When an invitation inviting me to La Italia arrived in the post this week, I got a little over excited.
It was only when another came through two days later inviting me to London that I grew a little sceptical.
Far from marvelling at the Venetian waterways or taking a leisurely stroll through the streets of Rome, the trips were actually to Dubai's exhibition centre to witness finely-polished models of the cities that will form part of another new development.
Developers from across the region have been using all kinds of tactics to attract vistors to their stands at this year's Cityscape, including hiring female models to enhance a display of hats. Quite what that one was about, maybe you could explain.
And as my inbox can testify, each developer has been keen to get the message of what they're set to offer the property market over the next fews years out there.
Each year, Cityscape gets bigger and better, and is a great opportunity for all the major players in the industry to keep track of the job's that are coming up - provided they have time to do so.
It's also a good opportunity for new developers in the market to make their presence known.
Whereas a few years ago, many of the projects on display at the exhibition were geared towards generating the ‘wow factor', nowadays developers - particularly those yet to prove themselves - seem to be more keen on using the event to establish their brand.
As our feature article this week on changing construction standards in the region suggests, lessons of how poor quality finishing can lead to reputation blunders are gradually being learned.
Developers' perceptions on what they want out of those building their projects are also changing for the better.
As one developer put it this week, they would rather pay over the odds for a contractor that will ensure their survival in an increasingly competitive market.
The same thought process will hopefully be adapted when it comes to sourcing sub-contractors. But, as we all know, the good ones are increasingly in short supply.
With all the projects set to come online, maybe the best way to attract quality would be to set realistic deadlines.
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