Guangzhou, China 28.-31. 03. 2024

#interzum guangzhou

CIFM / interzum guangzhou 2013 concludes 10 solid years with resounding success, reaffirms top industry event position in Asia

Asia’s largest and most comprehensive trade fair at woodworking machinery, furniture production and interior design industry, the CIFM / interzum guangzhou, closed recently in its namesake city. The event celebrated its tenth anniversary in the China business with unprecedented figures recorded for exhibitors, area occupied and visitors, cementing its status in the region. Imported from Germany, the 130,000-square meter show hosted some 1,095 manufacturers. The co-location with the China International Furniture Fair – Office Show segment drew a combined visitorship of 60,975 over the four days.

Booth spaces at the international halls of interzum guangzhou were reportedly booked out four months in the lead up to the show by 251 exhibitors hailing from 28 countries and regions to feature a cascade of products from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, the United States and Vietnam.

In addition, this year’s show saw stronger group participation with eight pavilions, mirroring increasing overseas interest in the China and Asia market. Joining the ranks of group exhibitors from Chile, Germany, Italy, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, the U.S./Canada and the American Hardwood Export Council was the Malaysian Timber Council which made their first appearance at interzum guangzhou.

Visitors were from the do-it-yourself (DIY) and the build-it-yourself (BIY), furniture production, wholesale and retail, interior design as well as the wood and plastic processing and trading sectors. 89 percent of them rated the show as “good” or “excellent”.

The high quality of the attendees was one of the main talking points among exhibitors.

“interzum guangzhou is a must-attend show for the industry worldwide, especially for expanding the China market. Within these two days, we’ve met a lot of high quality visitors. interzum guangzhou is a good platform for showcasing our products, and this is also one of the reasons that we choose to exhibit here. We’re very satisfied with the exhibition this year,” said Sui Guo Sheng, Overseas Manager, KJ Specialty Paper from Japan.

Hans J. Ferchland, Managing Director, IMA (DongGuan), also gave his seal of approval to the show: “interzum guangzhou is the biggest, most important and must-attend show in the China furniture industry. 30 percent of our existing customers are in South China [and] interzum guangzhou is the only show we participate in China and the one all our potential customers are visiting.”

While most of the showcased manufacturers target the China and Asia market, some regard interzum guangzhou as a base to reach an international audience or tap into a more diverse market.

“We are looking for new customers from China, India, the Middle East, Japan, Korea, Australia, and even the rest of the world. We feel that interzum guangzhou is the largest and the most prestigious show for us to attend in Asia. It has a wide spectrum of customers and suppliers from across the world as well as in Asia, so it’s very important for us to be a part of it. We have already lined up discussions with several new customers whom we could not have reached in any other way as effectively as we could at the show,” said John C. Ideker, General Manager/CIC Asia Director, Gentherm, a second-time exhibitor.

JC Wang, executive vice president and the spokesman for King Slide Works said: “interzum guangzhou has a great appeal with a wider range of visitors than that of other fairs, so it’s the best trading platform for us. We would require a bigger booth for next year.”

A clear consensus gleaned from the event is the undisputable influence and importance of interzum guangzhou within the industry.

On the turnout of the event and loyalty of veteran exhibitors, Michael Dreyer, Vice President Asia-Pacific of co-organizer Koelnmesse was quoted as saying: “Judging from show response, the persistence of all exhibitors has paid off. Having been through ten years of development and challenges, interzum guangzhou has not only emerged as the leading industry event but also an event of choice for trade buyers. Its quality and coverage is also unanimously recognized. It is gratifying to see that most of our exhibitors have reviewed positively and have decided to participate again next year.”

Besides refining product offerings, participants also welcomed the engaging supporting activities and enhanced services at the PIAZZA (International Hall visitor lounge).

Two key forums took place on March 28 and 29, revolving around original technology and products, and the trending furniture raw materials and designs respectively.

Some of the notable speakers who shared their expertise included industry experts from trade associations as well as senior executives and experienced technicians from furniture production and raw material enterprises, such as Andrea Barban, Asia Area Manager of Alpi from Italy; Dale Robertson, Director of Integrated Furniture Technologies; Matthias Haasler, Business Director and Dr Uwe Kraemer, Technical Director, both from the Furniture Components division of Germany’s Rehau; Ursula Geismann, General Manager of the Confederation of the German Woodworking and Furniture Industries and Nicolas Serrano, Director of ProChile.

Equipped with a mini wine bar for the first time and a meeting area with free internet service, the PIAZZA received raved reviews and served its purpose well to tired visitors.

The annual interzum guangzhou will continue to run next year at the Pazhou Complex with show dates to be confirmed by organizers.

To learn more about interzum guangzhou, please visit www.interzum-guangzhou.com

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About Koelnmesse

As a world-renowned trade fair organizer, Koelnmesse has an excellent track record for organizing some of the world’s most successful trade events, such as the accomplished interzum, imm and International Hardware Fair in Cologne, Germany. With over 80 years’ experience in organizing large-scale commercial events connecting buyers and sellers, Koelnmesse brings forth an unrivaled skill-set and expertise needed to develop CIFM / interzum guangzhou into the premier international furniture production trade show in Asia.

www.koelnmesse.com

About China Foreign Trade Centre (Group)

China Foreign Trade Centre (Group) is a highly qualified and experienced exhibition company. For more than 50 years, it has organized the China Import and Export Fair, the largest trade fair in China. China Foreign Trade Centre (Group) is also the organizer of CIFF (China International Furniture Fair (Guangzhou)), Asia’s biggest furniture trade fair.