China show attendance jumps 47%
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, January 22, 2007
Shanghai, China — The China International Furniture Expo in September had a 47% increase in international visitors, by far its largest growth spurt in at least the past three years.
Show organizers reported that Furniture China 2006 drew 12,241 international buyers from 151 countries, up from the 8,301 in 2005.
In total, the show attracted 61,290 visitors, up just 1.6% from 60,268 last year. The largest number, 27,581, came from the Shanghai area.
The show also had more exhibitors and floor space this year. The September show, held in four venues, including its original Shanghai Mart location, featured 1,521 exhibitors, up from 1,421 last year. It had an estimated 2.3 million square feet of space, up from 2.1 million in 2005.
The growth in international visitors suggests that the show is reaching a goal of helping its exhibitors grow their export sales. Japan had the most foreign buyers at 1,128, followed by Australia at 1,052 and the United States at 993. At the 2005 edition, Japan also had the highest attendance with 885 buyers, followed by the United States with 724 and Australia with 718.
More than 90% of the exhibitors at this year's event expressed interest in showing there again.
The next Furniture China show is set for Sept. 12–15. For details, visit the Web site at www.furniture-china.com.cn.
