|  A Success – Singapore’s International Furniture Fair 2011Tuesday, 29 March 2011 The 2011 International Furniture Fair (IFF) in Singapore took everyone by surprise in terms of the number of visitors that attended and more importantly the number of sales and sales leads it generated for the exhibitors. It was a ‘boom’ turnout with just under twenty-one thousand visitors and a ‘boom’ sales and order book total in the region of $3 billion. The increases in sales and orders for modern furniture can be seen as a result of the surge in economic growth in Asia. The IFF has for some time been considered Asia’s most lucrative stage for the modern furniture and furnishings industries and 2011 did not disappoint; from the designers to the producers of high-quality furniture and furnishings the exhibitions halls were filled with awe inspiring pieces. The success it must be said goes to the organisers that had set the stage to host the premiere event by creating pavilions for exhibiting countries – it worked exceptionally well as a high percentage of exhibitors were from the wider international markets. The world’s best from the contemporary furniture industry together with some global brands flocked to exhibit at the fair. The IFF’s ability to create an ‘all under one roof’ global marketplace was a success. The general comments about the IFF all appear to be extremely positive; that it was a complete triumph; a showcase of inspired, fresh ideas and a visual spectacle. This is a great accolade for all those involved in the exhibitions. It was pleasing to see that the great furniture designers from Italy, Spain and other European countries that inspire our collections so much in terms of their modern and chic ranges of bedroom, lounge and dining furniture also exhibited pieces to the wider global market. It is with anticipation that we await the availability of IFF’s finest pieces and the creations from the up and coming designers. The general response from the IFF 2011 is that the furniture industry continues to flourish. Flourishing more so in the new growth markets of Asia and more importantly, this is helping to inspire new designers and producers to utilise platforms such as the IFF to reach the global marketplace – and that basically means us. It is exciting times in the modern furniture world and a busy time to source furniture excellence to complement modern living, and it appears that the IFF exhibitors demonstrated furniture excellence.
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