Organizers say March event drew 80,000 buyers
Thomas Russell — Furniture Today,
HOUJIE, China — Organizers of the 21st International 3F Famous Furniture Fair said the March 16-20 event drew 80,000 buyers, down 27% from the 110,000 reported in attendance in March 2015.
Some 8,000 attendees were from more than 70 foreign countries, down 38% from the 13,000 international buyers a year earlier.
The show was held in 2.5 million square feet of space at the Guangdong Modern International Exhibition Center in the Houjie section of Dongguan, China, and also in a number of freestanding showrooms outside the exhibition center.
A total of 847 furniture exhibitors from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany, Vietnam and the United States showed a mix of case goods and upholstery in a range of traditional, transitional and contemporary styles.
“The exhibitors took this 3F so seriously in a way that I haven’t seen in many years,” said Yin Chengzhi, president of the Dongguan Famous Furniture Assn., one of 3F’s organizers. “So many of them have spent heavily on new product development and came out with initiatives to support their dealers and distributors in terms of promotion and staff training under the urge of keeping competitive.”
At the event, officials launched a campaign called the Dongguan Furniture Brand Strategy, a government-supported initiative to help promote 50 to 80 furniture manufacturers in the Dongguan region over the next three to five years.
“We believe this strategy will make Dongguan furniture a bigger mark in the world furniture industry and in return, it will benefit every furniture player in Dongguan,” Chen Zhongqiu, governor of Houjie Town, said in a statement.
To remain competitive during the global economic downturn, show and industry officials also said the industry must remain focused on design and other research and development initiatives. This includes developing eco-friendly products.
“Environmental protection will not be a temporary trend,” officials said in their post-show report. “It is believed that more and more Chinese furniture manufacturers will further enhance their awareness of environmental protection and attach importance to environmentally friendly design.”
The next 3F event is scheduled Sept. 4-8. For more information, visit www.3f.net.cn.
Source : www.furnituretoday.com
