CIFF2005 China International Furniture Fair -Post Show Report

Furniture World Magazine

Following the great success of the spring session, the 16th China International Furniture Fair (CIFF2005) once again drew thousands of furniture industry players around the world to Guangzhou, the furniture production hub of China, for the autumn session of the show on August 18—21. The August fair showcased the artistry of home furniture craft alongside the latest design trends in home textiles and home décor to buyers and other visitors, spreading throughout the 13 different halls of Chinese Export Commodities Fair Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou. The successful conclusion of CIFF2005 (August) assures that CIFF continues to be recognized internationally as a premier fair of the same kind in Asia. Starting in 2005, CIFF----Office Furniture Exhibition and Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Raw Materials Fair was held in March. Therefore CIFF2005 (August) became a complete whole-home show that integrated furniture with household textiles and home décor into a synergistic platform. From furniture to decorative items, from home textiles to fabrics, the show fully reflected the state-of-the-art trend of home decoration and provided one-stop sourcing opportunities for international buyers all over the world. According to government statistics, the total amount of Chinese furniture exports reached 3.128 billion USD at the first quarter of 2005, which increased by 34.26%. The domestic Chinese market was soft the 1st half of this year, therefore, many Chinese enterprises are now very keen on expanding in overseas markets. Covering 8 exhibition halls with the space of 80,000sqm, CIFF 2005(August) attracted 378 top brands and big names, such as Landbond, Hinglee, Royal, Red Apple, Kangsheng, Kinwai and so on. Meanwhile, as Asia’s furniture sourcing center, the fair also attracted an increasing number of overseas brands from Malaysia, Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries and regions. New features and trends in designs and materials were unveiled in the show, providing even more options for international visitors. Exhibitors showed off many new designs and materials and manufacturers were aware of the need to present excellent design and exceptional values. Maintaining the position of an export-orientation show, the CIFF gave priority to attracting international buyers with huge promotional efforts. More emphasis was laid on the advertising coverage on the world key trade publications. The show’s international publicity also made steady progress due to deep communications with trade journalists, associations and clients. To date, the fair has earned greater reputation and appreciation from international visitors and buyers in nearly 180 countries and regions. According to the statistic, the 4-day fair was visited by 9356 overseas buyers, who made successful transactions and engaged in effective negations and generated lots of deals. During the fair, the organizer arranged a series of concurrent events such as Exhibitors’ Awarding Party, trade seminar, symposiums and the Outstanding Design Gallery of Chinese Reputable Furniture Institutes. Meanwhile, the biannual product design competition was held as usual and its outcome was announced at the Party. Over 50 journalists from China, Germany, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey, Japan and so on paid special visits to the fair for reports. In March 2006, the 17th session of CIFF will continue to take place on two phases respectively in the Chinese Export Commodities Fair Pazhou Complex. Phase I is scheduled on March 18-21 focusing on home furniture in conjunction with Homedecor & Housewares China 2006(March); while phase II on March 27-30 displaying office furniture together with China International Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Raw Materials Fair 2006/interzum guangzhou as well as Hometextile China 2006(March).