 50 6532854,
e: sara.armitage@integramarcoms.com
© Press Release 2008
