06 March 2022
With the achievement of the first centennial goal of “having created a moderately prosperous society in all respects”, China is now structured to meet the ever-rising needs of people and promote an ever-increasing quality of life, also strongly influencing the increase of domestic consumption, the evolution of the culture of living and the strengthening of the furniture industry itself.
In 2021, China’s GDP increased by 8.1% compared to the previous year, exceeding 110 trillion CNY (over €15 trillion). This unique global economic growth demonstrates the enormous potential of the Chinese economy and its strong resilience in a world turned upside down by the pandemic.
In this context, CIFF Guangzhou presents itself as a point of reference in the furniture sector, stimulating companies and the entire industry to build and share opportunities in a “dual circulation” development and giving life to a rapidly growing model, in contrast to the international trade fair sector.
Based on the new "Design Trend, Global Trade, Full Supply Chain, All in CIFF" positioning, CIFF Guangzhou brings together the structural reforms of the exhibition offer and creates a profitable synergy between the Chinese national market and the international one to offer new concrete business opportunities to the protagonists of the sector.
In particular, there are 4 strengths underlying CIFF’s leadership in the furniture trade fair sector:
1. The evolution of the domestic market
The Chinese economy has moved from a phase of rapid growth to one of high-quality development. The increasingly widespread well-being concept and the desire for a better quality of life are strongly contributing to the expansion of consumption and the development of a new domestic market model. According to CSIL*, in 2021 not only did furniture production in China grow by 18% and domestic consumption by 12% compared to 2020, but furniture imports have also increased by 12%, for a total value of approximately 2 billion US dollars. The 33% increase in exports of high-end Italian furniture to China (source: ICE**), testifies to the extraordinary demand for top-quality products.
CIFF Guangzhou has given a concrete answer and undertaken with conviction the strategy of expanding domestic demand: in 2021, despite the almost total absence of foreign operators due to the restrictions caused by the pandemic, it recorded an increase of more than 20% in visitors compared to the 2019 pre-Covid edition.
The next 49th CIFF Guangzhou will be an occasion for many exhibitors to present new concepts and new trends in line with the new demands of the market. The vitality and strategic importance of CIFF is also demonstrated by the presence of 166 important Chinese brands that have not participated in the trade fair in the last five years.
2. Original design
From “world factory” to “world market”, from “made in China” to “created in China”. This is how China has recently evolved. Expectations and requests for good design are essential to support the evolution of consumption and the transformation of the industry and thus, with its new "Design Trend, Global Trade, Full Supply Chain, All in CIFF" positioning, 49th CIFF Guangzhou 2022 will put original design at the centre of attention, bringing vitality to the entire sector. In fact, an unprecedented number of design brands will be present, even surpassing the pre-pandemic peak period. In particular, the CIFF Contemporary Chinese Furniture Design Fair "Design Spring" will bring together more than 80 original design brands characterised by aesthetics, culture, design and art, as well as hundreds of designers, artists and curators.
3. The new trade fair development model
CIFF Guangzhou promotes a new trade fair development model to respond to the new needs and expectations of the entire furniture sector. It actively contributes to the development of “smart consumption”, organising events dedicated to the promotion of products for the “smart home”, “smart sleep”, “smart office” etc., and pays great attention to improving the quality of life, giving more and more importance to emerging sectors such as medical assistance, assistance for the elderly, school furniture etc.
CIFF Guangzhou gives a strong boost to the entire sector by creating new channels and commercial relationships, in particular by enhancing B2B meetings, both offline and online and e-commerce, and thus consolidating the competitive advantages even in international markets.
To actively contribute to the environmental policy of reducing carbon emissions, recycling raw materials and safeguarding resources, CIFF Guangzhou constantly seeks innovation in exhibition concepts, spurring the industry to undertake an increasingly ecological development.
4. The collaboration between trade fair and distribution
As of March 2018, China Foreign Trade Guangzhou Exhibition Co., Ltd., collaborates with Red Star Macalline, the leading furniture distributor in China. The collaboration between the most important exhibition structure and the most important commercial structure produces extraordinary advantages, promotes the coordinated development of companies, integrates and optimises resources, thus creating a complete promotional circuit for producers and retailers and above all offering a one-of-a-kind service to customers.
Photo: CIFF