Malaysian show sees slight attendance dip
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, July 6, 2009
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A global economic slowdown kept some buyers away from the Malaysian International Furniture Fair here in March.
According to official results, the March 3-7 show drew 19,075 visitors, a slight drop from the 19,549 who attended the 2008 event.
Of those, 6,809 were from 137 overseas countries, down 8%. The largest number this year at 23.5% came from the ASEAN region, which includes Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia and Malaysia.
North and South America accounted for 6.9% of attendees, down from 8.9% last year.
Despite the lower attendance, show officials said that exhibitors wrote $710 million in orders at the show, up from $690 million in 2008.
The event, in more than 800,000 square feet at the Putra World Trade Center and the Matrade Exhibition and Convention Center, hosted 450 exhibitors from 13 countries.
MIFF Chairman Dato’ Tan Chin Huat said in a statement that Malaysian furniture in particular was popular among buyers of medium to upper-end goods, especially from manufacturers capable of producing up to 100 containers a month of finished product.
Government officials speaking at the event said that they expect a 6.5% growth rate for the industry this year, in spite of the global recession.
The event also honored companies for the 2009 Furniture Excellence Award and the Best Presentation Award.
Gold winners for the Best Presentation Award included Kian Contract (101 square meter and above category); office furniture manufacturer Benithem (50-100 square meter category) and rattan and wicker furniture producer Design Principles (50 square meters and under).
Office furniture producer Bristol Technologies received the gold medal for the Furniture Excellence Award.
The next Malaysian International Furniture Fair is scheduled for March 2-6, 2010.
Featured Company
-
Wright Labels
Bill and Tom Wright founded Wright of Thomasville in 1961 on the idea that printing was a creative medium and the belief that "a promise made is a promise kept." The Wright brothers focused their attention on providing exceptional printing for the... more
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
