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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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