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SINGAPORE, 1 March 2007
– The International Furniture Fair Singapore
2007 and 24th ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS 2007)
opened today with a total of 510 participating exhibitors
from 28 countries showcasing the latest offerings
in furniture and furnishing products.
Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for
Trade and Industry, officiated the opening ceremony
of the five-day exhibition which has become a highly-anticipated
event on the international furniture trade show circuit.
IFFS/AFS 2007 is taking place from 1 – 5 March
2007,
This year, IFFS/AFS registered
a 10.7 percent increase in nett space compared to
the 2006 show, occupying a sprawling 39,300 square
metres in nett space or an equivalent 60,000 square
metres in gross space spread across six halls at the
Singapore Expo.
With more than 35,000 pieces of
quality, design-led furniture and furnishing products
in a myriad of styles on display, IFFS/AFS 2007 offers
global trade players access to the best offerings
from Asia and around the world. Furthermore, the largest
collection of Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, Taiwanese
and Vietnamese furniture products, outside of these
respective countries, is also exhibited at the trade
show, making it a truly one-stop sourcing haven for
the international furniture trade fraternity.
In terms of exhibition area, China,
Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore continue to lead
the participating countries, taking up a combined
66 per cent of the total exhibition space. Countries
such as India, Indonesia and Taiwan have also registered
stronger participation. The Singapore contingent,
in particular, has expanded its showcase by a record
20 per cent from 5,107 square metres at IFFS/AFS 2006
to 6,142 square metres at this year’s fair.
The effectiveness of IFFS/AFS as
a commercial platform is also reaffirmed by a strong
return of repeat exhibitors. Seventy-three percent
of the space at this year’s exposition is taken
up by stalwart supporters who are back to build stronger
partnerships and garner more trade opportunities with
industry players. Visitors can also look forward to
discovering potential synergies and forming new business
alliances with 174 show debutantes.
Mr James Koh, Chairman of International
Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd, said: “We
are very encouraged by the enthusiastic response which
we have received from both local and international
furniture trade players. With the global furniture
industry’s recognition of the fair as the ‘Best
Show in Asia’, we anticipate attendance at IFFS/AFS
to cross the 17,800 mark this year. More importantly,
we are expecting more top-line international buyers
at the show.”
Echoing similar positive sentiments,
Mr Jerry Tan, Chairman of the Show Advisory Panel
for IFFS/AFS 2007 and Vice President of the Singapore
Furniture Industries Council, said: “IFFS/AFS
2007 offers furniture trade players an unparalleled
business conduit and there is no better way to demonstrate
this than with concrete sales figures. In 2006, we
generated an estimated USD 240 million in on-spot
orders and USD 2.1 billion in follow-on buys. We expect
the same, if not, a better performance this year.
This, in turn, will lead to an estimated USD 38 million
in economic spin-offs for Singapore’s MICE and
tourism sectors. With the firm support of industry
players worldwide, we will continue to value-add to
the show to enhance visitors’ experience.”
Reiterating IFFS/AFS’ focus
on design, visitors to the fair will once again find
a number of first-to-market furniture prototypes by
budding design talents at the Furniture Design Award
2007 and 3rd FL!P Challenge showcases.
In addition, the launch of PLATFORM,
which features innovations by over 60 young design
entrepreneurs at IFFS/AFS 2007, aims to significantly
bring about more opportunities for international manufacturers
to uncover marketable designs and to partner emerging
furniture designers in the region.
Mr Andrew Ng, President of the
Singapore Furniture Industries Council, said: “Moving
forward, we will also be starting a new exporters
mentoring programme to help furniture companies from
Singapore who are relatively new to the export market
break into the international arena. What this means
for visitors to IFFS/AFS is that they will get to
see and choose from an even wider variety of quality
product offerings. With the launch of the International
Furniture Centre in September this year, industry
players can look forward to meeting all their sourcing
needs in Singapore, the region’s furniture and
design hub.“
For more information on IFFS/AFS
2007 and other initiatives, please refer to the attached
fact sheets or visit www.iffs.com.sg.
About the Singapore Furniture
Industries Council (SFIC)
Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) was
established in 1981 as the official representative
body of Singapore's furniture industry. It currently
represents 95 per cent of established furniture manufacturers
in Singapore of whom, 65 per cent have subsidiary
manufacturing plants in the region including China,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Its primary
role is to promote the interests of its members and
the Singapore furniture industry. Many of its initiatives
aim to facilitate members' exposure to the world market,
develop local talent and encourage entrepreneurship.
SFIC also organises the annual Furniture Design Award
to spur trend-setting furniture designs from Asia.
To ensure the industry’s growth and viability,
SFIC continues to forge close partnerships with the
government and trade-related agencies to harness technology,
knowledge and information for effective strategic
planning.
About International Furniture
Fair Singapore Pte Ltd (IFFS Pte Ltd)
International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd (IFFS
Pte Ltd) is a subsidiary of SFIC, which owns 60 per
cent of IFFS Pte Ltd. MP International Pte Ltd owns
the remaining 40 per cent share of the company. IFFS
Pte Ltd’s business is in organising and managing
furniture and furniture-related fairs, exhibitions,
shows, conferences and other events worldwide. IFFS
Pte Ltd organises the annual International Furniture
Fair Singapore, which is held in conjunction with
the ASEAN Furniture Show. In addition, IFFS Pte Ltd
and MP International have launched the International
Hospitality Furniture Expo, which will be held in
Bahrain from 3 – 5 September 2007. The company
has a six-member Board of Directors, comprising the
Chairman of the Board, Mr James Koh, who is Presidential
Advisor to SFIC, Mr Andrew Ng, the current SFIC President,
Messrs Jerry Tan and Sim Kah Choon who are Vice-Presidents
of SFIC, Mr James Chia and Ms Sylvia Phua, Chairman
and CEO of MP International Pte Ltd respectively.
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 (Consultant)/Sylvia
Lim (Senior Associate)
Foreword Communications Pte Ltd
Tel: +65 6338 5918
Email: jasmine@foreword.com.sg
/ sylvia@foreword.com.sg
Quek Chin Tuan (Chief Executive
Officer)/Juliana Gan (Assistant Marcom Manager)
IFFS Pte Ltd
Tel: +65 6569 6988
Email: chintuan@iffs.com.sg
/ juliana@iffs.com.sg
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