EVENTS

The London Fabric Show’s appeal is set to be even broader in 2023, with recent signings offering new international, sustainability and technological perspectives.

An American exhibitor joins the show next year, while other new names expand the footprint of renowned manufacturers and suppliers drawn from across Europe, including Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Germany and the UK.

Exhibitor information can be found on the show’s website, which is updated regularly. New exhibitors to look out for in 2023 include Sleek Editions, Medoks Textiles and Eurotex.

The 2023 show will be held at the ILEC Conference Centre in Earls Court on 28th February and 1st March, and has private showrooms and catering on the exhibition floor.

INDX Furniture returns to West Midlands event venue, Cranmore Park, on 20th23rd January and visitor registration is open now, at www.indxshows.co.uk/ indx-home/furniture/furniture. While admission on Friday 20th January is reserved for AIS members only, general trade visitors are welcome on subsequent days.

Part of the INDX brand of trade shows, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, INDX Furniture is organised by Associated Independent Stores (AIS), the UK’s leading buying group for fashion, home, and leisure.

INDX Furniture is curated by a team of retail experts whose knowledge and experience combine to deliver a trend-driven showcase, featuring some the best names in the business, across upholstery, living room, dining room, garden and accessories.

During this year’s one-off Heimtextil Summer Special, the industry’s need for personal encounters, tactile impressions and creative input became apparent, states the show’s organiser, revealing that more than 2200 exhibitors have registered for the event.

Thematically, the overarching theme of sustainability will be clearly visible at Heimtextil 2023. With the exhibitor guide, Green Directory, as well as the Green Village which offers a platform for discussion with the approved players, Heimtextil offers important points of orientation in a jungle of sustainable offers. The popular Green Tours will again guide interested visitors to relevant exhibitors to learn more about their sustainability strategies and products – while the impressive Future Materials Library will be presented again as part of the Trend Space at Heimtextil 2023.

The international collection of material innovations in the interior sector is curated by trend forecasting agency FranklinTill, which is also

responsible for the conception of the Trend Space at Heimtextil 2023. The design and trend area will be developed beforehand by international design offices stijlinstituut amsterdam (Netherlands), FranklinTill (Great Britain) and SPOTT Design & Business (Denmark).

Under the title Textiles Matter, Heimtextil Trends 23/24 aims to set standards for the future-oriented and sustainable textile furnishings of tomorrow, with a particular focus on the circular economy. The Trend Space will be presented in Hall 9.0 in 2023.

Other features include: Interior. Architecture.Hospitality, a specialist programme for interior designers, architects and hospitality experts; LECTURES, in which renowned architects and well-known hotel experts will present their work and discuss current industry topics; The Contract Guide, which will list all the suppliers of contract textiles; an event programme focused on online marketing from DecoTeam; the Heimtextil Conference Sleep & More; and the New & Next programme for young talents and startups

As the UK’s largest “shop for shops”, Spring Fair is a trusted platform for discovery and innovation, bringing sought-after products, bright new finds and industry-leading creative thinkers under one, easy-to-navigate roof, while giving retailers unparalleled crossbuying opportunities.

Within Home, Living & Décor and The Summerhouse, buyers will discover some of the most stylish lifestyle labels and home-and-gift brands, with a focus on on-trend furniture, textiles, housewares, art and decorative interior accessories from the UK and around the world.

The Summerhouse welcomes back Bloomingville, MyGiftsTrade (including Urban Nature Culture), Hot Tomato, DeluxeHomeArt, The Libra Company, Present Time, Jellycat, Hug Rug, Stone Glow Candles, Bronte by Moon, and Gallery Direct.

Returning from Denmark is VanillaFly, offering eclectic home decorations and accessories, while visitors will also find one of Scandinavia’s leading wholesalers, Wikholm Form, which offers a comprehensive range of decorations, furniture and accessories made from ceramics, glass, wood, metal, leather and textiles.

Spring Fair will also welcome back an array of home lifestyle brands at February’s event, including Coach House, Mint Interiors by Kettle, Art Marketing, Ascalon, Malini, Chic Antique, Maison Berger, Hanlin, McGowan & Rutherford, and Hill Interiors. Fifty Five South from Glasgow will offer luxury furniture, lighting, and home living products for opulent interior settings, and Native Natural will showcase its sustainable products.

