Singapore, 13 March 2015 – The International Furniture Fair Singapore 2015 / 32nd ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS 2015), The Décor Show, and Hospitality 360° opens today to welcome trade professionals of the furniture, interior design, and hospitality industries from all over the world. Over the next four days, 487 exhibitors from a record number of 39 countries will showcase an impressive range of furniture and the latest design elements in interior décor.
“In the last decade, we’ve seen a steady growth in the soft furnishings and home accessories segment within our show,” commented Mr Ernie Koh, Chairman of IFFS Pte Ltd. “This development has benefitted exhibitors as well as buyers, and it also confirms The Décor Show’s unique identity next to IFFS.”
Since 2011, The Décor Show has offered attendees a mix of high quality and trendy decorative items, such as bedding and linen, carpets and rugs, decorative accessories, home textiles, handicrafts, lacquer ware, mirrors, paintings, and wall coverings. This year, more than 150 companies from the ASEAN, Asia Pacific, North American, and European regions will showcase their original, functional designs, and superior craftsmanship at the show.
For the first time this year, The Décor Show was selected by EU Business Avenues, a business support programme for Europe-based SMEs, as the platform of choice for a debut trade mission to Southeast Asia. A total of 39 interior design companies and brands from 15 different European Union (EU) countries will bring a microcosm of the EU design scene to Asia through this event in Singapore.
“European companies have always been at the forefront of modern interior decoration. Their reputation as trendsetters is based on excellent craftsmanship and innovative ideas,” said Dr Michael Pulch, EU Ambassador to Singapore. “We have chosen to showcase some of the best small and medium enterprises the EU has to offer in this sector at IFFS. Companies participating in the Business Avenues programme will have the opportunity to team up with other companies here to maximise opportunities in growing local and regional markets.”
Inspiring Conversations, Exchanging Ideas
Attendees can also seek inspiration at the Design Empowers Business Seminars during the show. To be held in the Design Hall 4 on from 13 to 15 March, these complimentary sessions feature prominent practitioners and luminaries from various industries such as, architecture, furniture, interior design, and hospitality. The seminar programme includes a plenary on intellectual property (IP) and designs - jointly organised by British High Commission Singapore, UK Intellectual Property Office, IFFS, and Halo Creative & Design – as well as sessions that explore industry trends, business strategies, and success stories.
Looking Ahead to 2016 and Beyond
IFFS Pte Ltd also takes this opportunity to unveil its exciting plans for the event’s next edition, including the announcement of a new partnership with Koelnmesse, a special showcase with American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the next run of Furniture Design Award (FDA), as well as the appointment of a new Chairman for the Show Advisory Panel.
Next year, Koelnmesse, one of the world's largest trade fair companies, will be shifting its regional trade exhibition for the woodworking, furniture and panel production industries – furniPRO Asia – to be held in conjunction with IFFS in March. This move strengthens the collective offering that IFFS provides to the furniture fraternity, providing IFFS exhibitors a more holistic experience and greater value in one convenient location.
Additionally, Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) today announces the return of the Furniture Design Award (FDA), calling for submissions for the 2016 edition from now until 10 August 2015. FDA 2016 takes on a ‘free style’ approach where designers are welcomed to exercise their creativity without restrictions of a specific theme. Unlike in previous years, the competition only has a single Designers category, where all participants will compete for a grand prize of S$20,000 cash and the opportunity to exhibit in IFFS 2017.
And in a collaboration between SFIC and AHEC, IFFS 2016 has been selected as the showcase platform for DESIGN ARTISANS – The Charms of Asia, a sustainable campaign to promote furniture design and business in skilled manufacturing. This project aims to unite regional talents to promote and reinvent a contemporary language in furniture design through the usage of American hardwood. AHEC will commission a group of acclaimed designers, architects, and artists from Asia to create a bespoke collection of 10 furniture pieces, through working with Asia’s notable craftsmen.
Finally, heading the show organising team for IFFS 2016 is a newly-minted Show Advisory Panel Chairman, Mr Phua Boon Huat. He will lead the various sub-committees to creatively structure future editions of IFFS, bringing the show to even greater heights.
For more information on IFFS 2015, The Décor Show, and Hospitality 360°, please visit:
www.IFFS.com.sg | www.TheDecorShow.com.sg | www.Hospitality360.com.sg
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About International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd (IFFS Pte Ltd)
International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd (IFFS Pte Ltd) is partly owned by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) and MP International Pte Ltd. IFFS Pte Ltd’s primary objectives are to organize and manage furniture and furniture-related fairs, exhibitions, shows, conferences and other events worldwide. This includes the annual International Furniture Fair Singapore/ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS), The Décor Show and Hospitality 360°, a keynote event on the furniture trade exhibition calendar.
About International Furniture Fair Singapore/ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS), The Décor Show and Hospitality 360°
The International Furniture Fair Singapore, held in conjunction with the ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS), The Décor Show and Hospitality 360°, is regarded by industry experts as Asia’s premier sourcing platform and design-led exhibition. With three decades of experience since its inaugural event in 1981, the IFFS/AFS remains the most distinctive channel for regional and international companies to penetrate the global market.
The trilogy of events - The IFFS/AFS, The Décor Show and Hospitality 360° - feature a comprehensive range of furniture, furnishing, decorative accessories, interiors and fittings by a diverse portfolio of quality exhibitors, and attracts a healthy and well-represented attendance of trade buyers and visitors. To make it a holistic trade event, the various design initiatives (SingaPlural - Celebrating Design and Furniture Design Award) offer added depth and dimension to this Singapore-anchored trade event, raising its profile as a show not-to-be-missed in the industry calendar.
About SingaPlural 2015
The annual SingaPlural 2015 returns for a fourth edition from March 10 – 15 at 99 Beach Road to showcase the best design elements from the multi-faceted creative spectrum – Advertising, Architecture, Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture, as well as Interior, Furniture, Graphic and Fashion Design through installations, exclusively curated design spaces, symposiums and many other activities.
Organised by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council, in partnership with DesignS, the week-long design celebration features talents across the creative industries. It is held in conjunction with the International Furniture Fair Singapore 2015 / 32nd ASEAN Furniture Show, The Décor Show and Hospitality 360⁰.
SingaPlural 2015 is supported by the DesignSingapore Council, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board and SPRING Singapore. It is also the anchor event of the Singapore Design Week, which is organised by the DesignSingapore Council, a part of the Ministry of Communications and Information.
For more information, please refer to www.SingaPlural.com or www.facebook.com/SingaPlural. Find us on Twitter (@SingaPlural) and Instagram (#singaplural).
For media enquiries on IFFS, please contact:
Ms. Kelly KUAN
Red Bug Communications
+65 6220 7573
kelly@redbugpr.com
Ms. CHUA Siew Bee
IFFS Pte Ltd
+65 6505 9176
siewbee@iffs.com.sg
For media enquiries on SingaPlural 2015 – Celebrating Design, please contact Access Communications, the agency in-charge of the festival:
Ms. Jiayi WONG
Access Communications
+65 6547 8979 / +65 9030 3522
jiayi@accesscoms.com.sg
Ms. Kelsey ANG
Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC)
+65 6505 9190
kelsey@singaporefurniture.com
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