News & Blog

The euphoria of the Expo remained strong through the first half of 2022 and skeptics eventually did admit that the country definitely knows how to put up a show. The innovation to come out of past expos may remain a thing of the past, however the show put on day after day under the most challenging restrictions of the pandemic was impressive and continues to serve as a beacon, that anything is possible!

With news of inflation, recession and an escalating war, the UAE still managed to create a bubble, giving businesses every opportunity to survive or thrive through it. The impact of lagging international supply chains on businesses was still difficult to insulate from; with higher freight costs, price hikes, product delays & scarcity of raw materials being the dominant conversations across all coffees and business lunches, we were fortunate to navigate the uncertainty with little negative impact to our customers.

The Total Office had come off two strong years and was heading into 2022 confident, recently ranked #1 supplier by Commercial Interior Design Magazine in December 2021 and competing 25 years in the industry, a perfect accolade to start the next phase of its journey.

The new year brought in Corrine Sunter as the new Sales Director, stepping in for Robert Letts’ four year tenure. The change brought about new processes, new ideas and a new leadership style, which included an internship program, one we are very excited about.

Highlights of 2022 

Every year brings about new challenges & new customers. This year was no different with the finance sector still being a strong customer base for us. UAE being a home for the tech giants in the region kept us equally busy in that sector. A new entrant for us was the Hospitality projects, largely due to our specification creativity and ability to simplify the incredibly diverse procurement strategy needed for this segment. 

Our focus was steadfast onboarding sustainably conscious brands as per our promise to shift to a completely sustainable product portfolio by the end of the year was one we intended on keeping. With a newly formed sustainability team, to not just filter through the products that made the cut for 2023, but also served to ensure more of the team were certified as LEED Green Associates by mid year. 

Limitless to Web 3.0

The conversation on metaverse spread through the industry and it was equally important to have an understanding of the opportunities for us and the rest of the value chain. Our round of successful talks in 2021 labeled Limitless, prompted the next round in 2022 to be Web 3.0 - the next phase of the internet. 

The first talk of the year was a successful one with Musfir Khawaja, Co-founder of nftONE.me, the first NFT platform in the region who spoke about the rise of NFT’s (Non fungible tokens and its central role in the building of the metaverse. Click Here to see some of the key takeaways from the talk.

Health & Wellness 

Wellness individually and as a group was a key driver this year and initiatives were run across the company to ensure awareness and engagement. 

Our first event started off with generating awareness around Motor Neurone Disease by running 110 kms cumulatively with Sandy Stirling from Al Tayer Stocks leading the initiative. Dubai’s fitness month saw the team take to the streets with the DXB Run along with their families! 

A collaboration at the tail end of the year with Shero Life (Holistic Fitness Community) helped the team stretch their muscles, with a brief session of yoga along with an insightful Q&A session, all of which contributed to creating a strong sense of awareness on maintaining good health. 

Product Launches

There were no shortage of new products launched by our partners; some of the most notable ones were: 

• Teknion - North 56 Tables 
• Studio TK - Pico Lounge 
• OrangeBox - Allow Me Chair 
• MDD - Pental Coffee Tables & Viga High Tables
• Escreo - Writable Paint
• Arper - SHAAL & GHIA

New team members

#2 for 2022-2023

   

Christmas came early for The Total Office, as we were awarded the second spot in Top 10 suppliers of 2022! Considering that there were some of the leading global names in that list, it felt even more special receiving this one from Commercial Interior Design! 

2022 wasn’t without its challenges, we learn from them and we build back stronger. 2023 will see us enter the Kingdom of Saudi as an additional market place along with the UAE. We are excited to work with a variety of our existing partners there along with bringing our expertise to a host of new customers. 

Stay tuned to our socials as we plan on launching a few digital offerings to compliment our physical products and continue to bring more exciting talks to connect the community for 2023!

About The Total Office

As a provider of workspace solutions, The Total Office helps its clients with tools for collaboration, acoustics, environmental sustainability and well being, by providing quality products from international brands. The company is headquartered in Dubai, and serves the UAE and the wider Middle East region. All press enquiries can be directed to Furqan Syed at [email protected], +971.4.450.8700. For more information, visit www.thetotaloffice.com