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The Office Exhibition is reiterating the importance of intelligently-designed, ergonomic work spaces

Arecent survey by The Office Exhibition has revealed that almost 90% of workers regard the design and layout of their office as impacting their level of motivation. In fact, out of the 1,000 workers questioned, only 6% maintained that the design of their office had no impact at all on their working life. And yet, only 50% said that they had ever had any sort of workspace assessment.

This discrepancy presents massive opportunity for interior designers and office furniture suppliers alike. “We have noticed an increased awareness of ergonomic design considerations across our client projects but, as the survey clearly shows, there is still some way to go,” said Nick Burnett, design director, CitySpace.

The importance of ergonomics was also highlighted in the survey, where room temperature, back pain and damaged eyesight were cited as common sources of discomfort in the office environment. While the necessity of a good chair is no secret, some 64% of respondents complained of experiencing some back pain as a result of an unsuitable chair.

“The survey produced some extremely interesting results,” noted Sinead Bridgett, show director of The Office Exhibition, which is taking place from February 9 to 11. “Whilst most office workers feel that their working environment has an impact on their motivation, not many employers within the GCC seem to be carrying out workstation assessments to ensure they have got the ergonomics right,” she commented.

Further research by dmg world media, organiser of The Office Exhibition, suggests that the number of office projects in the GCC is set to double between 2009 and 2010, meaning that there is plenty of scope for companies to improve their ergonomic credentials – and plenty of opportunity for those involved in the design and fit-out of effective office spaces.

Buoyed by these positive figures, The Office Exhibition will include a number of new features this year. Now in its 9th year, the show will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre, and will feature over 350 companies across an area of approximately 25,000m². Based upon visitor demands in 2009, the exhibition will this year include four dedicated product sectors: furniture, interiors, technology and consultancy. “We have been working closely with the industry and have listened very carefully to ensure that The Office Exhibition 2010 moves in the right direction to become even better.

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“This year, we will have more interesting features, including The Office Awards, which will recognise the industry’s most innovative products that excel in design, sustainability and pricing.”

Also new for the 2010 event is The Future Office, a live demonstration of what working environments will look like in the future. Companies such as Mazari Consultants, Frezza SpA, Quantum Glass, 3D Lux, Skad Media and HP have been enlisted to take part.

“We really wanted to create an exciting feature on the show floor, to preview what the future has in store for our office environments. The latest in cutting-edge design and technology will be on show, demonstrating how we will work differently in the future,” Bridgett said.

Leading companies in the region will gather at the exhibition to promote their latest products and achievements. The Total Office will be launching Powermat by Teknion, the Futu Chair by HAG, modular tiles by Whitespace and a recyclable product line by Anker Carpets.

Powermat is a revolutionary new way to wirelessly charge a range of devices from a single power source, cutting out the mess of tangled wires. The Powermat wirelessly charges up to three Powermat-enabled devices simultaneously.

Powermat has teamed up with Teknion to develop an integrated workstation solution that allows users with receivers either attached or built into their electronics to sit down and work at their workstation, cordlessly. The Powermat technology is essentially embedded into the work surface.

The Total Office will also be showcasing fire-resistant fabrics by Kusch & Co at its stand.