| ||||||
|
| |||||||||||
| You are Here: Media Centre > Press Releases > Press on 29 November 2007 |
| Press
Releases | ||||||||||||||
|
Second edition of Hong Kong International Furniture Fair scales new heights The second edition of the Hong Kong International Furniture Fair, which was held 27 - 30 Oct 2007 at AsiaWorld-Expo, was well received by both buyers and exhibitors. Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Kenfair International Limited, the fair hosted 172 exhibitors from 19 countries & regions including Hong Kong, Australia, the Chinese mainland, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the US. Countries represented at the fair for the first time included Austria, Egypt, France, Germany, Indonesia, Spain and the UK. In keeping with the original concept, the 2007 fair was an elite event for good quality, design-focused products by higher-end manufacturers and designers. Hong Kong's established reputation as a style leader in Asia Pacific makes it an ideal setting for such a fair. The affluent middle class in Asia is seeking to enhance its quality of life through superior furniture and fittings and many luxury commercial, residential and hotel developments are seeking high quality products. In the established markets of the US and Europe, high-spending consumers are more likely to spend leisure time in the home, driving up demand for good quality furniture. At the Hong Kong International Furniture Fair, exhibitors showed designer furniture, furniture for contract business, indoor furniture, office furniture, outdoor furniture, parts and accessories for furniture and classic furniture. Among the Hong Kong companies participating were China Art Group Limited Hong Kong, showing restored and solid wood furniture; Hong Kong Jans2en Furniture, with classic furniture and accent furniture; Skylux International Ltd Hong Kong, displaying polyresin, rattan and wrought iron furniture; Pacific Falcon Limited, exhibiting furniture under its SINCERE Living brand. Said Ray Kwok, Marketing Strategist for Fortune Furniture Co Ltd, Hong Kong: "About 70% of Fortune's furniture output is exported to Europe, the US, Japan and other countries; our 'I&D' brand is the first Chinese-branded furniture registered in Japan, the US and Europe. Our booth in the fair this year is too small for us to display more items, and we may need to occupy a larger space next year. The fair has attracted buyers from many countries and regions and we are glad to have our furniture being seen and introduced to more potential customers. This is a good show for us to display our good quality products." The Hong Kong International Furniture Fair is a conduit to business for the Chinese mainland and many mainland furniture suppliers took advantage of the opportunity to reach out to international buyers. Other important international exhibitors included Germany's Brema Marketing GmbH & Co. KG, with garden furniture and outdoor products; Spain's Cisecore Design S.L. with indoor and outdoor furniture; Australia's Rainbow, with contemporary bedroom furniture; and Singapore's WT-Woodtrade Pte Ltd, with hardwood dining, living and bedroom furniture. For international exhibitors, Hong Kong is a recognised trading hub and the creation of a world-class furniture fair has provided them with a more convenient sourcing platform in the region. Thomas Berg, Managing Director of Brema Marketing GmbH & Co. KG said that the company's representative office was located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in order to have more efficient and reliable sources of supplies from long-term suppliers in Asia. "I was here as a visitor last year and as an exhibitor this year. I like the venue, it is near the airport and I find it very convenient to come and go by taking the Airport Express. Hong Kong is a good marketplace for us to meet with buyers who demand uniqueness and quality. I am also impressed that the fair is well-organised." The quality of the buyers was also recognised by exhibitors. Gary Morris, Director, Ambient Lounge Ltd of the UK, commented: "This was our first time to exhibit in Hong Kong. The fair offered a very good opportunity to meet with new buyers and to learn more about the market. It also served the purpose in promoting our products to more potential new buyers and we saw good quality buyers coming through." Over 8,000 trade buyers came from 112 countries & regions. With the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair and the Hong Kong International Hardware and Home Improvement Fair on during the same period, many buyers from those well-established events also visited the Hong Kong International Furniture Fair. "This is my first time attending the furniture fair in Hong Kong. I heard that the fair is a showcase of high-end furniture and a place to see potential furniture manufacturers from all parts of Asia. I am sourcing for good manufacturers of couches and sofas, who can offer quality products and good prices. My overall impression of this fair is good. It is well-organised with good, comprehensive management," said Filippo Berto of Berto Salotti, Italy, adding, "I am glad I came." Lyndon Pereira, Purchase Manager, Marlin Furniture, Dubai, UAE, also expressed positive sentiments. "This fair has created good market awareness; I have seen a great diversity of home furnishing items which are very modern and creative. Across the UAE, our company is famous for selling distinctive furniture; we always select and import the best quality products for home furnishing. I like this fair because the facilities are efficient and the staff I have met are courteous. I am able to find a choice of branded products. I think both exhibitors and buyers can find their good match here." Many individual buyers visited the event, including representatives of major sourcing houses and international chains, such as Home Depot, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Marco Polo Hotel, IKEA Trading (Hong Kong) Ltd., Merlin Furniture and Pan Emirates Home Furnishing. Others came on buying missions which the organisers put together after identifying regions and organisations with strong buying power. Altogether 46 buying missions from 32 countries & regions were organised for the fair. For the first time, The International Furniture & Decoration (HK) Association organised a pavilion to give greater international exposure to member companies. The group pavilion housed 23 companies such as Dickson Furniture Co., Ltd., Fortune Furniture Ltd., Hong Kong Royal Furniture Holding Ltd., Jade Rattan Ware Company Limited and Man Wah Industrial Company Limited. A highlight of the 2007 fair was IGLOO, showcasing Inspirational, Glamorous, Lively, Original & Outstanding furniture. Exhibitors in this zone, who included Barrie Ho Collections Ltd, GDS Living and Langa Production Company, are all known for cutting-edge design. There were 19 exhibitors in IGLOO, and they were more international than before, representing seven countries & regions: Hong Kong, Austria, France, Japan, Thailand, the UK and the US. As the organisers refined the sectorisation in line with exhibitor/buyer feedback, a new sector came into being in 2007, the Classic Furniture Zone. Here buyers were able to find eastern and western style classic furniture, both antique and reproduction. Eastern Empire, Hong Kong Hua Bu Furniture Co., Ltd., Oriental Arts & Furniture from Hong Kong and Mimo Art Egypt from Egypt were among the nine companies who chose to exhibit here. To enlarge the industry knowledge of all participants, a strong programme of seminars was arranged. "Brand Building, Retail Management of the Furniture Industry and Obtaining Permission Licence in Chinese Mainland" was presented by Mr. Paul Yeung, Honourable Chairman of International Furniture & Decoration (HK) Association and Managing Director of Jade Rattan Ware Co., Ltd. and Mr. Gary Ma Ming-Fai, Standing Committee of International Furniture & Decoration (HK) Association and Executive Director of Hong Kong Royal Furniture Holding Ltd. Ms. Mary Chan, Director, StyleCENTRAL Ltd. gave a popular presentation on "Peclers Paris's Spring / Summer 2009 Living Trends", while Mr. Kinney Chan, Chairman, Hong Kong Interior Design Association, spoke on "Enhancing Commercial and Residential Environment with the Right Furniture". The fair, with its high quality exhibits and supporting events, is another aspect of Hong Kong's achievements in this field. Hong Kong's exports of furniture & parts reached US$311 million (HK$2.4 billion) in the first nine months of 2007. Hong Kong's top five export markets are the US, the Chinese mainland, Japan, the UK and Australia. For enquiries, please call (852) 1830668 Email: exhibitions@tdc.org.hk For more information, please visit http://www.hkfurniturefair.com Media Contact: Ms Judy Ko Ms. Amanda Lee / Ms. Linda Chan
|
|||||||||||||
| * The information of this web site is subject to change |
 |
