MIFF EYES MORE INTERNATIONAL SALES NEXT YEAR - FOUNDER

BUTTERWORTH, Aug 23 -- The Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) is eyeing more international sales, particularly from North America and Europe next year, its founder and chairman Datuk Dr Tan Chin Huat said.

According to him, the interest shown by potential buyers from these two continents towards the annual event had been encouraging over the past two years, which partly contributed to a nine per cent increase in international buyers and 7.5 per cent rise in the overall buying orders.

“Significantly, buyers from North America was up by 53 per cent (during MIFF last year),” he told reporters after a networking dinner here last night, which was also attended by Penang Furniture and Timber Industry Association president Hendry Kong Wooi Keat.

This year’s MIFF 2019 he said, held at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) and Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in March has recorded 20,000 visitors from 130 countries and chalked up record sales of USD1.01 billion (RM4.22 billion).

“In order to attract more future buyers in the future, our furniture manufacturers will have to work harder, so that we could offer more new and variety of products,” he said, adding that MIFF 2020 would also be held at PWTC and MITEC  between March 6 and 9 next year.

It is the biggest furniture show in the South East Asian region.

Tan said the exhibitors at MIFF would have the advantage of being the first to showcase their new products and latest collections to international buyers coming to the region to procure new stocks.

-- BERNAMA