The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) has organised the first in a series of regional industry events, developed for the furniture community to network and share best practice.
Taking place at Ercol’s manufacturing headquarters in Princes Risborough (pictured) on Thursday 7th April, the BFM Regional Event is free to attend, and open to BFM members and non-members.
It is being held after working hours, from 6pm-9pm, and includes a tour of Ercol’s factory, which appeared on the BBC2’s Inside The Factory last month.
Sean Holt, BFM MD, says: “We are delighted that BFM member Ercol is hosting the first of our regional events. It is a superb location for us to get together.
“The purpose of the evening is to bring the furniture community, both BFM members and non-members alike, together to create networking opportunities and share best practice. There will be an opportunity to listen to, and discuss, contemporary issues and challenges facing the industry, and to generally increase understanding and knowledge.
“It’s important the furniture community has a chance to come together, particularly after all the limitations of the last few years.”
Ian Peers, Ercol 's operations director, adds “As a member of BFM, Ercol are delighted to be playing its part by hosting what we believe is a much-needed opportunity to bring people together to share ideas and discuss some of the challenges facing the sector post the pandemic.
“I am looking forward to welcoming colleagues from across the region to the Ercol factory, and giving them a tour of our facilities.”
Bookings can be made by contacting [email protected].
The BFM has also announced plans for its new-look BFM Fabric Show London 2022, one of the leading B2B events in the industry calendar for buyers in the international furniture community. The event has been moved to the ILEC Conference Centre, near to Earls Court, to offer increased capacity and space, as well as greater opportunities for more fabric suppliers to showcase their latest products.
Taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, 8-9th March, the hosted, invite-only show will enable buying professionals to source high-quality, contemporary fabrics for upholstery, beds and soft furnishings.
Sean adds: “The BFM Fabric Show London will feature world-renowned fabric manufacturers and suppliers from Belgium, as well as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Germany and the UK. We are delighted to be attracting an international audience, and to be able to offer certainty with the date. With the industry pushing for an opportunity to network and move business forward, we took the decision to continue with plans to invigorate the event, after the challenges of the last few years due to Covid.
“As we move forward in 2022, it’s exciting to start to plan a timetable of events and initiatives to increase our value and relevance throughout the industry. I’m looking forward to meeting as many members of the furniture community as possible in the months ahead.”
