SMX hosts international exhibition

6-Nov-09, 09:52

6,000 visitors attend four-day event at Manila's newest venue

Event Manila Now Venue SMX Convention Centre
Company Chamber of Furniture Industries Philippines
Attendees 6,000
Date March 5-8

THE BRIEF
The annual four-day exhibition is the biggest furniture show in the Philippines. The aim of the show is to produce more global stars like Kenneth Cobonpue, whose designs feature in international magazines and whose clients include Hollywood celebrities.

CHALLENGES
For the past 14 years, Manila Now has been an export-oriented exhibition. However, due to the global economic slowdown, attracting foreign buyers to the show has become a primary challenge.

The show’s regular clientele had little money to spare for furniture and furnishings, with construction temporarily at a halt in many first-world nations. This resulted to a dramatic 30 per cent drop in the attendance of foreign buyers, producing only US$2.6 million booked sales from 370 foreign companies.

EXECUTION
Due to the current economic climate, the trade show’s organiser had difficulty filling the exhibition space this year. CFIP had to resort to subsidising exhibition space to certain manufacturers and designers for their displays. “We selected different companies that really had something to contribute to the total look of the show,” says Eduardo Zuluaga, chairman of Manila Now.

As a post-event marketing move, the PIFS White Album, an annual 52-page magazine featuring the best designs, designer profiles, manufacturers’ advertisements and other details, will be mailed to all buyers.

“Those who did not make it to this year’s show will get a glimpse of what they missed,” Zuluaga says.

The Chamber is already setting its sights on next year’s show, in the hope of regaining the international clientele that they lost due to the global crisis.

COMMENT
Although sales figures were definitely lower than that of 2008 for the export industry, Zuluaga says: “Manila Now 2009 has proven to be a better show in terms of participation, designs and the quality of exhibitors.”

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