Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Buyer Attendance up 28% at Interior Lifestyle China
October 28,
2014 by in Market 
Organizers of Interior Lifestyle China reported a 28 percent increase in buyer attendance at the Sept. 18-20 show in Shanghai.
A total of 21,773 buyers attended the fair representing 60 countries and regions, which was a significant increase from the 37 in 2013. The show, which featured 235 exhibitors from 17 countries and regions at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. While the number of exhibitors dropped this year, quality and stand sizes of exhibiting companies increased due to an adjustment in the exhibitor structure to accept increasingly mid-range and high-end companies.
“This fair has been in existence for eight years now, so to have such a large increase in buyers for an already well-established event really shows the strong recent growth in this industry in China,” said Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. Wendy Wen. “Interior Lifestyle China targets the mid-range and high-end sectors of the Chinese market--the only fair in the domestic market to do so – and there is definitely strong demand at present as well as potential in the future in these sections of the industry.”
While demand in the domestic sector is growing strongly at present, exhibitors confirmed there is still room for the market to expand in the future.
“Absolutely there’s a lot of potential here, and we’re only just scratching the surface at the moment,” said Michael Preis, head of export of Fashy GmbH from Germany. “We double our sales in China every year, and can sell as much as we’re able to produce. This year we had 30 to 40 people in our booth at times so it’s been very good.”
With Chinese lifestyle brands as well as consumers eager for the latest trends and new designs and ideas, the fair provided a range of displays and events to meet this demand under the theme "The Best Time" which reflects the current period of innovation and development in the local market. Global lifestyle brand Habitat was invited to organize a Theme Display Area which brought a European perspective to store display strategies. Various activities with audience interaction also took place including cooking classes and shows, and tea parties.
The next Interior Lifestyle China will take place Sept. 17-19, 2015, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.