Singapore show boasts 510 exhibitors
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, April 23, 2007
Singapore — A record 510 companies exhibited at the March furniture show here, and although attendance was down slightly, some attendees said the event lived up to its reputation as one of the best places to shop for furniture in Asia.
The International Furniture Fair Singapore/24th ASEAN Furniture Show was held March 1–5 at the Singapore Expo, with exhibitors from 27 countries showing in over 600,000 square feet of space spread over six halls.
Overall visitor attendance totaled 17,322 from 117 countries, down slightly from the 17,838 reported in 2006. Figures were not available on a country-by-country basis, but in the past the largest contingents have come from Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America.
Among the U.S. buyers was Mario Solano, a purchasing director at Los Angeles-based casual dining specialist Affordable Furniture. He has attended IFFS/AFS for the past few years, and this time particularly liked the assortment of international exhibitors.
"I thought it was a good show," Solano said. "It's a place to meet factories from other regions. For me that was the main advantage. I met enough factories there to support my efforts."
Some exhibitors liked the mix of international visitors. That includes Steven Chew, chief operating officer of Singapore-based Sitra Holdings.
"We see tremendous value in participating in IFFS/AFS because it attracts top international buyers and other industry professionals from all over the world," Chew said in a statement. "We were able to grow our sales directly and indirectly through the show."
Sitra and other Singapore-based furniture sources could see their sales increase further through a new branding initiative announced at the show. The initiative seeks to increase Singapore's furniture exports, now said to account for one-half of 1% of the world total, to 1% by 2015.
"Singapore already enjoys a good reputation in international circles," said Singapore Minister for Trade Lim Hng Kiang at the show. "Going forward, we intend to focus on our unique characteristics, for example, design and quality, to further differentiate our products."
The next show, which will occupy an additional 100,000 square feet in hall seven of the Singapore Expo, will be held March 1–5, 2008. The 2009 show is set for March 8–12.
