Singapore show sees 25% growth
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, August 5, 2002
SINGAPORE — SINGAPORE — The International Furniture Fair Singapore 2003 will occupy for the first time all six halls of Singapore Expo, with space totaling over 600,000 square feet, a 25% expansion.
More than 700 exhibitors from some 35 countries are expected. In 2002, 503 exhibitors participated in IFFS, which began in 1989.
IFFS 2003, scheduled for March 1-5, will be the fifth edition of the show held in Singapore Expo, a state-of-the-art, $220 million complex near Changi International Airport. In 1999, IFFS was the new facility's first event.
Also for 2003, two main aisles are planned, running through all six halls, a change aimed at creating better visibility for exhibitors and easier shopping for buyers.
"Early indications of trade visitors' participating have been most encouraging," said Bert Choong, president of the Singapore Furniture Industries Council, principal organizer of IFFS.
This year, IFFS facilitated written sales orders of about $185 million, according to the SFIC, with post-show orders totaling $1.5 billion, a 30% increase over 2001. The numbers are based on surveys and interviews with manufacturers. More than 17,000 visitors from 97 countries attended. Over 75% of the show's exhibitors were from the ASEAN region.
Post-show reports for IFFS 2002 indicated a 400% increase in attendance by U.S. buyers, while the number from Europe nearly doubled.
| This year's Singapore furniture fair drew a crowd to the registration area at Singapore Expo. |
