Furniture fair seeks to help firms link up with new international buyers

VIETNAM, May 24 - HCM CITY — The second Vietnam ASEAN International Furniture & Home Accessories Fair to be held in HCM City from August 27 to 30 will provide a platform for Southeast Asian manufacturers to display their best products and connect with global buyers.

VIFA ASEAN 2024 is expected to attract more than 300 exhibitors from the region and other parts of the world with 1,000 booths.

It will showcase indoor and outdoor furniture, home decor, handicrafts, machinery, hardware, tools, and supporting services.

Speaking at a press conference held on May 23 to introduce the fair, Đặng Quốc Hùng, general director of the Alliance Handicraft Wooden Fine Art Corporation (Liên Minh Company), one of the organisers, said the event aims to gather leading Southeast Asian furniture suppliers and develop the city into an interior and exterior furniture trading hub.

Last year it attracted more than 9,430 visitors, including over 3,700 foreign visitors, and 76 per cent of exhibitors signed deals worth $84 million right at the fair, he said.

Trần Ngọc Liêm, director of the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s HCM City branch, said exports of timber and wooden products declined for the first time in 2023 after two decades of impressive growth.

But there have been positive signs this year, with exports in the first four months rising by 25 per cent year-on-year to US$4.89 billion, he said.

While optimistic about a recovery, he also cautioned about challenges due to prolonged geopolitical conflicts, rising logistic costs and shipping times due to the Red Sea tensions and stringent requirements in terms of origin, environmental and social responsibility in import markets.

He said businesses should adopt flexible strategies, make an effort to capitalise on the recovery in demand and free trade agreements the country has signed to boost exports, and diversify export markets.

He said exhibitions are effective promotion channels for businesses to showcase their products, link up with potential partners and keep abreast of market trends and innovations.

In addition to international buyers, VIFA ASEAN 2024 is also an event that would attract thousands of Vietnamese furniture buyers, he said.

Huỳnh Thị Phương Vi, Deputy General Director of Hiệp Long Fine Furniture Company, said her company has got many new customers through VIFA Expo and VIFA ASEAN.

It would join the fair this year too, and hopes to find more new customers, she said.

Its exports have increased significantly this year thanks to new orders and are expected to remain very positive, she added.

Jointly organised by the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Liên Minh Company, the HCM City Union of Business Associations and Việt Nam Association for Building Materials, the fair will be held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre. — VNS