Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Singapore Furniture Show Gets Set
December 19,
2014 by in Market
Organizers at the International Furniture Fair Singapore predict that stronger European buyer presence and fast expansion in Asian markets next year will fuel activity at the March 13-16 show.
Two other shows, The Décor Show and Hospitality 360° will run concurrently with IFFS.
“The show has gone from strength to strength in the time it’s been around,” said Ernie Koh, chairman of IFFS. “IFFS 2015 welcomes many repeat exhibitors, as well as yet another pool of first-time exhibitors into its fold. We’re also excited about having a larger European showing across the trilogy of events next March, which reflects how all eyes are indeed on Asia.”
Major brands such as Manutti, Ethnicraft, and Ligne Roset had already confirmed participation in earlier months; and easoned exhibitors at IFFS have cited the show’s broad visitor profile and robust marketing support as primary reasons that keep them coming back.
Eight-time exhibitor, Rob van Reisen, sales and marketing director from Far East Furniture (The Philippines), said: “We’ve seen first-hand how IFFS strives to showcase exhibitors’ products and attract buyers to the event. Our participation has allowed us to catch up with existing clients, as well as gain new leads each year. Far East has always chosen to launch its latest collections in Singapore, and we’ll feature spectacular designs with new recycled materials at the fair next year.”
Companies exhibiting for the first time at IFFS 2015 include Harbour Outdoor (Australia), Jimmy Possum (Australia), Gus Design (Canada), Interfurn (Hong Kong), Hirata Chair (Japan), Rin Crossing (Japan), Beltempo (Peru), and Fatihtr (Turkey).
This year, organisers have noticed a significant increase in the number of exhibitors from Europe, reporting a 20 percent jump from 2014. Visitors can look forward to viewing collections from Oliver B (Italy), Stones (Italy), G. Cleyberg (Belgium), and Umbrosa (Belgium), to name a few. In addition, EU Business Avenues will present 40 other companies in The Décor Show under the banner of European Design, featuring businesses from countries such as Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom.
In conjunction with IFFS, Singapore Furniture Industries Council, is organizing the anchor event for Singapore Design Week--SingaPlural 2015. This fourth edition of SingaPlural celebrates design, and marks the first time that a local team of curators will bring cohesiveness to SingaPlural through a well-defined festival construct.
The week-long SingaPlural design celebration is hosted together with eight other network partners of DesignS, representing an international platform for talents across the creative industries to engage and evoke the design senses of visitors; through installations, exclusively curated design spaces, symposiums and many other exciting activities.
It will also be the first time that the main programs of SingaPlural will be housed within one location at 99 Beach Road, the former Central Police Station. Located in proximity to Singapore’s Arts & Heritage District, this consolidates the festival’s contents within the city centre into a single venue, allowing the public to have an immersive experience of SingaPlural and its theme, Process.
In addition to the activities at 99 Beach Road, SingaPlural also extends its presence to the Singapore EXPO with SingaPlural@IFFS for the duration of the trade show. The SingaPlural Design Hall will feature the Asian STAR Showcase and the internationally well-received Furniture Design Award (FDA) in a retrospective showcase curated by Anon Pairot of Anon Pairot Studio (Thailand).
“While we’ve always celebrated design at the heart of IFFS, SingaPlural as a festival allows the idea to play out fully," Koh said. "SingaPlural gels the various facets of the creative spectrum together, inspiring the public and highlighting the possibilities that design can offer them in their lives.”