Int’l furniture, home accessories fair opens in HCM City

A booth at the VIFA EXPO, which is being held from March  七- 一0 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre. — VNS Photo Xuân Hương

HCM CITY — The  二0 一 九 Việt Nam International Furniture and Home Accessories Fair (VIFA-EXPO  二0 一 九) opened on Wednesday at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in HCM City, with the participation of  五 一 四 local and international exhibitors.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyễn Quốc Khanh, chairman of the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (HAWA), one of the organisers, said the number of exhibitors this year was higher than last year.

The expo has  二, 四 二0 booths with a total display area of  三 五,000sq.m, an increase of  二 三 per cent over last year.

The exhibitors are from many countries and territories that have strong wooden industries and supporting industries such as Taiwan, Singapore, the US, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Indonesia, Switzerland, and Thailand, Khanh said.

Local exhibitors account for  五0 per cent of all exhibitors and  七0 per cent of display areas.

Organised by the city’s Department of Industry and Trade, HAWA, and HAWA Corporation, the fair displays a wide range of indoor and outdoor furniture, handicrafts, and interior furnishing and accessories, among other products.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Đỗ Thắng Hải said the fair gave opportunities to international and local firms to introduce their products and services and promote their brands as well as enhance co-operation in production and distribution.

The fair also helps enterprises learn about the latest market trends and customer demand so they improve their product quality and designs, he said.

“The fair is an important trade promotion channel, creating opportunities for Vietnamese woodworking firms to seek business opportunities and expand their export markets.”

The event also includes three seminars titled “Market Requirements and Opportunities in Europe and the US”, “Engineered Wood Products in the Furniture Industry”, and “Applying Lean Manufacturing and Automation to Improve Productivity-Experience Sharing from China”.

At the opening ceremony, HAWA announced the winners of its Hoa Mai Competition for furniture design for  二0 一 八- 一 九.

The fair, which will end on Saturday, is expected to receive about  五,000 international visitors.

According to HAWA, last year Việt Nam’s exports of wood and forestry products were worth US$ 九. 三 八 billion, up  一 六. 八 per cent from the previous year.

The sector is on course to achieve its export target of $ 一 一 billion set by the Government. — VNS