Singapore, 9 March
2008 – The International Furniture
Fair Singapore 2008/25th ASEAN Furniture Show
(IFFS/AFS 2008) opened today with adjusted dates
and a new tighter format. Attracting 517 exhibitors
representing 33 different countries, of which
an impressive 31 per cent are making their debut,
IFFS/AFS is off to an excellent start.
The Minister for Information,
Communication and the Arts, Dr Lee Boon Yang,
officiated at the opening ceremony of IFFS/AFS
2008, which is widely regarded as one of Asia’s
premier furniture trade shows. For the first
time, the fair has been compacted to just four
days, from 9 to 12 March 2008. Delayed by about
a week to better fit into the Asian furniture
trade show circuit, the changes have been warmly
welcomed by the global furniture industry.
IFFS/AFS 2008 occupies seven
halls at the Singapore Expo, spreading across
44,000 square metres of nett exhibition space.
This marks a 12 per cent increase in nett space
compared to the previous show, making IFFS/AFS
2008 the largest in the fair’s 25-year
history.
True to its reputation as
a one-stop sourcing haven, IFFS/AFS 2008 offers
an extensive range of over 60,000 pieces of
design-led, quality furniture and furnishing
products from all over the world. The largest
collection of exhibitors from China, Indonesia,
the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam, outside
of their respective country trade fairs, can
also be found at the show. Besides a significant
regional presence, the strong showing of international
exhibitors from Australia, Europe and America
further affirms Singapore’s status as
a global furniture hub.
Mr Tony Pang, Chairman of the IFFS/AFS 2008
Show Advisory Panel said, “Thanks to the
continued support from the world furniture trade
fraternity, the annual event has been growing
from strength to strength. For IFFS/AFS 2008,
we expect an attendance of 18,000 visitors.
This should in turn, lead to SGD 45 million
in economic spin-offs for Singapore’s
MICE and tourism sectors. As we cross the quarter
century mark of the fair, we are confident we
will again achieve record breaking results this
year. We are truly heartened by the positive
feedback we have received in response to the
improvements we have put in place and the strong
showing by the global trade community will definitely
motivate us to strive for even more breakthroughs
at IFFS/AFS 2009.”
The importance of IFFS/AFS
as a strategic export marketing platform continues
to be highly valued by local furniture companies.
This year, the Singapore contingent has upped
its space by 7 per to a nett space of 6,573
square metres. Many of the local exhibitors
are also pioneer ambassadors of the freshly
unveiled Singapore furniture industry brand,
Singapore Mozaic, launched at the IFFS/AFS 2008
opening ceremony.
“Since its inception,
IFFS/AFS has successfully showcased the capabilities
of local players and served as an effective
conduit to springboard Singapore furniture companies
into the international market. While the expansion
of the fair strengthens Singapore’s standing
as a focal point of the global furniture trade,
the increased local participation is an indication
that our furniture industry has matured and
is now capable of competing with the bigger
players. Coupled with the recent opening of
the International Furniture Centre (IFC) and
now, the timely launch of the Singapore Mozaic,
the Singapore furniture industry will see better
times and greater successes ahead!” said
Mr Andrew Ng, Chairman of IFFS Pte Ltd and President
of the Singapore Furniture Industries Council
(SFIC).
Officially opened in December
2007, the IFC is Singapore’s first furniture
export centre. A year-round trade platform,
the IFC complements IFFS/AFS 2008 by adding
greater variety to the fair with another 10,000
square metres of exhibition area. Special shuttle
services ply between the Singapore Expo and
IFC providing convenience and comfort to visitors
who are keen to view the latest furniture collections
from 28 top local and international export players
displayed there. (Please refer to the Show Guide
or Show Directory for more details).
At the IFFS/AFS 2008, design
continues to be in the spotlight. PLATFORM returns
to the fair with an expanded showcase of 500
square metres after its successful launch last
year. Creative furniture pieces by over 60 up-and-coming
talents from 17 design houses and institutions
will be presented, paving the way for partnership
opportunities between these emerging regional
design entrepreneurs and renowned manufacturers
worldwide.
To further encourage these
budding designers, the PLATFORM participant
with the most outstanding prototype will walk
away with the inaugural “Best Product
Award” and a USD 3,000 cash prize presented
by Halo Asia, part of the award-winning Halo
International Group that is a worldwide leader
in innovative furniture and furnishing accessories.
The winning and finalist
entries of the Furniture Design Award 2008 and
the 4th FL!P Challenge will also be part of
the design showcase at IFFS/AFS 2008, representing
the best of Asian creativity to visitors from
all over the world.
For more information on
IFFS/AFS 2008 and other initiatives, please
refer to the attached fact sheets or visit www.iffs.com.sg.
About International
Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd (IFFS Pte Ltd)
International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd
(IFFS Pte Ltd) is partly owned by the Singapore
Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) and MP International
Pte Ltd. IFFS Pte Ltd’s primary objectives
are to organise and manage furniture and furniture-related
fairs, exhibitions, shows, conferences and other
events worldwide. This includes the annual International
Furniture Fair Singapore/ASEAN Furniture Show
(IFFS/AFS), a keynote event on the furniture
trade exhibition calendar that is widely regarded
as the “Best in Asia” by the industry.
The company has a six-member Board of Directors,
comprising the Chairman, Mr Andrew Ng who is
also President of SFIC, Mr Jerry Tan and Mr
Kenny Koh, SFIC Vice Presidents, SFIC Executive
Committee Member, Mr James Koh, Chairman of
MP International Pte Ltd, Mr James Chia and
Ms Sylvia Phua, CEO of MP International Pte
Ltd.
About International
Furniture Fair Singapore/ASEAN Furniture Show
(IFFS/AFS)
The International Furniture Fair Singapore,
held in conjunction with the ASEAN Furniture
Show (IFFS/AFS) began in 1981 and has since
grown to be regarded by industry experts as
Asia's most prestigious furniture trade show.
IFFS/AFS provides an effective marketing platform
for regional companies to venture into global
markets. As a testimony to the quality of the
show, IFFS/AFS is the first Asian-based international
furniture fair to be accepted as a member of
the elite Union des Foires Internationales,
a Paris-based international authority on trade
fairs. In addition, it is the only furniture
trade event in Singapore to be awarded the 'Approved
International Fair' status by the Singapore
Tourism Board. The Singapore Exhibition and
Convention Bureau also recognises the fair as
a major event on Singapore's international exhibition
calendar.
Issued by :
Foreword Communications Pte Ltd
On behalf of :
International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd
For media enquires, please
contact:
Jasmine Sim (Senior
Consultant) / Sylvia Lim (Consultant) / Alanna
Yeo (Associate)
Foreword Communications Pte Ltd
Tel: +65 6338 5918
Email: jasmine@foreword.com.sg
/ sylvia@foreword.com.sg
/ alanna@foreword.com.sg
Shermaine Ong
(Executive Director) / Juliana Gan (Marketing
Communications Manager) International
Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd
Tel: +65 6569 6988
Email: shermaine@singaporefurniture.com
/ juliana@iffs.com.sg
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