Summary of the WorldHotel 2011
Another WorldHotel Under Our Belt
An increase in the number of visitors up to 4033 was noted by the WorldHotel 2011 4th International Hotel Facilities Equipment Trade Fair. Offers for representatives of the hotel sector were also shown by more exhibitors—120 companies, publishing houses, associations and institutions from the industry. Throughout the three days the Fair was accompanied by conferences and coaching sessions attracting large interest and recording several hundred participants. The WorldHotel 2011 Fair took place on 5-7 October at the MT Polska Centre at 56c Marsa Street (ul. Marsa 56c) in Warsaw. The Honorary Patronage of the event was assumed by Waldemar Pawlak, the Minister of Economy.
'More exhibitors, more visitors and larger exhibition space—this is how one could sum up this year's fourth edition of the WorldHotel Fair. This year we noted an increase in the number of visitors, compared to last year's edition by about 30 percent. The idea to hold two trade fairs, independent of each other, with a separate entrance but at the same time and place, therefore proved successful. For many visitors of the Event Fair taking place in the neighbouring hall, the offer of WorldHotel exhibitors occurred to be very interesting, especially the hotel facilities being showcased, as in which many kinds of events could be held. For the hotel industry, without a doubt the three days of the WorldHotel Fair were a brilliant opportunity to become familiar with novelties, make valuable business contacts and to explore the knowledge passed on directly by specialised experts during many coaching sessions, conferences and seminars,' says Renata Smolnytska, Project Manager of the WorldHotel Fair.
A wide offer of exhibitors
This year's Fair was participated in by 120 exhibitors showcasing proposals from the scope of: interior outfitting and décor, hotel textiles and fancy goods, housekeeping, recreational infrastructure, SPA&Wellness and IT solutions. 'At the WorldHotel 2011 Fair we saw many more visitors, also significantly more people are interested in our offer. Contact this year is more professional, visitors know what to ask about, what information they want to get. Recipients of the Fair include more hotel industry investors as well,' remarks Piotr Hulewicz, a marketing specialist from LSI Software.
The exhibitors' offer included, among others, software and technical infrastructure proposals, composing the Intelligent Hotel (Inteligentny Hotel) system, an interactive hotel television system, or digital signage—a system for branding conference halls and promotion activities. Also devices helping to keep facilities clean were showcased, as well as new solutions for the kitchens. 'This is a good fair, as customers are coming with concrete needs. Business talks and inquiries were very concrete, which is why I am pleased. At our stand, we are presenting convection-steam furnaces by LAINOX, we discuss shock cooler and cooler-freezer, awarded as the best of this fair,' said Agata Czernik of LAINOX Polska.
Knowledge of the hotel industry
Throughout the three days of the WorldHotel Fair, many interesting substantive events took place. Representatives of the hotel industry were able to participate in a seminar devoted to ecology and modern hotel industry management, organised by the Polish Hotel Trade Chamber (Izba Gospodarcza Hotelarstwa Polskiego) and in a meeting about benchmarking as a revenue management tool, prepared by the Hotel Market Institute (Instytut Rynku Hotelarskiego). It was also possible to explore the knowledge on audio-visual solutions in hotels—lectures prepared by AV. Net Sieci Audiowizualne (AV. Net Audio-Visual Networks) and—thanks to a conference held by the 'Hotelarstwo' magazine—learn how to make profit in the hotel business. The second day of the Fair was entirely filled with the conference prepared by Projekt Hotel and titled 'Colour as Part of the Strategy of a Hotel Establishment'. Furthermore the Fair programme include also: the 'SPA Has More than One Face' conference prepared by the Polish SPA & Wellness Association (Polskie Stowarzyszenie SPA & Wellness), a coaching session organised by the 'Hotelarz Magazine' and Horwath HTL, as well as a presentation of the zwiadowca.pl portal, dedicated to, among others, hoteliers and restaurant operators.
Contest awards handed out
For the first time ever the WorldHotel Fair was accompanied by a contest for the best offer, held jointly with the Polish Hotel Trade Chamber. The main prize, that is, the unique 'The Best of WorldHotel 2011' logo, a promotion package sponsored by the Polish Hotel Trade Chamber and 9 square metres of exhibition space on next year's World Hotel Fair, went to LAINOX for its New Chill shock cooler. The jury gave distinctions to four products: the Descamps Selection pareo, the FAMOS 2011 'Rectus' furniture collection nominated by the FAMOS Ship Furniture Factory (Fabryka Mebli Okrętowych FAMOS Sp. z o.o.), the PHILIPS MyCHOICE solution showcased by VECTOR and the virtual reception desk—self-service check in & check out in hotel facilities, by Vision Time Sp. z o.o.
What has already become a tradition by now, a contest was also held for the Minister of Economy award for the most entrepreneurial company, exporter and innovator of the WorldHotel 2011 Fair, held under the patronage of the Minister of Economy. The first place went to the ZENDAR Group (Grupa ZENDAR) for its luxurious salt sauna, and the second place was awared to Lanwar Jerzy Warszawski for the DAMANA ORGANIC line of cosmetics. The jury also gave a distinction to M.I.L System Mirosław Idzikowski for foldable dancing floors. Waiting for the first and second place winners were cash awards and congratulatory letters from the Minister of Economy.
