The International Architecture, Interior Design & Building Exhibition (ARCHIDEX), Southeast Asia's premier annual architecture, interior design and building industry event, is back - bigger and better.

The 19th edition of the popular trade exhibition is set to bring together over 36,500 visitors - comprising architects, interior designers, property developers, engineers, quantity surveyors and others - from Malaysia and beyond over four days, from 4-7 July, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

ARCHIDEX - jointly organised by the leading Malaysian trade and lifestyle exhibitions organiser C.I.S Network Sdn Bhd and Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM, or the Malaysian Institute of Architects) - is held in conjunction with the annual Kuala Lumpur Architecture Festival (KLAF).

At the ARCHIDEX Preshow Press Conference, held at the convention centre this morning, C.I.S Network Sdn Bhd President Dato' Vincent Lim said the event is a global point of contact for its exhibitors and delegates alike.

"As an annual business gathering that also encompasses talks and forums, ARCHIDEX helps to build businesses; promotes the sharing of knowledge and skills; and fosters goodwill and understanding. This year we celebrate the delights of building better communities and cities by offering visitors the very best of what the architecture, interior design and building industry has to offer to the world" he said.

Lim added that ARCHIDEX, as a significant business event for the architectural industry in the region, is expecting to see transactions of over RM1 billion over the four-day period, making it one of the leading contributors to the economy in Malaysia. The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau reported that from 2010 to 2017, a total revenue of RM10.2 billion was generated from 1926 events bringing in 1.1 million delegates, whose expenditure came up to RM6.2 billion.

PAM President Ar. Ezumi Harzani Ismail lauded the event, saying how it has established itself as a not-to-be-missed event in the architecture industry's calendar.

"ARCHIDEX is an extraordinary event under KLAF that has steadily grown over the years; we are delighted to be a hub for this tremendous growth and we are heartened to continue to lead the way towards a diversity of discussions, discourse, debate and designs to be showcased by new and established members" he said.

This year's edition will feature over 550 local and international exhibitors from Malaysia, Australia, Austria, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. Five international pavilions will also showcase the very best of innovative design and technology from Austria, China, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

Among the new attractions at ARCHIDEX, this year is the exhibit zone for ‘Building Smarter' with Industrialised Building System (IBS) to promote this innovative method of building smarter, leaner and cleaner. IBS adoption is rapidly gaining momentum across the Malaysian construction industry.

This year's event also puts the spotlight on the next generation of architectural professionals: ARCHITALENT, a competition for architecture students, is back for its second year after a successful maiden outing last year. This year, entrants had to submit their ideas for sustainable design solutions based on the theme ‘Space'. Fifteen finalists will present their creations to the panel of judges comprising industry experts on 5 July. Royal Selangor has come in as a trophy sponsor for this year's competition.

ARCHIDEX this year collaborated with Strategic Partner, Thung Hing and students from UCSI University's School of Architecture& Built Environment to design and build the Awards Gallery display area for the prestigious New Product Award (NPA) and Green Dot Award (GDA). This is the first time the exhibition has invited students to be involved in such a way and is part of ARCHIDEX's initiatives to promote student architects and expose them to the architecture community.

Aside from the student activities, visitors can look forward to the DATUM Conferences*, running concurrently with the exhibition. This year's edition introduces the new DATUM: EDU* (International Architectural Education Conference) component. Other highlights of this year's ARCHIDEX include: the Focus Forum @ ARCHIDEX*, Biz@ARCHIDEX*, as well as the ARCHIDEX Awards Gallery for NPA and GDA Nominees.

This year, the Focus Forum @ ARCHIDEX - an activity that brings together leading voices to discuss the latest trends and industry updates - will be held over two sessions on 4-5 July. FMM Malaysian Ceramic Industry Group (MCIG) - who is conducting the first session on 4 July - will give an introduction to ceramic tiles and give insights into the right tile selection and installation methods for stress-free projects. Taiwan Excellence - which is bringing some of the region's most innovative companies and products for its forum on 5 July - will talk about how these featured companies' innovations are advancing their respective industries by reimagining how the Internet of Things (IoT) can improve and transform people's lives.

For more information and updates on the exhibition, log on to www.archidex.com.my or download the ARCHIDEX app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store. For DATUM conferences, forum and symposium, log on to www.klaf2018.com.my. Entry to ARCHIDEX is free but registration is required. Entrance fees apply for the DATUM conferences.

*Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Points may be applicable for Architects attending these sessions.