Sports | Sunday 19 August, 2018 1:06 pm |

The latest trends, technologies and discussion on fitness, pools, and golf will be the highlight at the sixth annual Leisure Show taking place from 16thto 18thSeptember 2018 at Dubai World Trade Center. 

This year’s distinct focus on fitness and wellness is in line with the tremendous momentum seen in the global wellness industry. The 2018 Leisure Perspectives report from KPMG reveals that ‘the global wellness industry was a $3.7 trillion market in 2015’, and the sector continues its upward trajectory. 

With mega events lined up in the region such as Expo 2020 in Dubai and the FIFA 2022 World Cup, the Middle East’s hotel construction pipeline at present boasts 594 projects. And wellness is “an expected luxury” in the global hotel industry according to KPMG’s experts on the topic. 

There is also a steady increase in developers, in the region, factoring in wellness in buildings through state-of-the-art gyms, pools, spas, and other amenities. With a hawk-eye vision on the wellness-pulse the Show’s immensely popular Fithubwill return to showcase a series of seminars, professional development workshops and live fitness programs that are critical to the ongoing success of the sports and fitness industry. 

Besides knowledge sharing, managers, operators, developers and important decision makers from across the region will have direct access to a specialized array of suppliers and experts from the fitness sector at the prominent trade show. 

A prediction from the Spa & Wellness Travel report indicated that ‘the number of five-star hotel spas in Dubai will increase from 107 in 2017 to 157 in 2021, complementing the city’s hotel pipeline’. The Show will include the popular Pool & Spa Conference, which is the only event dedicated to the pool and spa sector in the region. One of the key speakers confirmed for this year is Elena Gosse, CEO of Australian Innovation Systems. Globally, she is renowned as the authority on debunking the myths behind water disinfection at residential and commercial swimming pools. 

Given the increasing appetite for golf as a sports and leisure activity across hotels, resorts and residential properties in the Middle East, the event will showcase a dedicated segment for owners and operators of golf facilities to experience the latest technological advances and most innovative products, equipment and services required for the design, development, and day to day running of golf courses.

The outdoor designer furniture showcase at the Show will appeal to buyers looking for the latest designs in outdoor furniture and furnishings for their hotel, resort, and residential properties. The Outdoor Design Day on the other hand will bring buyers and the design community together, and highlight the latest innovations and challenges in the design space.

Sarkis Kahwaijan, Event Manager- the Leisure Show said, “The UAE is a dynamic market that reflects global trends across all sectors and the leisure industry is no different. The Leisure Show aims to be a globally led and locally relevant trade show. The event aims to meet the requirements of operators, buyers and professionals associated with the region’s leisure sector”.