Top Furniture Exporters Band Together to Motivate Sales Abroad

The Thai Furniture Industries Association (TFA) has rallied Thailand’s top-class furniture manufacturers and exporters such as Index Interfurn Co., Ltd., Deesawat Industries Co., Ltd., and Eastcoast Design Co., Ltd. to come together in the grand exhibition that would promote Thailand’s export design furniture and contract furnishing services to real estate and land development purchasers as well as importers from markets with high growth capacity such as Middle East, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia, in “International Furniture and Design Objects 2006 (IFD 2006)”. The exhibition will be organized at hall 1-2 of IMPACT, Muang Thong Thani during 18-22 October 2006.

Mr.Jirawat Tangkijngamwong, TFA’s secretary general has disclosed that exports of furniture and accessories since the beginning of 2006 has expanded only by 1.26%, a meager figure in comparison to a 10% growth as originally projected due to a number of complications such as the rise in pararubber wood’s prices, fierce competition from Vietnam and China, the strengthening value of Thai currency, rising oil prices and many more that limit Thailand’s furniture export industries.

In order to overcome these complications, TFA suggests that each producer need to come up with creative marketing strategies or re-invent their products and brand images. For example, introducing furniture made from alternative imported raw materials beside pararubber wood in order to spearhead new markets. At the same time, the reinvention of brand image to create niche markets as well as the exploration of new outlets with growing land development projects such as the Middle East, Russia and India will greatly drive Thailand’s furniture export towards the desired figure. The association expresses firm belief in trade exhibition as one of the significant strategies to achieve that goal.

IFD 2006 will be a central showcase of Thailand’s leading furniture exporters under the concept of “Spirit of Design” to importers and purchasers of furniture and contract furnishing services for real estate and land development projects such as hotel, resort & spa, and restaurant. Apparently, furniture from Thailand has already been featured in several world-renown chains such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Swensen’s and many others.

Mr.Jirawat added that TFA has been undertaking many active campaigns to promote IFD 2006. The event is expected to attract 40,000 visitors who are potential buyers from Thailand and abroad, and is estimated to generate no less than 200 million baht of onsite purchase.

For more information, please contact
Ms.Channipar Valaphon
0-2686-7251
0-9222-7173