furniPRO Asia 2016 concluded with quality crowd

Leading industry professionals showcase their latest; innovative technologies in furniture and panel production

Singapore --(ASIA TODAY)-- The 3rd edition of furniPRO Asia was successfully staged from 10 to 12 March 2016, at the Singapore Expo Convention and Exhibition Centre. Co-located with the International Furniture Fair Singapore and The Décor Show for the very first time, it was well received by trade visitors and exhibitors alike. Furniture production professionals were impressed with the wide array of exhibits spanning across the entire furniture production chain. The event, graced by Guest-of-Honour, Mr. Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Trade and Industry, attracted more than 4,500 industry professionals from over 50 countries to the furniPRO Asia exhibition hall.

The furniPRO Asia exhibition featured a multitude of 142 participating brands and companies from 25 countries including 5 national pavilions from China, Germany, Italy, Singapore and Taiwan, over a total area of 5,000 sqm. Leading brands represented at the fair include Altendorf, Berndorf Band, Biesse, Dieffenbacher, French Timber, IMA, Krono System, Lignar, Michael Weinig, Renolit, Schelling, SCM, Siempelkamp, Sterling Lam, Surteco, Taiwan Woodworking Machinery Association and many others.

“The industry needs an upstream collaboration, and Koelnmesse is the right partner for us to have furniPRO Asia co-located in Singapore during the International Furniture Fair. In the future editions of furniPRO Asia, we will continue to have this co-location so as to benefit the furniture industry.” Said Ernie Koh, Chairman of IFFS Pte Ltd and President of the Singapore Furniture Industries Council.

Key Highlight – The “Innovation of Interior” Showcase

The "Innovation of Interior“ showcase located right in the middle of the furniPRO Asia exhibition hall was very popular among the trade visitors. Premiering out of interzum cologne, it is a special exhibition area for architects, interior and industrial designers as well as other planners with a unique, future-orientated range of products, to showcase innovative ideas and design options. The showcase was curated by renowned materials expert Dr. Sascha Peters, Founder and Owner of Haute Innovation from Berlin, Germany. Key activities of the Innovation of Interior included:

“It was really amazing to see how many people were interested in the Innovation of Interior showcase, talks, workshops and guided tour. Many visitors including the Guest-of-honour, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Lim Hng Kiang were fascinated about the possibilities that 3D printing provides to the design and furniture industry. I love Singapore, and I can imagine to set-up the next show of Innovation of Interior in the next furniPRO Asia edition as there will be a lot of development in the area of 3D printing then.” Shared Dr. Sascha Peters.

Looking forward to the next edition of furniPRO Asia in 2018, Michael Dreyer, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Koelnmesse Pte Ltd had the following to conclude: “2016 has been an extremely exiting year for us – with the co-location of IFFS and furniPRO Asia for the very first time. We received very encouraging feedback from both our exhibitors and visitors as they are now exposed to a much wider network of quality buyers and partners. We are very happy that this co-location is successful, and I am very much looking forward to a stronger partnership with IFFS in 2018!”

Exhibitors and Visitors can look forward to furniPRO Asia returning to Singapore alongside IFFS in early March 2018.

Here are some valued feedback from the attendees of furniPRO Asia 2016:

“Biesse Asia took a leap of faith when we decided to take the largest booth space at furniPRO Asia 2016, and it paid off. We were able to catch up with our customers, meet prospects, and it was an opportunity to bring Biesse machines closer to our customers in Singapore and Johor. This year’s participation in furniPRO was also quite special because we brought along an avid user of Biesse machines in Italy – Wood-Skin. They are absolutely brilliant in creating a versatile and aesthetically pleasing material used for surfaces and decorations. This is a great example of how innovative designers can materialise their imaginations with Biesse’s advanced technologies.”
– Lee Weina, Marketing Manager, Biesse Group Asia, Malaysia

(Exhibitor of furniPRO Asia 2016)

“The German Woodworking Industry is here for the third time for furniPRO Asia. We have 19 exhibitors here this year, which is 8 more than the last time. Singapore is in the heart of some of the emerging markets around such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. With that, we hope that this event will be successful like in Europe.” – Ursula Geismann, General Manager, National Confederation of German Woodworking and Furniture Industries, Germany (Exhibitor of furniPRO Asia 2016)

