AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR

The 2010 Australian International Furniture Fair is an Unprecedented Success

Once again, despite a challenging retail environment The Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF) continued to deliver measurable results to the vast majority of exhibitors at this year's Fair.

Certainly the growth in visitor numbers of 4.5% from last year is a big plus along with the increase in the range on products on show. The show was definitely the "best" to date as far as overall quality of displays. Other important statistics to note are:

• 83% of visitors claimed to have direct authority to purchase or influence the decision to purchase
• 72% of visitors discovered new products and suppliers
• 66% of visitors expected to purchase products from exhibitors after the show

The show therefore provides both manufacturers and suppliers with direct access to furniture/furnishings buyers. Also of interest was the positive response from most of the exhibitors in Hotel & Hospitality which is an obvious growth area in the show. This sector saw a 2% growth in visitors.

The, AIFF and Decoration+Design 2010 continues to deliver positive results for the vast majority of exhibitors. The growth in the number of exhibitors in Decoration+Design reflects a trend for both manufacturers and suppliers to find new markets outside of the traditional furniture retail market. This trend will continue with the ongoing rationalisation of the furniture retail market. Shows like AIFF and Decoration+Design provide immediate market access to thousands of furniture/furnishings buyers for new suppliers as well as opening up new industry sectors to long stand companies providing a useful risk management strategy.

The Edge

Divided into Student, Concept, and Commercial categories, The Edge featured designs

from forty talented designers. Three Awards for Excellence in Design were presented.

Entries were judged by a panel including Sally Carson, State Sales Manager of Space

Furniture; Arne Christiansen, Director of Woodmark, Sally Dominguez, Designer and Inventor

of the Water Hog and Stephanie Powell, Senior Stylist of Home Beautiful Magazine. Products

were assessed on innovation, material choice, considering application, origin, durability

and life cycle, quality of standard abd finish, commercial viability and originality or wow

factor.