May saw buyers return to the historical Derbyshire manufacturing town of Long Eaton to peruse the newest high quality upholstery and cabinet furniture at the spring Long Point exhibition.
Despite the relatively downbeat economic climate prevalent through early May, the three-day show attracted a good number of buyers keen to see the latest models and spend valuable face-to-face time with favoured manufacturers and suppliers.
“Visitors came from all over the UK to visit the 20 exhibiting companies, who showcased new designs in upholstery, cabinets and bedroom furniture, offering a wide range of modern, contemporary and traditional styles,” says Andrew Mitchell, MD of Artistic Upholstery and chairman of the Long Eaton Guild of Furniture Manufacturers, whose members make up the majority of the exhibitors.
The event takes place in various venues and company showrooms around the town – a UK Centre of Quality Upholstery Manufacture, and the new home of the BFM trade association.
“Long Eaton is world famous for upholstery manufacture,” says Andrew, “and the magnificent lace factories that once produced Nottingham lace, houses many permanent and temporary furniture showrooms, making this the ideal location for buyers at all levels.”
The exhibitors included award-winning bedroom manufacturer, Wiemann, which enjoyed a successful show. Wiemann’s permanent showroom on the first floor of Harrington Mill featured a selection of its latest collections, including the bi-fold wardrobe collection Kansas and its award-winning dual-depth VIP range Cayenne.
Simon Hewitt, MD of Litmus Furniture, Wiemann’s sole agent for the UK and Ireland, comments: “The new layout of our space worked really well. We wanted to highlight that bedroom furniture is about more than just wardrobes, it’s about the perfect blend of design, style, innovation and practicality. Our showroom reflected this and showcased the large range of additional products that we offer, including beds, smart accessories and further storage pieces."
The autumn edition of Long Point will take place from 17-19th September, and, according to Andrew, will include at least one new exhibitor.
