The most comprehensive woodworking machinery, furniture production and interior décor trade fair held in Asia comes back to Guangzhou from March 28-31. CIFM/interzum presents buyers from Asia and other regions with the latest products and technologies of the field. Maybe you are going to be one of those lucky buyers and exhibitors, on that case don't miss our interview with Ms Karen Lee, the General Manager in South China for Koelnmesse, to Shed some light on the upcoming novelties for CIFM/interzum 2016!
CIFM / interzum has become the premier trade fair for woodworking machinery, furniture production and interior décor in Asia. What stands out Interzum above other similar fairs?
Since the show’s inception, Koelnmesse has been aiming to create an efficient and effective "one-stop" trading platform and for it to serve as a hub for the latest products and technologies for furniture production. At present, China occupies a pivotal position in the global furniture manufacturing industry, and Guangdong is also China's leading furniture production base. Through the trade fair, we hope to establish a platform for international brands to enter China, and on top of that, using this same platform for high-quality domestic enterprises to reach out to the world.
For exhibitors and visitors, the exhibition itself is always the most important: Which big brands will be participating in the event this year? Who are the new exhibitors? What new products and technologies will be released at the show? These are the main concerns of everyone. So, we have been working hard all these years to attract more high-quality brands from abroad, for them to showcase the industry's latest products and technology in China, and also sparing no efforts in promoting and attracting more international visitors here, to purchase quality products from China.
Finally, when the trade fair was first established, we realized that “effectiveness” is the key to a successful and lasting event, so regardless of its quantitative development, the plans of the organizers have always been focused on enhancing the results of exhibitors’ participation, bringing the latest international industry designs and trends to the event, and promoting the development of the industry.
The Show has a high influence in the industry of the region, what represents CIFM / interzum Guangzhou in the annual calendar of the field?
CIFM / interzum Guangzhou has been running for 13 years since 2004. It has grown from 3,000sqm to 140,000sqm today, and from less than 100 exhibitors to over 1,200 to become the largest and most comprehensive woodworking machinery, furniture production and interior decor trade fair in Asia.
In addition, the trade fair is an integral part of the prestigious China International Furniture Fair (CIFF). CIFM / interzum Guangzhou showcases the entire value chain of the furniture manufacturing industry, providing a “one-stop” sourcing experience for buyers. Among the numerous exhibitions of similar nature worldwide, CIFM / interzum Guangzhou's edge lies in its location in the global furniture manufacturing hub, which sees the gathering of more than 67,000 trade visitors from home and abroad annually.
Besides that, as one of the world's most experienced trade fair organizers with over 90 years’ history, Koelnmesse's alliance with an equally strong local partner, the China Foreign Trade Center (Group), which boasts a strong domestic sales network, also paves the way to success for CIFM / interzum Guangzhou.
Will we see novelties on 2016's edition?
Some of the exhibitors at the international halls making their first appearance are:
Fernwood, Beckhoff Automation and Nederman (Woodworking Machinery category); Alfa, Simalfa, GTA, Comfytex, Kisbu, Lalan Eco-Latex and Mitsan Makina (Upholstery Material category); Pytha, Virgo and Durian (Interior Decor category); Onkar, Servetto, Verov and Decro (Hardware category); and Matilda Veneer, Termopal and Verinlegno (Wood & Adhesives category).
Apart from companies from regular furniture production powerhouses in Western Europe, such as Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the United Kingdom, brands from emerging economies in South America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East are gradually making their presence felt at interzum Guangzhou. This year, a number of exhibitors from Latvia, Romania, Estonia and Ukraine have chosen CIFM / interzum Guangzhou as their first point of entry into the China market, bringing with them new products with unique characteristics.
An exhibition like CIFM / interzum attracts many national and international companies. Can you give some tips for those exhibiting in Guangzhou for the first time? (some rules of the venue, customs, protocol...)
Koelnmesse has a team of trusted service providers and logistics partners to provide exhibitors with seamless support in every aspect from our years of experience in successfully organizing related trade fairs, such as interzum, ORGATEC, and furniPRO Asia. I believe that even new exhibitors will participate with ease.
My suggestion for companies is to apply for space early, as CIFM / interzum Guangzhou is often oversubscribed, with more than 80% of the existing exhibitors signing up for the next edition during the event. Every year, a number of companies are unable to exhibit due to space limitations. In general, there is a two to three-year wait for a new company to be able to successfully apply for space at the event. So, the earlier interested companies submit their application, the greater the opportunity to secure a booth space.
Alongside with the exhibition, we can enjoy about many other activities, can you recommend us an event in particular?
Official forums revolving around the history and trends of furniture surface materials will be held during interzum Guangzhou 2016. Exhibitors will be invited to share their knowledge on the application of a variety of furniture surfaces and auxiliary materials, as well as their latest technological achievements, allowing visitors access to the latest industry information while procuring their products. Offering more insights into future trends in the German Renolit Group, which will hold its 2016/2017 annual Global Color Trends Conference, themed “Wind Poems” at this edition of CIFM / interzum Guangzhou.
Comparing with its parent event, interzum, interzum Guangzhou indeed has fewer fringe activities. It is due to the positioning of the event. interzum Guangzhou emphasizes strongly on being an effective trading platform for participants. In the future, with the development of the show, I believe that activities similar to the “interzum Award” will appear at interzum Guangzhou.
Give us some reasons why we cannot miss Interzum.
- Firstly, CIFM / interzum Guangzhou enjoys unique geographical advantages. Guangzhou, being the provincial capital of Guangdong, is China's and one of the world's largest furniture manufacturing centre. According to statistics, the total annual furniture output of the province accounts for more than 30% of the entire nation’s by value, with wooden furniture production ranking first. In addition, the rapid economic development of Guangdong over the years makes it one of the most developed areas in China, and therefore one of the highest in the domestic demand for furniture.
- CIFM / interzum Guangzhou's parent event, interzum, based in Cologne, Germany, is the flagship event of the world’s furniture production industry, which has been held for 57 years. The establishment of CIFM / interzum Guangzhou was to meet the unique needs of the industry in Asia, serving as a barometer of market trends for the region.
- Finally, the degree of internationalization of CIFM / interzum Guangzhou is also an important reason for consideration. Each year, more than 1,200 companies from more than 30 countries and regions as well as more than 67,000 trade buyers from over 100 countries and regions will gather at the event, making it a truly international trade fair.
Finally, can you give us some participation results from the last edition?
- CIFM / interzum Guangzhou 2015 saw the addition of Hall 12.1, boosting the total trade floor area of 130,000sqm in 2014 to 140,000sqm, to become the largest scale in the event’s history.
- In addition, it was the first time that exhibitor numbers exceeded 1,200. The 2015 edition featured 1,269 companies from 35 countries and regions.
- In terms of visitors, we received 67,270 people – another record-breaker.