Personality in any brand is key, and the show welcomes back Matt Buckley, the designer at Edge Sculpture, who offers striking figures of animals and mythical creatures. New to the show are Ivyline, Bakers Direct, Sarita Handa, Artsy Doormats, Home Décor Hub, Nortonvale Homeware, and Esselle. Hunter Price and its new Billie Faiers range can also now be found in Home.

Spring Fair encompasses 14 sectors within four destinations across eight halls – offering thousands of established favourites alongside an array of sustainable and new brands making their debut

There are no pandemic restrictions to attend the four-day event, which will take place from 1st-4th March 2023, as Malaysia abolished all curbs such as testing, quarantine or vaccination in August, after reopening its borders in April.

Visitor registration has already opened for the 2023 show, that is set to launch the buying season in Asia and reinforce MIFF’s position as one of South East Asia’s most global and sizeable B2B furniture and furnishings events.

Organised by Informa Markets, MIFF will showcase over 500 exhibitors from Malaysia and abroad across 15 halls at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) and Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC).

Rising demand for Malaysia-made furniture – in particular, solid wood products, from retailers seeking to diversify and secure a steady supply of stocks disrupted by Covid lockdowns and cancelled travel, means the show is much anticipated.

Buyers will be able to meet and network with many of Malaysia’s best-known suppliers, including Poh Huat, Ecomate, Favourite Design,

Latitude Tree, Luxury Sleep, Mobilia International, Oasis and Wegmans.

A big draw of the show is that it features, under one roof, the largest showcase of Malaysian solid wood furniture and export-quality products from the country’s furniture hub, Muar, and also the biggest selection of office furnishings in South East Asia.

MIFF 2023’s segments include: an International Hall for foreign exhibitors; the Muar Hall, presented by the Muar Furniture Association, the most prominent industry group in Malaysia and a strategic partner of MIFF; MIFF Office, featuring the biggest collection of office furnishings in the region; designRena, a lifestyle floor exclusive, curated by top Malaysian manufacturers; and the xOrdinary showcase, highlighting Malaysian young designers

Register as a visitor before 15th February to obtain free admission passes and avoid on-site queues, and to enjoy early-bird discounts in official hotels and meet-and-greet hospitality at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Held annually in March at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), exhibitors from Malaysia and the region converge with buyers from all over the world on this global stage. EFE is already creating a buzz among exhibitors, which will be among the first to showcase their latest products to global buyers when the show returns from 7-10th March.

The show has taken a big step forward, with its expansion made available by KLCC’s expanded venue space. EFE 2023 is +28% bigger compared to the previous event in 2019 (which covered 35,000m2). Over 400 exhibitors from Malaysia and the ASEAN region will occupy 45,000m2 of trading floor, to welcome quality buyers from more than 140 countries and regions.

EFE’s last show, in 2019, was attended by 8639 international buyers (+10% YoY) and 5198 local visitors (up +15% YoY). Overall, there was a visitor increase of +15% at the last show. However, EFE 2023 is expected to attract more buyers and visitors. Malaysian wood-based furniture is much sought-after by home, resort, and property project owners around the world. The use of high-quality materials and timber species such as rubberwood, balau, kembang semangkok, nyatoh, dark red meranti and acacia, along with the application of hi-tech manufacturing methods and designs, ensure Malaysian furniture’s ongoing role in the international marketplace.

The exhibition is the signature event of the Malaysian Furniture Council (MFC) and organised by EFE Expo, a subsidiary company of the council. The MFC is the national body that represents all 13 Malaysian state furniture associations, and plays an active role in the development and betterment of the industry. Working closely with the government, it aims to drive the industry to greater heights and increase the nation’s furniture exports

Relaunched in June 2022 at a new location, the National Indoor Arena in Blanchardstown, IFHS’ state-of-the-art venue has not only brought a fresh look to the show, but has also elevated how the furniture industry does business there, making it “the ideal event for everyone in the industry to see new products, innovative ideas and avail of exclusive deals and discounts from the companies on show – all under one roof”.

The IFHS is representative of the wide variety of furniture and homewares available in Ireland. With the show being the only one of its kind in the country, and attended by many of the top furniture suppliers and businesses, it is an event not to be missed by any professional wishing to meet others in the industry.

