Dubai: The Hotel Show 2016 wrapped up its 17th edition in Dubai on Monday.

More than 600 international companies, from countries including the UAE, Turkey, the UK, Italy and Germany were at the Dubai World Trade Centre this week to exhibit everything from hotel security devices to furniture and cleaning products. The three-day event kicked off on Saturday. Participating brands at the show, organised by dmg events, included Bang & Olufsen, Stylis, LG Electronics, Karcher, Hartmann Tresore, Simmons, Philips, Allermuir, Apostal Art and Sculptures and Al Sorayai Trading.

Visitors on the first day took part in a master class, called ‘Developing a digital strategy for revenue optimisation’, which was a first for The Hotel Show. Alongside the exhibition, visitors attended panel discussions on a variety of hospitality-related topics.

On the second day of The Hotel Show’s Vision Conference, experts from Deloitte, TOPHOTELPROJECTS and TNS gave an update on the regional hospitality markets, including overall hotel performance, hotel construction pipeline and travel trends. Also, hoteliers from the W Dubai hotel and Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai touched on the opportunities and challenges of new hotel brands in the UAE. Other panelists discussed funding for new hotel projects and renovations, as well managing hotel operating costs.

Meanwhile, the Technology and Security summit (TECSEC) highlighted investments in security and top security threats faced by hotels that use cloud services, to name a few.

“Providing valuable networking opportunities for hoteliers and industry professionals offers Dubai an ideal platform for the city to showcase its diverse accommodation portfolio, ranging from luxury five-star resorts to mid-market hotels and more,” stated Issam Kazim, chief executive of the Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.

“As we continue to work towards our Tourism Vision for 2020 targets, which includes welcoming 20 million visitors per year to Dubai by 2020, Dubai’s hotel inventory continues to grow and expand month by month, in line with sustainable targets to ensure Dubai retains its competitiveness and attractiveness to international travellers,” he added.

For the first time this year, the show hosted a number of interactive features, including the live painting of two art installations — a collaboration between 17A Art Consultants and BAGNODESIGN, focused on the future of hospitality and bathroom design, as well as the on-site manufacturing of hospitality uniforms by A. Ronai.

Two food trucks showed the current influence of street art and culture on hotel and restaurant design.