|
Singapore, 16 December 2008 –
The International Furniture Fair Singapore 2009/26th
ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS 2009), scheduled to
run from 9 to 12 March 2009 is returning with an impressive
turnout despite the less than rosy global economic
outlook. Buyers and visitors can expect to see over
500 exhibitors from 34 countries, displaying a wide
variety of furniture and furnishings for homes, offices
and the outdoors. Also on display are specialised
furnishings such as lightings, occasional pieces,
decorative accessories, handicrafts, upholstery and
more. Pre-registration is up close to 5 percent
compared to the same period last year and an estimated
18,000 visitors from over 100 countries are expected
to attend IFFS/AFS 2009.
With the current world economic
uncertainty, many furniture companies have elected
to participate in renowned international trade fairs
which boast an expansive range of furniture along
with the right mix of exhibitors and buyers and provide
excellent opportunities for good returns on their
investment. This is one of the primary reasons why
IFFS/AFS 2009 has continued to draw strong exhibitor
participation and has achieved bookings of 96% of
the total available space of 60,000 square metres
to date. IFFS/AFS 2009 will also see return exhibitors
taking up larger booths. Among them are show
stalwarts Kenas Pacific (Hong Kong) with a 900 square
metre booth, Halo Asia (Hong Kong) and EM Export (China)
with booths measuring 660 square metres each, Zhejiang
UE Furniture (China) has taken up 600 square metres
of space and Koda Ltd (Singapore) has committed to
a 550 square metres booth. These companies make up
the top five biggest exhibitors at IFFS/AFS 2009.
“As Asia’s premier
furniture trade show, the organisers of IFFS/AFS are
committed to showcasing the world’s best and
embracing the finest. We are gratified that many furniture
manufacturers worldwide have continued to participate
and support IFFS/AFS 2009. This clearly demonstrates
their confidence in our show as a highly effective
marketing platform. We also look forward to welcoming
all the furniture industry leaders who will be launching
new collections and exciting designs at this upcoming
edition. We are very positive that IFFS/AFS 2009 will
once again prove to be a fruitful and rewarding experience
for all exhibitors and buyers alike,” said Mr
Tony Pang, Chairman, Show Advisory Panel, IFFS/AFS
2009.
IFFS/AFS 2009 will also see the
return of many quality exhibitors, including leading
furniture brands from China, Hong Kong, India, Italy,
Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore. Among the well-reputed
return exhibitors are companies known for producing
highly sophisticated yet functional furniture in their
respective niche markets such as China’s Zhejiang
Kuka and Metebronz and Cilek from Turkey.
Adding a refreshing shine to the
fair are first-time exhibitors that currently make
up over 32% of the total participation. These debutants
come from 23 different countries, including Australia,
Belgium, France, Italy, the UAE, the UK and countries
from South East Asia. Visitors can expect to source
from an exciting and wide assortment of designer furniture
and soft furnishing products from these new exhibitors.
Amongst these first-timers are names such as Carezza
Ltd (Hong Kong), O’Bredi Pte Ltd (Singapore),
Index Interfurn (Thailand), Coach House (UK) and Ambella
Home Collections (USA).
“We are working very hard
on achieving greater space efficiency at the exhibition
as well as strengthening our marketing efforts to
provide better value add to our exhibitors and visitors.
We are ramping up our efforts to provide better business
support for all participants and have put in place
new marketing initiatives to garner greater exposure
for IFFS/AFS 2009,” continued Mr Tony Pang.
Amongst other efforts, the organisers
will be specifically targeting top VIP buyers and
keeping them updated with IFFS/AFS activities through
exclusive newsletters and email blasts. These newsletters
will carry first-hand news and information on the
latest furniture collections and innovations that
will be launched at the fair. Distributed before and
during the show, these communication tools will give
exhibitors the opportunity to send out preshow announcements
as well as show updates to potential buyers and visitors.
As part of the strategic marketing
efforts to ensure effective returns on investment
for exhibitors, the IFFS/AFS management team will
also be focusing on raising visitors profile and attendance
through new initiatives. These activities include
participation at renowned international trade shows
such as Index Dubai, imm Cologne, NEC Birmingham and
Meuble Paris to attract the international audience
to IFFS/AFS 2009. In addition, they have also developed
marketing and promotional materials in foreign languages
such as Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, Korean
and Japanese to bridge language barriers and further
improve and broaden the reach of the event. The organisers
have also implemented personalised surveys to ascertain
the needs of buyers to better understand the requirements
of the industry.
For more updates on the fair,
please visit http://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 Presidential
Advisor, 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 enquiries, please contact:
Juliana Teo (Account Director)
/ Sylvia Lim (Consultant) / Alanna Yeo (Senior Associate)
Foreword Communications Pte Ltd
Tel: +65 6338 5918
Email: juliana@foreword.com.sg
/ sylvia@foreword.com.sg
/ alanna@foreword.com.sg
Rosalynn Chua (General
Manager) / Juliana Gan (Marketing Communications Manager)
/ Chua Siew Bee (Senior Marketing Communications Executive)
International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd
Tel: +65 6569 6988
Email: rosalynn@iffs.com.sg
/ juliana@iffs.com.sg
/ siewbee@iffs.com.sg
Close
Window
|
