Gramado limits visitors, attracts more retailers
By Powell Slaughter -- Furniture Today, April 7, 2002
GRAMADO, Brazil — While most furniture shows like to boast about attendance numbers, at Salão do Móvel Brasil, less really proved more.
Attendance was down from 14,233 in 2001 to 7,608 this year, but the number of retailers rose from 2,788 to 3,338.
Those numbers were part of a deliberate effort by show organizers to limit the number of visitors.
Representatives from non-exhibiting companies, raw materials vendors, service providers and other industry players, which typically are included in attendance statistics, were not granted entry this year.
"We wanted to have fewer people but better professional qualification," said Andres Tissot, president of Sierra Furniture and the man who led the development of the show venue, Sierra Park.
"Before, we had too many people with nothing really to offer for our exhibitors in terms of buying furniture," he said.
The limiting of show visitors didn't appear to bother exhibitors — the number of participating manufacturers rose again this year to 190. The first show in 2000 had 92 exhibitors, and last year's edition drew 174.
Next year: A quest for more international exhibitors
"Next year, we hope to attract exporters at other key shows to exhibit here, so we'll be promoting the show and seeking potential exhibitors at other international fairs," said Telmo de Freitas Gomes, manager of Sierra Park. "We already have the most important Brazilian manufacturers at the higher-end level we focus on, and we feel we can grow the fair by bringing in foreign exhibitors who are an appropriate fit."
Sierra Park also is broadening the scope and number of the trade fairs it sponsors.
New shows this year include concurrent bedding and promotional furniture shows in August in São Paulo; Compo Móvel, a supplier show at Sierra Park targeted at furniture manufacturers; and a special edition of Sãlao do Móvel Brasil here in September called Encontro de Negócios.
"In Brazil, 350 of our major buyers control 1,000 stores," Gomes said. "This show will be open to those buyers only. There, they will have the opportunity to see introductions by 30 major furniture manufacturers and 30 suppliers of decorative accessories."
All the activity keeps life interesting for Gomes, who's seen Sierra Park double in size in two years.
"Two years ago I had one pavilion and one show," he said. "Now we have two pavilions here and six shows here and in São Paulo."
-
Attendance up 16% at CIFF in Guangzhou
May 1, 2012 -
New Malaysia show planned for Sept. 6-10
May 19, 2011 -
New furniture show to debut in Malaysia in September
Apr 25, 2011
Featured Company
-
Brandwise Inc.
Brandwise serves a model - not just an industry - by integrating, automating, and optimizing the entire sales channel, from wholesale Suppliers to their Reps and the Retailers they service. In short, our software helps Reps and Suppliers sell more and create... more
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
