China metal-and-glass show set for Sept.
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, July 16, 2007
Langfang, China — The China National Furniture Assn. is helping organize a new furniture show devoted almost entirely to metal and glass furniture.
The China Metal-Glass Furniture International Purchase Fair will be held Sept. 16–18 in this city between Beijing and Tianjin. The association has teamed with the Langfang government to co-sponsor the event.
So far, organizers have lined up some 1,000 manufacturers, 850 of which are Chinese. The rest come from other parts of Southeast Asia.
Most items at the show will be metal-and-glass dining sets, occasional tables and home office and entertainment furniture. There also will be some solid-wood products.
The product mix highlights goods made in the nearby Shengfang Furniture village, said David Ma, a spokesman for the 2.2 million-square-foot Shengfang International Furniture Center, where the show will be held.
Ma expects the initial show to draw 20,000 visitors, which he hopes will include some international buyers. He said most of the local manufacturers supply the domestic market, but their high quality also opens up the doors to an international audience as well.
"This is a good opportunity to let more foreign friends know much more about the high quality products from Shengfang," he said.
The show dates coincide with another new event, the Shanghai International Furniture Fair, set for Sept. 13–18 at the Jisheng Wellborn Global Home Furnishings Purchase Center in Shanghai.
It also falls just after the 13th China International Furniture Expo, also in Shanghai, which will run Sept. 12–15.
Ma doesn't expect those events to affect attendance at his event. But as an extra incentive, he said the metal-and-glass furniture show may be willing to pay buyers' transportation costs between Shanghai and Beijing.
Show organizers are preparing a Web site with more details. The local government also has a Web site with information about the venue, the region and some of its major manufacturers. The address is www.shengfang.gov.cn/Eng/index.asp.
