This year's edition of Espritmeuble, which took place at Parc de Porte de Versailles, Paris earlier this month, reported an attendance of 8742 – a slightly lower footfall than in 2014 (-6%), attributable, according to the show's organiser, to "the general climate of December 2015", and a limited reduction "in relation to the defections observed by the organisers of professional trade fairs, which are estimated to be between five and 15%". 11% were internationals.
However, the organiser points towards an increasingly qualified visitor base for this fourth edition – 65% were managers, versus 47% in 2014.
The exhibitor offer was much larger than in 2014, with 300 brands present – an increase of 50%, including brands such as Stressless, Calligaris and himolla.
For 2016, the organiser aims to enrich the furniture category – in particular contemporary furniture – and renew the service aisles, particularly the decoration aisle.
Espritmeuble originated from an association of some of the major players in the French furniture industry: Gaétan Ménard, MD of Ernest Ménard; Gilles Silberman, vice-chairman of the Cauval Group; and Alain Liault, chairman of Meubles Celio. The show has quickly become France's principal furniture exhibition platform, presenting a strong complement of high-quality product within an eminently visitor-friendly environment. Look out for a review of this year's edition in an upcoming issue of Furniture News.
Espritmeuble will next take place from 3rd to 6th December 2016.
