The International Furniture Fair Singapore 2009

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The International Furniture Fair Singapore 2009/26th ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS 2009), scheduled to run from 9 to 12 March 2009 is returning with an impressive turnout despite the less than rosy global economic outlook. Buyers and visitors can expect to see over 500 exhibitors from 34 countries, displaying a wide variety of furniture and furnishings for homes, offices and the outdoors. Also on display are specialised furnishings such as lightings, occasional pieces, decorative accessories, handicrafts, upholstery and more.

With the current world economic uncertainty, many furniture companies have elected to participate in renowned international trade fairs which boast an expansive range of furniture along with the right mix of exhibitors and buyers and provide excellent opportunities for good returns on their investment. This is one of the primary reasons why IFFS/AFS 2009 has continued to draw strong exhibitor participation and has achieved bookings of 96% of the total available space of 60,000 square metres to date. IFFS/AFS 2009 will also see return exhibitors taking up larger booths.

stalwarts Kenas Pacific (Hong Kong) with a 900 square metre booth, Halo Asia (Hong Kong) and EM Export (China) with booths measuring 660 square metres each, Zhejiang UE Furniture (China) has taken up 600 square metres of space and Koda Ltd (Singapore) has committed to a 550 square metres booth. These companies make up the top five biggest exhibitors at IFFS/AFS 2009.

"As Asia's premier furniture trade show, the organisers of IFFS/AFS are committed to showcasing the world's best and embracing the finest. We are gratified that many furniture manufacturers worldwide have continued to participate and support IFFS/AFS 2009. This clearly demonstrates their confidence in our show as a highly effective marketing platform. We also look forward to welcoming all the furniture industry leaders who will be launching new collections and exciting designs at this upcoming edition. We are very positive that IFFS/AFS 2009 will once again prove to be a fruitful and rewarding experience for all exhibitors and buyers alike, " said Mr Tony Pang, Chairman, Show Advisory Panel, IFFS/AFS 2009.

IFFS/AFS 2009 will also see the return of many quality exhibitors, including leading furniture brands from China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore. Among the well-reputed return exhibitors are companies known for producing highly sophisticated yet functional furniture in their respective niche markets such as China's Zhejiang Kuka and Metebronz and Cilek from Turkey.

Adding a refreshing shine to the fair are first-time exhibitors that currently make up over 32% of the total participation. These debutants come from 23 different countries, including Australia, Belgium, France, Italy, the UAE, the UK and countries from South East Asia. Visitors can expect to source from an exciting and wide assortment of designer furniture and soft furnishing products from these new exhibitors. Amongst these first-timers are names such as Carezza Ltd (Hong Kong), O'Bredi Pte Ltd (Singapore), Index Interfurn (Thailand), Coach House (UK) and Ambella Home Collections (USA).

"We are working very hard on achieving greater space efficiency at the exhibition as well as strengthening our marketing efforts to provide better value add to our exhibitors and visitors. We are ramping up our efforts to provide better business support for all participants and have put in place new marketing initiatives to garner greater exposure for IFFS/AFS 2009, " continued Mr Tony Pang.

Amongst other efforts, the organisers will be specifically targeting top VIP buyers and keeping them updated with IFFS/AFS activities through exclusive newsletters and email blasts. These newsletters will carry first-hand news and information on the latest furniture collections and innovations that will be launched at the fair. Distributed before and during the show, these communication tools will give exhibitors the opportunity to send out preshow announcements as well as show updates to potential buyers and visitors.

As part of the strategic marketing efforts to ensure effective returns on investment for exhibitors, the IFFS/AFS management team will also be focusing on raising visitors profile and attendance through new initiatives. These activities include participation at renowned international trade shows such as Index Dubai, imm Cologne, NEC Birmingham and Meuble Paris to attract the international audience to IFFS/AFS 2009. In addition, they have also developed marketing and promotional materials in foreign languages such as Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, Korean and Japanese to bridge language barriers and further improve and broaden the reach of the event. The organisers have also implemented personalised surveys to ascertain the needs of buyers to better understand the requirements of the industry.

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