Indonesia International Furniture Expo (IFEX), which took place in March, continued to open the nation's market to global buyers, reports organisers HIMKI and Dyandra Promosindo.
“Each and every year we continuously encourage our members to display their best products at IFEX," says the chairman of the Indonesia Furniture Industry and Craft Association (HIMKI), Soenoto, "and seize the opportunity to open up new market potentials, because IFEX is attracting foreign buyers who are coming to find quality products with unique designs and characteristics that cannot be found in other countries.”
As well as presenting the latest from the country’s furniture and craft industry, IFEX serves as a medium for matching exhibitors’ products with buyers’ expectations – and this year's attendees comprised not only those from the furniture industry, but also from sectors such as hospitality, tourism, and others.
During a press conference session on the last day of the show, Soenoto commented that there are still many regulations that hinder the growth of the industry – including the Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK), which Soenoto believes unfairly burdens businesses. “The government must consider eliminating this regulation to enable the industry to grow, since it has hampered the industry’s growth," he stated. HIMKI also hopes the Indonesian government will provide assistance to its members with training for industry development and product design, ultimately enabling the nation's products to become more competitive.
