INDEX, the International Design Exhibition, is the Middle East and North Africa’s largest and most diverse international design exhibition. INDEX 21st edition will take place from 22nd to 25th October 2011 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Over 800 exhibitors from 49 countries, representing hundreds of top international brands, will display their products across 10 halls occupying up to 20,000 sqm of net floor space. Halls 1-8, Sh. Rashid Hall and Sh. Maktoum Hall will be completely assigned to the exhibition.

This year the exhibition is evolving by introducing a brand new line up of product- specific shows under the INDEX brand: Furnishings*, InRetail, Kitchen & Bathroom, Lighting, Outdoor Living and Textiles. This new structure will make it easier for visitors to navigate through the exhibition halls and to find what they are looking for, plus allowing exhibitors to effectively present their products and services to the right audience. There will also be 20 national pavilions at the show in order to provide product specification by country, within the appropriate product sectors.

The exhibition reshape has been directed by Paula Al Chami, the new Event Director, appointed in November 2010 after having been in the same role for The Big 5 Building & Construction Show and the Office Exhibition previously.

INDEX 2011 offers a range of exciting features and events for visitors:

a) The ISG Student Challenge, realised in association with UK-based fit out company ISG and locally based non-profit organisation Tasmena, will feature student design talent from the region representing 12 different universities from the UAE. The theme for the 2011 INDEX Student Challenge is "Reuse" and the competition includes two phases: phase 1 will take place in class before the show, phase 2 will be the final contest at INDEX.

b) The 3rd Contemporary Majlis Design Competition that will once again run at INDEX, appoints 6 leading Middle East interior designers who will be tasked with designing a majlis space, showcasing their vision of this important and traditional Arabic space and giving it a contemporary twist. The 2011 jury panel consists of 5 well-known industry members:

• Robert Reid, American University of Sharjah
• Rashida Rajkotwalla, Design Work Portfolio (Winner of the INDEX Majlis Competition 2010)
• Dariush Zandi, Total Art
• Jenny Eagle, Commercial Interior Design Magazine
• Elise Nassour, Engineers Office (Chairperson)
  
  

c) The INDEX Design Talks Seminars are a series of free to attend themed seminar sessions on the show floor in which everyone present can actively participate. On the first day a panel discussion takes place discussing the topic of preparing Interior Design graduate students for the demands of the work place (the ‘real life environment’). The second day is dedicated to business and finance and the third day runs ‘Forward Thinking’ sessions presented by the American Institute of Architects (AIA Middle East Chapter).
On the fourth day various presenters touching on the following different topics:Talk Innovation

• Talk Green
• Talk Trend
• Talk Technology

f) Les Collections Exclusives is an exclusive fashion show launched as part of INDEX Textiles. Les Collections Exclusives’ will bring to life premium textiles brands through couture creations designed exclusively for this fashion event, using the textiles from premium sponsoring textiles brands, including traditional  high-end Italian fabrics manufacturer Rubelli. Designed exclusively for this occasion, the live runway show will showcase the latest premium collections to the audience and clearly define each participating textiles house and éditeur.

g) The InRetail Summit 2011 is a dedicated conference for retail professionals, taking place alongside INDEX from 23 – 25 October 2011. Retail giants from the Middle East region and international markets will come together to discuss and debate key threats and opportunities in one of the fastest growing retail markets in the world. The programme focuses on innovation as key solutions to today’s market challenges and will highlight key retail projects and Regional Round-ups from the biggest retailers across the MENA region.

h) The INDEX Artist’s Avenue, an art gallery on the show floor created specifically for interior designers, art procurement professionals and art enthusiasts to meet up-and-coming artists and view their latest works. There will also be a number of Art Galleries surrounding the INDEX Artist’s Avenue offering visitors a delightful art space that will showcase a wide range of art and include informal talks on how art transforms a room, art as an investment and the economics of art procurement.

 i) The PIDA – Ischia International Architecture Award: INDEX 2011 will host a showcase for the winner’s of the PIDA Awards, an awards competition taking place in Italy and focusing on architecture and interior design in the Middle East. This year the competition’s spotlight is on Italian architects and designers who have realised works for the hotel and spa sectors.

l) The APID Festival of Interior Design Congress, a one day conference on Interior Design featuring key note speakers and panel discussions which will run on 22 October 2011 at INDEX. The Congress is part of the Festival of Interior Design which will be held for the first time from October 22 to 24 across Dubai and is organised by the Association of Professional Interior Designers (APID), an organisation for professional interior designers in the Gulf Region.