The second 2013 edition of the China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) will be held from 7th to 10th September 2013 in Guangzhou, the heart of worldwide furniture manufacturing.
After the success of CIFF in March, which recorded the presence of about 1700 national and international exhibitors covering a surface area of 340,000m² and 80,000 specialised visitors – about 18,000 of whom were foreign buyers originating from 165 countries – the curtain is about to go up on the second appointment of the year with CIFF for home.
More than 1000 companies will be exhibiting over a surface area of about 200,000m², offering specialised operators a complete range of products related to the whole home furnishing system, from modern and traditional furniture to outdoor living, from general decor to detailed textiles. An indispensable business platform for international buyers looking for competitive new products, capable of meeting the needs and desires of an international market that places an increasingly greater focus on quality furnishing systems at the right price, but also a unique occasion for those wishing to harness the opportunities offered by a local market and demand in continuous expansion.
An indisputably strong player in the market, China is in fact the largest manufacturer and exporter of furniture and furnishing products in the world. The value of Chinese production reached $183b in 2012, growing in the 2007-2012 period at an average annual rate of 16%. Between 2006 and 2011 sales in the domestic market increased by 25% per year, reaching the figure of $90b (ICE data) by the end of 2011. The most affluent sector of the market is dominated by high-quality products and high-end brands, both imported and manufactured locally.
Part of this market segment is taken up with classic Chinese and Ming style furnishings reinterpreted in a modern key. There are more than 200 international luxury furnishing brands, mainly originating from Italy, the United States of America and Spain. If the demand for high-end furnishing products exceeded $5b in 2012, the expected rate of growth for the next 10 years should be close to 20% and in any case greater than the expected rate of growth for the low and mid-end segments.
CIFF, well-known as Asia’s number one sourcing platform for the furniture industry, with an exhibition area of 880,000m², 4500 exhibitors about home furniture, outdoor living, home decor, home textile, office furniture, machinery and materials, and 190,000 international buyers, holds 2 editions each year – the first, in March, is divided into 2 stages: first home, then office and manufacturing support, the second, in September, is dedicated to the home.
CIFF is held in one of the most functional and modern exhibition centres in the world – the China Import and Export Fair Complex – which with a covered surface area of 340,000m² is one of the largest exhibition areas in Asia. The Guangzhou exhibition centre is easily reached by air with direct flights arriving from the main international airports. An efficient underground railway network provides two stops within the exhibition area and ultra modern 4 and 5 star hotels offer the highest level of hospitality.
