hotel show preview
exhibitors’ speaK
D
esert River, a distributor for luxury European brands, furniture and lighting for event rental, and Rikan, a luxury amenities supplier, both based in Dubai, share their thoughts of the impact of The Hotel Show on their annual business.
in this area! Sometimes the sales process may seem slow, but then suddenly you can get this big order which the client usually expects to be delivered yesterday! This can be challenge but at Desert River we’re up for it. Service levels can be poor in the region and as a supplier you can really stand out by offering your customer the best in both products and services. R: It’s a market with tremendous potential, more spending power than the other regions, namely the West and Asia, in the hospitality industry.
how important is the hotel show to your sales and marketing strategy? Claudia van der Werf, Desert River: The
show is an important element in our marketing calendar – the whole team is involved and we see it as a great opportunity to introduce our new collections to our target market. This year we will launch a fabulous range of cordless table lamps from Belgium, called ImagiLights, which we expect to be very popular. Riaz Khimani, Rikan: It works as a good source of advertisement and a good platform to meet our existing and new prospective clients under one roof.
What are your expectations for this year? Desert River: We expect to see old
Right: one of rikon’s products below: a display from desert river
friends and make some interesting new ones! The hospitality industry in the Middle East is extremely dynamic and we see a year-on-year increase in demand in funky and original items. Rikan: Same as last year, not to expect too much but hope for the best.
What did you learn from exhibiting before? DR: That the industry is alive and
What percentage of your business is done in the Middle east? DR: 95 per cent of our business is in
kicking, and that especially the new generation of hoteliers is looking for original and contemporary ideas to enhance their F&B outlets. Executive Chefs also tend to be very involved in the creative processes when it comes to having their food displayed – so we love talking to them as we have plenty to offer in funky buffets, chillers and display units.
What’s the biggest trend you expect to see this year? DR: That there will be light – lots
of it! Light – both functional and decorative – is so important to set the mood at a venue. Especially so-called ‘freedom of placement objects’ will be in demand – battery operated lamps, objects and chillers that can be moved around and be set to any colour mode desired. R: We expect to see more hoteliers visiting from the region, mainly from Saudi and Doha.
how is the Middle east different to other regions you work in? DR: Well there’s never a dull moment
20 � hospitality business middle east
maY 2012
the Middle East – as the exclusive distributor for premium European brands like Fatboy, ImagLights and Slide that is what is expected from us and what we are good at. R: 70 per cent. It’s very important.
is the Middle east still a growth market? DR: If the number of enquiries we
receive is anything to go by with then yes! There are always new hotels opening, and existing properties regularly change their F&B concepts. You just need to chase the business!
how much new business do you hope to source from the show? DR: In our experience it is very rare to
actually sign off on a deal there and then at a show but we find that in the year after taking part at a show we get a lot of customers calling us mentioning they saw us at the Hotel Show, sometimes people we did not even actively talk to. We use the show as a platform to stay in the focus of the hospitality professionals, and it is vital to do thorough follow up after. R: We never expect any actual sales to happen at trade shows, it only helps in tapping new markets through visitors from that region and meeting existing and prospective clients basis
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