Expo in Guangzhou to boost business ( 2003-08-20 09:52) (China Daily)
Market insiders expect the 12th China
International Furniture Fair (Guangzhou) to greatly help China's furniture
industry regain development momentum.
The bi-annual fair, which is held in March and August, opens today, running
until Thursday.
It is sponsored by the China Foreign Trade Centre
(Group). The event is hosted by the China Foreign Trade Guangzhou Exhibition
Corp.
It is one of China's most important post-SARS international fairs as well as
one of the nation's largest furniture fairs.
"The event presents a golden opportunity for the nation's furniture exports
to get out of the doldrums created by the SARS epidemic," said Dai Xinguo,
general manager of the China Foreign Trade Guangzhou Exhibition Corp.
In excess of 600 exhibitors from more than 20 provinces and regions at home
and 13 countries and regions overseas - including Malaysia, Singapore, South
Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong - will compete for a share of the limelight at the
event. They'll be showcasing the latest home and office furniture and
accessories, home textiles and decorative and interior furnishings.
The exhibition space totals 70,000 square metres, up 10 per cent from the
10th session a year ago, according to Dai.
Home and office furniture dominate the exhibition halls, he said. More than
160 renowned domestic furniture enterprises are represented at the fair, showing
off primarily wooden and metal bedroom furniture and living room furniture.
Some 100 office furniture enterprises are showcasing a wide range of products
for office use. Dai said that the organizer of the fair has made great efforts
to invite professional buyers to the fair by focusing commercials on North
America, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea and the Middle East. At the same
time, promotional campaigns have been launched targeting globally renowned
furniture fairs abroad.
Said Dai: "The efforts have paid off. The large number of professional buyers
present will fortify the position of the fair as one of the most important
export-orientated furniture fairs."
Some 1,000 overseas buyers, including those from the United States, Southeast
Asia, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan had preregistered for a slot
at the fair by late July.
The organizer has also invited renowned experts to elaborate on a series of
related topics at supplementary seminars during the four-day event, boosting
exchanges and co-operation between the furniture industry at home and abroad.
