On 4-7th March, the Export Furniture Exhibition (EFE) returned to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) for its 17th edition, attracting exhibitors and buyers from all over the world …
EFE 2024 has been described by the show’s organiser as “a resounding success”, with foreign visitors, Malaysian government officials and representatives from embassies across Malaysia making their presence known at KLCC last month.
“Without the existence of a loyal base of supporters and customers over the years, it will be a monumental task for EFE to keep going after tribulations in the form of economic recessions and the Covid-19 pandemic devastated many industries across the globe,” says EFE chairman Chua Chun Chai.
“For that alone, we at EFE would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all the buyers and exhibitors for sticking with us through thick and thin. Your continuous support will be the very essence for us to keep improving our exhibition for the benefit of the industry and buyers alike.”
This year’s show saw the return of the Malaysian Furniture Creativity (MFC) Awards, a scheme designed to applaud innovation and inspire the future of furniture design – and to motivate manufacturers to embrace Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) as a consequence.
Furniture products across a total of three categories – Dining, Living and Bedroom – were assessed, and the final results were decided through a combination of voting from eligible buyers, as well as evaluation from a panel of judges comprising professional designers and media personnel.
The winner of the Dining category was Home-JS Furniture, with Deep Furniture and Novel Furniture taking second and third place respectively. Meanwhile, Natural Signature, a company renowned for taking bold steps by introducing self-service showrooms across the country, topped the Living category, followed by Dynamic Furniture Industries and THL Sofa. Novel Furniture was the champion in the Bedroom category, with Favorite Design as the runner-up, and Holong Wood Industries in third place.
Chua Chun Chai says that the effort these companies put into the MFC Awards demonstrates the determination of the industry to embrace creativity and sustainability. “Being a furniture manufacturer myself, it makes me extremely proud to see my compatriots trying their very best to offer the best products to consumers, by implementing bold designs without neglecting equally vital factors such as sustainability and comfort into account,” he says.
“It is my sincere hope to see this competition serve as a catalyst for the evolution of the Malaysian furniture industry, helping it become an even more prominent furniture manufacturer in the world. Let us aim higher than being merely in the top 10.”
The 18th EFE will take place from 3rd-6th March 2025, again at KLCC.
