"Ciff-Office Show 2013", a resounding success

Whereas in some areas of the world the office furniture market is so jaded and slow that it seems to be at a standstill, the situation is rapidly evolving in China: these are times in which you can breath the electrified air of wellbeing and the awareness that a market undergoing strong growth generates valid business opportunities.

China is currently the world’s largest manufacturer of office furniture. The period between 2004 and 2012 saw a growth in production of 16 percent and it has been the largest exporter in the world since 2004: in 2012 Chinese products were delivered to more than 200 countries creating an overall turnover of 3.2 billion dollars (source Csil – Centre for Industrial Studies).

Ciff-Office Show, the largest exhibition event in the world dedicated to the office and service industry furnishings sector, reflects the progress of the Chinese market and records increased growth every year. 61,000 qualified operators visited the last edition, held on 27th to 30th March, an increase of 2.12 percent compared to the previous edition.

Ciff-Office Show 2013, the only exhibition in Asia specialised in complete solutions for the supply and interior design of work spaces, hotels and public spaces, has aroused great interest on an international level. 12,225 foreign visitors from the main international markets (an increase of more than 7 percent compared to the 2012 edition) were given the opportunity to appraise both Guangzhou as a concrete business platform and the growing level of quality of the products offered by over 900 exhibitors on stands covering 210,000 m² of exhibition space.

The products displayed in the exhibition focused on types of products influenced by international trends in the industry: meaning increasingly greater attention paid to eco-sustainability, the quality of work spaces, job sharing and sharing the relative work spaces; products that are ergonomically designed, flexible and can be joined together to create various configurations; use of colour and great attention to detail and the combination of various materials to offer greater wellbeing and increased productivity.

One of the events held during the exhibition that generated considerable interest was the 2nd Global Office Furniture Outlook, a forum organised by Ciff-Office Show and Edimotion, during which journalists of international acclaim and communication and marketing experts from Asia, Australia, Europe and America discussed and analysed the strategies and tools needed to build a brand and achieve success in each of the main world office furniture markets. Contributions from participants and the final round table brought to light how cultural aspects, economic situations and the way markets operate require different approaches and above all that a thorough knowledge of every single target market was essential.