News

The Poznan International Exhibition Centre proves to be the ideal location for FurniFab
Next edition will take place from 14th to 16th March 2006

The FurniFab Furniture Fabric Show Poznan is a main suppliers’ show for Europe’s seating and upholstery industry. After the first two events had been held in Komorniki on the edge of the city, this year’s show was held for the first time at the Poznań International Exhibition Centre. The showground in the centre of Poznan provides the best conditions and logistical facilities for both exhibitors and visitors, who can take advantage of the excellent communication network. Peter H. Meyer, head of the organising company, SURVEY, speaking after the close of the show, was eager to stress the impressive cooperation received from the Poznań Show management – a good indicator for exhibitions in future years. As a result, FurniFab will be held again in Hall 6A at the International Exhibition Centre.

From 14th to 16th March 2006.

Central to FurniFab is its wide selection of products. Exhibitors showed a great variety of lines particularly suited to the demands of the seating and upholstery markets in Poland and Eastern Europe. The largest single types of product at the show were covers and fabrics of all sorts, e.g. prints, synthetic leathers, and microfibres. Cushions and fillings were also strongly represented, as were trimmings. The visitor advertising had placed strong emphasis on the decision makers in the buying process – purchasing managers, designers, and product managers. – and these were certainly in evidence, allowing good business to be done on the spot. Over 1200 trade visitors (compared with 800 in 2004) attended, coming not just from Poland, but also Germany, the Baltic States, the Ukraine and Russia, and taking the opportunity to realise good business while “in the neighbourhood”.

Inevitably, the majority of visitors came from Poland, but almost 15% came from other EU countries, 4% from other European countries and some even from Asia and America. Of all foreign visitors, most came from Germany (15%), followed by Lithuania (12%) and Belgium (10%). Italy and Spain were close behind at 8-9% each, figures only slightly higher than the number of visitors from Russia. The Ukraine, Czech Republic, Holland, and France each took a further
5% approximately.

The quality of the trade visitors was particularly impressive, with around 41% coming from top management. A further 17% came from Sales, and 14% from Product Management and Marketing. Purchasing personnel accounted for 12% of the total and the majority of the remainder came from either design or technical management areas. Almost one third of visitors came distinctly from the upholstery industry, while about 15% represented the living room, bedroom and children’s room sectors, 10% were manufacturers of upholstered chairs (e.g. dining chairs) while the fabric trade accounted for the largest single group within the remainder and the fields of interior design and office furniture manufacture bringing up the rear.

Overall, exhibitors, visitors, and the organisers expressed their satisfaction with FurniFab 2005 in Poznan and look forward to the next show in March 2006. The Polish Furnifab is not the only suppliers’ show for the upholstery industry from SURVEY in 2005. Another FurniFab Furniture Fabric Show will be held alongside ZOW in Madrid from 7th to 10th June.


For further information, please contact:

Ms. Karin Dullweber, PH MEYER Wirtschaftsberatung GmbH & Co. KG, Mittelstraße 50, 33602 Bielefeld (Germany), Fon +49 (0) 5 21 / 9 65 33-16, Fax +49 (0) 5 21 / 9 65 33-77,
E-Mail: kd@phmeyer.de

This text is also available to download from the Internet. Go to www.phmeyer.de, click on Presse-Service and use the code ffpe0505. See also Website www.furnifab.pl.