“Siempelkamp is one of the leading manufacturers for the panel industry. We have traditionally been in Asia for the last 28 years, and we have always joined the fair since the first edition in 2012. Asia is a very important market for us, especially in the coming years, as we see a very big influx of new investment into this part of the world. We had a very good exhibition 2 years ago, and we believe that this year, with the combination of both furniPRO Asia and IFFS, we will have even more audience visiting us at this fair.” – Henning Gloede, Managing Director, Siempelkamp Pte Ltd, Singapore (Exhibitor of furniPRO Asia 2016)

“In the next five to ten years, the potential for the ASEAN furniture industry is really very optimistic. It is a good timing for the event during this period. There is a good and comprehensive range of brands featured here in furniPRO Asia, and I wish that the show will grow bigger and bigger every year” – Sunny Ter, Chairman, ASEAN Furniture Industries Council, Malaysia (Supporting Organization of furniPRO Asia 2016)

“The furniPRO Asia 2016 is well organized. I will definitely visit again for the next edition!” – Antonio Guan Shaw Kee, Executive Director, Eurospan Furniture Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia (Trade Visitor and Buyer of furniPRO Asia 2016)

“The furniPRO Asia 2016 in Singapore was a great exhibition which abled me to be updated on the new technology developments among the business partners.” – Lim Vui Kiong, Deputy Production Department Manager, Daiken Miri Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia (Trade Visitor and Buyer of furniPRO Asia 2016)

“We joined this exhibition to bring our range of efficient and energy saving dust control systems for the woodworking industry to improve the working environment as well as fire safety in the factories. We also envision our advanced furniture production machinery to bring about higher efficiency and productivity. This exhibition, co-located with the International Furniture Fair, is bringing a better crowd to us, especially within South-east Asia.” – W.K. Tan, CEO, LIGNAR Engineering Pte Ltd, Singapore (Exhibitor of furniPRO Asia 2016)

“I would say that this year, I was very surprised with the attendance because I met customers from Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia as well as of course Singapore who are basically my existing customers. I would say that the Asia countries, from Myanmar to Philippines, going through Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, is a good and important economic area, and SCM Group is investing a lot in this region as we see the economic potential of the area. With about 600 million people and a GDP of almost a trillion US dollars in the Asia region, it is important for us to have a presence here with a local partner.” – Canzio Costantini, Managing Director, SCM Group Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore (Exhibitor of furniPRO Asia 2016)

“furniPRO Asia has always been an important biennial event to PAL as it gives us the opportunity to meet South-east Asian Clients and, in the meantime, has become a "must" appointment. This year's edition was in line with previous editions, with all exhibiting companies being leaders in their sectors and the clients being all quality clients looking for innovation therefore showing interest in our group that has made innovation to its leitmotif.” – Gabriele Nardin, Sales & Marketing Manager, PAL s.r.l., Italy (Exhibitor of furniPRO Asia 2016)

The next edition of furniPRO Asia will take place in Singapore, in March 2018. For more information, please visit www.furniproasia.com.

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About Koelnmesse
Koelnmesse - No.1 in Furniture: Koelnmesse is the world's top trade fair organiser for the areas of furnishing, living and lifestyle. At the trade fair hub of Cologne, leading international fair imm cologne as well as the trade fair formats of LivingKitchen, ORGATEC, spoga+gafa, interzum and Kind + Jugend rank among the internationally renowned and established industry meeting places. These fairs comprehensively represent the upholstered and case furniture segment, the kitchen industry, the office furniture sector and outdoor living as well as the innovations of the furniture supply industry. Over the last few years, Koelnmesse has specifically added international fairs in the most important fast-expanding markets to its portfolio. These include the China International Kitchen and Bathroom Expo (CIKB) in Shanghai and furniPRO Asia in Singapore.

The next events:

For more information, please visit www.koelnmesse.com.sg

About International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd (IFFS)
International Furniture Fair Singapore (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) and The Décor Show, a keynote event on the furniture trade exhibition calendar.

The next edition of IFFS will take place from 10 – 13 March 2017. For more information on IFFS 2016, please visit www.iffs.com.sg.

For media enquiries on furniPRO Asia, please contact
Ms. Jamie Huang
Koelnmesse Pte Ltd
+65 6500 6730
j.huang@koelnmesse.com.sg

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