Despite all the requirements on getting a visa to China and the soaring airfares, Furniture China attracted 13,600 overseas visitors from 150 countries. Among them, 43% were from Asia (including the Middle East), 27% from Europe, 12% from Australia and the Oceanic, 11% from North America, 5% from Central and South America, 2% from other parts of the world. New buyers groups are from Brazil and Mexico, confirming the growing importance of the fair to the Central and South American market.The top ten visitor origins are Australia, Japan, the USA, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, the UK, India, Canada and Italy.

Organised by Shanghai CMP Sinoexpo, CMP Asia's JV company in China, and the China National Furniture Association, Furniture China spanned over 330,000 sqm at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Concurrent events include Furniture Manufacturing & Supply China, Office Furniture China, Furnishings, Fabrics & Lightings China, and Kitchen & Cabinet China.

Visitors were overwhelmed with the fair and the products on display. "The organisation of the fair is terrific. We have already placed some orders.This is an unforgettable visit," said Heinz Dieter Hofmann from Germany. "This is the third time that I have visited the fair.The fair is very good and I found new suppliers here," said Gramn Elliot from Australia.

Exhibitors were happy with the results at the fair. "We are very pleased with the fair and met many buyers from Europe, Australia and Korea, said representative from Contempo Furniture, Italy. Sharing the same view is Zhejiang KuKa Technics Sofa Manufacture Co., Ltd, China: "Furniture China is positioned as an international exhibition and you can see that there are many more overseas customers here than in the other exhibitions." Handson Furniture (Asia) Ltd, Germany reflected: "The scale of the fair is big and the fair is well managed. We already got customers who will come back tomorrow and we will be concluding the orders. Most of the visitors and buyers at the fair match our mid to high-end target markets." "The Fair provides a very good communication platform for us to meet with our big customers. This is a very attractive event," responded Haining Iris Furniture Co., Ltd, China. "This year, we focus on both domestic and overseas markets, the response from customers is good and we are happy with the result at the fair and it even surpasses the previous years," remarked Ningbo Art Furniture Co., Ltd.

Indicative bookings at the fair for the event next year were 122,684 sqm net, slightly up from last year. Of these bookings, 16,221 sqm came from 136 new applications. Not all these applications will get space assigned because Furniture China has a waiting list for many years due to constraint in space at the SNIEC. In 2009, Furniture China will be held from September 9-12 at SNIEC.

- End -

Downloadable format of the press release is available at CMP Asia's website at http://www.cmpasia.com

For press enquiries, please contact:
Jennifer Law, Director of Communications, CMP Asia
Tel: +852 2516 1691
Fax: +852 2511 0615
Email: jenniferlaw@cmpasia.com

Note to Editors:

About CMP Asia (http://www.cmpasia.com)
CMP Asia is the leading organiser of exhibitions in Asia, with associated print and online media. Owned by United Business Media Limited which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, CMP Asia organises 110 trade fairs and provides high-quality business information through its 22 publications and associated websites. With its headquarters in Hong Kong, CMP Asia has over 600 staff in 14 major cities in Asia and the USA. 

Some of CMP Asia's major trade shows:

September Hong Kong Jewellery & Watch Fair, Asia's largest jewellery fair and one of the top three events of its kind in the world
Furniture China, the largest international furniture exhibition in Asia
Cosmoprof Asia, the largest and most prestigious international beauty and health trade event in Asia Pacific
APLF – Materials, Manufacturing & Technology, the most international exhibition serving the global leather industry
Fashion Access, Asia's largest trade fair for handbags, travelware, footwear, leather garments and fashion accessories
Tokyo Health Industry Show, Japan's leading show for the health products industry
Marintec China, the largest and most important international maritime event in Asia
Hotelex Shanghai, Asia's largest trade fair for the hospitality industry
Intermach, the biggest and longest-running state-of-the-art machinery exhibition in Thailand
Asia's Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair – June, the most professional and international fair of its kind in Asia
Asian Paper, Asia's biggest show and conference for the pulp, paper and board business
ExpoBuild China, the biggest group of events serving China's construction, building materials and interior fittings industries
Tissue World, the premier exhibition and conference for the international tissue industry

About Shanghai CMP Sinoexpo (http://www.cmpsinoexpo.com)
Shanghai CMP Sinoexpo is CMP Asia's joint-venture company based in Shanghai. It stages over 30 international trade fairs in China every year, including some of the largest exhibitions of their kind in the country. As one of China's leading independent trade fair organisers, it combines CMP's global strength and experience with Sinoexpo's local network and expertise, and its close relationship with industry organisations.

About United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com)
United Business Media is a leading global business media company. It informs markets and brings the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print, and with the information they need to do business successfully. It focuses on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Its 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

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