The most important regional and European event within furniture design, manufacturing and distribution, woodworking industry and the related branches in the Southeast Europe – 56th International Fair of Furniture, Equipment and Interior Decoration and 56th International Fair of Woodworking Machines and Tools, has been festively opened today at Belgrade Fair.
Gathering more than 520 exhibitors and respected companies from 45 countries, the Fair puts in focus the premieres, innovations, superb design, high quality and functional furniture of all types and purposes, but also young designers representing the new creative and inducing force. The Fair remains persistent also in the new edition to the concept of creating the recognizable visual and market identity of Serbia and the region.
Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, Rasim Ljajić, highlighted, opening the event, the growth and advancement of Belgrade Furniture Fair in all sections, as well as the positive statistics of these perspective economic branches.
Ljajić said, in spite of the woodworking industry announced collapse, it showed flexibility and the potential to survive. The woodworking industry production had the nine percent growth, furniture sales grew for 14 percent at the local market and the export was increased last year for 16 percent and amounted to 418 million Euros. As estimated by Ljajić, this is not the full capacity of woodworking industry, which has more potentials and it may impact the growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the exports and employment.
As the largest problems of the woodworking industry, Ljajić mentioned high exports of the logs and lumber, i.e. the raw materials and the lack of the appropriate work power.
“The log export revenue last year was 94 million Euros and if it would be twice less and the final product sales increased, it would contribute to the export growth of 150 to 200 million Euros a year”, pointed out Ljajić. He added the log high export influenced the fact that the local furniture manufacturers import the raw materials at much higher prices.
The attendees at the festive opening were approached also by Dejana Cadillo, architect and designer, who spoke in the artistic way about the design importance for the time we live in.
For the First Time at the Fair
The Furniture Fair features this year the new international and regional exhibitors profiled in the artisan manufacturing with great devotion to details and quality, such as Arketipo, the Italian brand, fostering since 1982 its love for high quality materials and timeless design; the Austrian Team 7 with the tradition longer than half a century in the hardwood furniture production sold in more than 30 global countries; the German Bora, the expert for supreme symbiosis of technology and esthetics; German Punkt Moebel, famous for leather sets with sophisticated manufacturing, the Swedish Furninova, Turkish manufacturer Leta, the local studio Plus Minus, famous for manufacturing of the wooden complex furniture pieces with unique design and many others.
Return of Many Renowned Companies
The event quality, as well as the fact Belgrade Furniture Fair is the regional center within the furniture manufacturing and sales, is confirmed by the return of many renowned companies to the Fair. Thus, the visitors will have the opportunity to see the awarded products of the Italian Elica company; the wooden furniture of WOAK company from Switzerland and among the exhibitors are also the global famous Ton, with the chairs entered in the design history; Natuzzi, the synonym for comfort of the Italian style and many other companies.
The Local and Regional Design Scene Stars
Many exhibitors from the neighboring countries will provide the Fair visitors with the insight in the new and most popular trends within the furniture design in the region. Prostoria from Croatia will present its innovation oriented products, having collected the visitors’ all sympathies in the previous years, as well and the products of the perspective Gazzda company from Sarajevo may be seen again. From Skopje, the new brand Rinocca is featuring and the exhibitor will be also the Serbian/Slovenian Hard Stuff, based in Belgrade.
The local exhibitors’ product range, from Simpo, the company with a long tradition in the furniture manufacturing and sales, up to high quality new small companies from the whole Serbia, is characteristic for design quality and the approach originality. There are GIR from Kraljevo, the already mentioned Plus Minus studio from Jagodina, Extraform from Senta, Catra Home Fashion from Vranje, Atlas from Užice, Belgrade companies Flame Furniture, Dsignedby Studio, Hookl und Stool, Wood Mood Design…
In addition to many collections of the local and global exhibitors, during the Fair days, the visitors will be able to enjoy in special events devoted to design, already permanently present in the Fair agenda in the previous years and they will be held at the Hall 2C:
- Young Designers Exhibition gathers young and perspective authors, Faculties and schools, enlightening the rising stars who deserved by their work so far to present their new, creative ideas and products.
- Design Talks – discussions with designers and architects, which will be held on all six Fair days. This year, Design Talks will have very dynamic program and gather many prominent speakers from the whole Europe. The participants in the Design Talks will be also all jury members, young designers from the Young Designers Exhibition, the owners of the companies Prostoria, Extraform, WOAK, Dsignedby, Epson, Gir… This program is a unique opportunity for the interested audience to hear professional experiences of the attendees intensively participating in the furniture industry creation.
The most successful exhibitors will be granted the awards Golden Key and The Fair Key also this year. They will be decided by the jury, consisting of international and prominent experts.
In the next six days, the Fair will be the most important meeting point of all participants within the furniture, design and woodworking industry.
Furniture Fair working hours:
November 6 – 7: 10:00 – 19:00
November 8 – 11: 10:00 – 20:00
Woodworking Machine Fair working hours:
November 6 – 10: 10:00 – 19:00
Entry tickets:
Individual ticket price is RSD.350 and RSD.250 for group visits. Car parking: RSD.150 per one hour.