For 2023 – the event’s eighth year – a good number of Ireland’s top suppliers have already committed to showcasing their new and innovative products. “Our remaining spaces are filling up fast,” states the show’s organiser, “but if you want to showcase your furniture or homeware products to over 1000 Irish trade buyer attendees this July, contact us on aisling@ifhs-tradeshow.ie.”

IFHS houses major suppliers of upholstery, dining, bedding, cabinet and accessories, with most of the key players in the furniture supply chain exhibiting, enabling buyers to plan and place orders for the year ahead.

“Get great advice and an in-depth view of the trends and what’s available in the furniture and furnishings industry from the large variety of suppliers on show – come and join us from Sunday 2nd to Tuesday 4th July 2023 in the National Indoor Arena, Blanchardstown, Dublin!

“We are committed to making IFHS bigger and better next year. The focus is to continue to support the industry in which we operate, and to bring the right people together, all under one roof”

At M.O.W. product trends are optimised to meet consumer demand. Colours, decors, functions, forms … the exhibition presents those most likely to prevail and become market bestsellers, covering both conventional and RTA lines and single models, as well as promotional highlights for brochures, advertising and special offers, dropshipping, own-brand and exclusive directions.

Concentrated on one site at Messezentrum Bad Salzuflen, M.O.W.’s focus is consumer-orientated, salesboosting products, with exhibitors ranging from international brands to niche specialists.

This year’s edition covered an exhibition area of 85,000m2, and featured 510 exhibitors from 41 nations, attracting trade visitors from 66 countries. Indeed, the exhibitor base was also diverse – in September, 60% of M.O.W.’s participants attended from outside Germany (most notably from Poland, Turkey, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and France).

M.O.W.’s scope covers all distribution channels, from buying groups to multiples, specialists, independents, studios, self-service/discounters, mailorder, construction and DIY, food and non-food, marketing companies and pureplay online players. Welcoming trade professionals only, M.O.W. offers both physical and online retailers a huge array of new furniture, bestsellers and innovations, within a pleasant setting – alongside the promise of free personal services, from parking to catering and WLAN.

The show can be reached by car via the A2 motorway, with a direct exit to the exhibition grounds – and is internationally accessible from nearby airports and railway stations, with a good range of hotels nearby. Entrance is free for trade professionals, and an exhibition guide is provided at no extra cost. The 2023 event will take place from 17th-21st September

After getting the ball rolling in a mid-pandemic 2021, Belgium’s classy furniture showcase returned to Brussels in force last month, providing a timely and valuable (particularly given imm cologne’s postponement) opportunity to browse the latest lines from many of Europe’s top brands.

“Doing good business usually means a bright future, so let that be the feeling with which the majority of exhibitors and visitors left the fair,” says Glenn.

From the show’s impressive entrance to breathtaking displays, trend showcases, dedicated sleep sector area and inviting hospitality areas, Brussels Furniture Fair reiterated its well-deserved place on the international scene, sharing the best of Benelux and beyond in sophisticated, well-appinted surrounds.

“Attractive stands, clever decorations and many new collections came next,” Glenn continues, “in what many described as an inspiring visit, characterised by originality, beauty and elegance. But above all, exhibitors reaped the rewards of their hard work and investment by doing good business – because, of course, that’s still the fair’s core purpose. Although the majority of exhibitors reported fewer orders being placed than during the post-coronavirus edition, the results still far exceeded expectations.”

The fair featured 215 exhibitors (47 more than in 2021), and enjoyed an even greater international footprint. UK and Ireland visitor numbers increased +244.5% YoY (to 503), accounting for just over 3% of the whole – with anecdotal evidence from the floor suggesting a good number of UK buyers in attendance. Overall visitor attendance was up +8%.

“As we have often said, the Brussels Furniture Fair would like to become a meeting point for all the players that have a place in the furniture market,” says Glenn. “On the floorplan, we noted an uptick in exhibitors with a contract marking, and there was a also a (slight) rise in the number of visitors for that market. Contract is clearly a segment with a future, which certainly has its place in Brussels. This will be continued – as will ‘Bubble Up Your Store’, the new platform for the exhibitors of the furniture store of tomorrow.”

Other features included pure design, a showcase of young and established designers, and the presentation of the Balthazar Awards.

The 2023 edition will return to Brussels Expo from 5-8th November. Glenn concludes: “We look forward to seeing you again next year!”