PENANG, Malaysia, Aug. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) team led by founder and chairman, Datuk Dr Tan Chin Huat, made a two-day roadshow stop in Penang to network with manufacturers from the northern region and strengthen its search for young design talent for MIFF 2020.
The networking dinner with over 50 industrialists was held at The Light Hotel in Seberang Jaya on August 22. Among the guests was Mr Hendry Kong Wooi Keat, president of Penang Furniture and Timber Industry Association, and its committee members.
The annual B2B trade show will be back again from March 6 to 9 next year at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre and Putra World Trade Centre. The fair has grown to 100,000 sqm since its expansion in 2018.
As MIFF 2020 is the first furniture trade show in the new Asian season, exhibitors will have the advantage of being the first to showcase their new products and latest collections to international buyers coming to the region to procure new stocks.
Datuk Tan said that despite its success for 25 years, MIFF continues to increase its dialogue with the industry to ensure the trade show is attuned to the best interest of exhibitors and remains a key market destination for buyers from all over the world. "Being together here tonight says a lot that doing business together is better than doing it alone, especially for an industry that needs a strong export platform to access international buyers. Besides, MIFF is the largest in size and most global furniture trade show by international visitorship in Southeast Asia. In cost and logistics, it is, by far, more cost effective than going overseas," he said.
In the span of two years since its expansion in 2018, MIFF has seen a 9% rise in international buyers and 7% increase in orders.
The 2019 edition chalked up a sales record US$1.01 billion with the attendance of 600 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions and over 20,000 visitors from 130 countries and regions. Significantly, buyers from the North America was up by 53%, a strong indicator that MIFF is on the radar of importers who are looking at new sources of supply in view of the ongoing United States-China trade situation.
Present to update exhibitors on the 2020 preparations was MIFF General Manager, Ms Karen Goi. Dr Eric Leong, Chief Judge of the MIFF Furniture Design Competition (FDC) shared his views on new market trends including millennial consumers.
On Friday, August 23, the MIFF team met with the design lecturers and professionals to discuss MIFF Furniture Design Competition 2020's theme, "Kids Wonderland", and the Mentor Award introduced this year.
Datuk Tan hoped FDC would yield innovative ideas as demand for children furniture was on the rise and could potentially become a strong export segment for the local industry.
MIFF launched the young designer contest back in 2010 to sustain the future of Malaysia's export-oriented furniture sector. FDC has discovered several promising talent who were allotted space to market their products under the Millennials@Design gallery in MIFF since 2018.
Notes to Editors
About MIFF (www.miff.com.my)
MIFF is Southeast Asia's most global and largest industry trade show of its kind serving 20,000 furniture professionals from 140 countries across the world. Held annually in March, the show offers a comprehensive selection of all kinds of home and commercial furniture. Since its inception in 1995, the show is an UFI-approved event by The Global Association for Exhibition Industry.
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