Dongguan show: On the road to growth
Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, April 23, 2007
Dongguan, China — Organizers of the furniture market here predict that much of the twice-a-year show's growth will come from development of adjoining permanent showroom space.
The latest show had about 2.5 million square feet of temporary space at the Guangdong Modern International Exhibition Center in Houjie. That's up almost 500,000 square feet from March 2006.
But a little-publicized aspect of the show is that it also has some 600,000 square feet of permanent space, in buildings across the road from the exhibition center.
It's not clear exactly how many companies show in those buildings on Furniture Road. But there are some well-known players exhibiting there, including Kuka Technics, Fine House Furniture, Fairmont Designs and Unnu Furniture.
"The space for temporary (showrooms) is so limited," said Fang Hui, secretary general of the "3F" show — for Famous Furniture Fair — as the Dongguan event is commonly known in industry circles. "The permanent space can be expanded," she said. "Growth can occur there."
Fang said Furniture Road began about 1998, when government officials wanted to establish a furniture cluster in the show area. In addition to the permanent showrooms, Furniture Road houses a number of furniture-related businesses, including suppliers of office furniture hardware, leather, fabric and microfiber, manufacturing equipment, rugs, accessories and lighting.
In some cases, permanent showrooms complement smaller temporary booths in the main venue. The advantage for exhibitors with permanent year-round space is that they can double as retail showrooms open to the public. During furniture shows, a permanent space also allows a company to show a greater representation of its line.
Fang sees expansion of permanent space as a benefit for the main venue. She also points out that many manufacturers showing here have nearby factories, which buyers can visit before, during and after the show.
