Visitors to the Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) this year will be kept busy – not only by the bigger show but also by the variety and complementary attractions showcased by Malaysian and overseas exhibitors.
More international companies will be participating in the event, held from the 8th to the 11th of March, taking advantage of the spacious Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), as well as the nearby long-time venue, Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC).
With the show expanding by around 25 percent to occupy a total floor space of approximately 100,000 square meters, international presence will make up roughly a third of the 600 exhibitors, a proportion exceeding that of previous years.
Visitors can expect a range of products made of different materials such as glass, chipboard, metal, and different types of wood from foreign exhibits to complement the array of solid wood furniture for which Malaysian manufacturers have found renown.
The overseas brands are from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, United States, Turkey, India, Thailand and Vietnam. Along the long-term attractions of the China and Taiwan halls, the third-largest group comprises of over a dozen South Korean companies – with the majority supported by the Korean Federation of Furniture Industry Cooperatives (KFFIC).
A significant number of debuting exhibitors are joining returning companies, including names making a comeback to MIFF: such as Star Furniture of Singapore with its panel furniture and the Godrej Group of India represented by Godrej Vietnam which produces steel office furniture. A peek into the international showcase reveals the latest range of colourful and creative furniture for kids from Turkey’s well-known Cilek Mobilya A.S., and the Foart brand by GPS Korea Co Ltd of South Korea.
From Indonesia, PT Graha Seribusatu Jaya is displaying spring mattresses and as well as metal beds and couches from CV Beta Foam Industrial. Among mainland China regulars is Zhejian Henglin Chair Industry with contemporary office chairs, sofas and bar stools. Glass furniture from Taiwan’s Homeart Worldwide Inc. will include occasional tables and service carts.
“MIFF facilitated the growth of our export business when we were still operating on a small scale. The fair has helped us increased sales and brand exposure,” said Jack Zeng, sales and marketing director at Zhejian Henglin which currently export to over 30 countries.
For buyers, the rich variety at MIFF 2018 will include some new segments: DesignRena, an exclusive 15,000 square meters of floor space dedicated to 80 top Malaysian manufacturers to showcase their products in various lifestyle settings; MIFF Timber Mart, for wood product suppliers and buyers; Millennials@Design (MAD), featuring ready-to-market furniture by young designers including the FDC in Action designers committee. Another attraction is MIFF Office, the largest office solutions exhibition in Southeast Asia.
Visitorship to MIFF is on the uptrend with nearly 20,000 visitors from 132 countries attending last year’s show. International traffic increased 5 percent to 5,603 individual visitors as the show closed record sales amounting to US$940 million.
Ms Karen Goi, MIFF General Manager, said: “MIFF 2018 will be an incredible buying experience for visitors. There will be an exciting mix of merchandise to choose from with the pool of designs, colours and emerging trends converging at the show. There will be products for every budget. Due to the high diversity of buyers from around the world coming here, more and more international exhibitors are looking to MIFF for opportunities to export to third countries, be it to Southeast Asia, Asia or other emerging markets.”
More information on MIFF 2018 is available at www.miff.com.my.
About MIFF (www.miff.com.my)
MIFF is Southeast Asia’s most global and largest furniture trade show serving 20,000 furniture professionals from 140 countries across the world. Held annually from March 8-11, the show offers a comprehensive selection of all kinds of home and commercial furniture including Malaysia’s renowned top quality wood furniture and the most extensive office solutions in the region. Since its inception in 1995, the show is an UFI-approved event by The Global Association for Exhibition Industry. MIFF is organised by UBM Malaysia, a member of UBM Asia owned by UBM plc, the largest pure-play B2B Events organiser in the world.
