2020/09/29 15:55:50
UK Furniture Shows: Top 10 Must-Visit Fairs & Exhibitions
The United Kingdom plays host to several furniture shows that bring together thousands of furniture enthusiasts, manufacturers, and distributors worldwide. Planning a furniture fair is not an easy task, the logistics that go into planning even the smallest one calls for steely nerves. This massive meeting of all these people creates the perfect place for people to network, meet and greet, and most importantly, get a sneak peek at the next phase of home and office furniture. The following are the 10 top furniture fairs and exhibitions in the UK that you must visit at least once in your lifetime if you are into furniture.
AIS Furniture Show
Date: January 20th - January 22nd
Venue: Cranmore Park Exhibition Center
The AIS Furniture Show is one of the furniture fairs that usually begins the year for many furniture connoisseurs worldwide. What makes this event unique is that it is mainly organized by the buyers, making it the perfect place to be if you are an independent furniture maker, retailer, or distributor. It is held in a superb location that is served by easy to access public transportation and is close to various accommodation options.
Irish Furniture and Homewares Show
Date: August - September
Venue: Punchestown Racecourse
The Irish Furniture and Homewares Show was created in 2014, and in the short six years that it has been operational, it has grown from being the first fair of its kind in Ireland to one that attracts people from other countries. On average, it can attract over 700 businesses drawn mostly from the United Kingdom who come to mingle with visitors who flock the fair in numbers every year. A far cry from only 24 business exhibitors in its maiden event in 2014.
To further cement its popularity, the Irish Furniture and Homewares Show also hosts awards for its exhibitors, a move that has seen the entrant numbers double up over the years.
January Furniture Show
Source:Date: January 24th - January 27th
Venue: National Exhibition Center, Birmingham
The January Furniture Show is one of Birmingham's annual attractions that pulls thousands of people who share an interest in furniture from across the world. The event has grown to feature 50,000 products that are showcased every day over three busy days full of interactions among sellers, buyers, manufacturers, and potential investors.
Some of the top exhibitors are names well known in the furniture scene across the United Kingdom. Established names like Ashley Manor, McGowan and Rutherford, Millbrook Beds, SHH Interiors, Global Home, and so many others frequent this event every year. The January Furniture Show is divided into various sectors that make it easy for people to locate what they want without going around in circles.
Birmingham Design Festival
Date: 22nd June
Venue: Varied Locations Across Birmingham City
Interior design has a lot to do with how the furniture is arranged around the house and inside the office. For this reason, the city of Birmingham plays host to yet another big fair called the Birmingham Design Festival. Funded in 2017 by Daniel Alcorn and Luke Tungo, two Brum based designers, the event features interior designers of all kinds from all over the world driven by the relentless hunger to continually come up with new home furniture designs.
If you are into architecture you are bound to meet a lot of like-minded people in this event as well as the most prominent names that are responsible for some of the best house designs on the planet. Some of the event’s sponsors include Birmingham City University, BBC Hotels, Awesome Merch among a host of many others.
Top Drawer London
Date: September 13 - September 15
Venue: Olympia London
Top Drawer London is one of the most varied international fairs that has been in existence for about 30 years. Held in London every year, the show features furniture and involves other sectors like art, fashion trends, gifting trends, outdoor and leisure, and a host of many others. The event is so big that it sees an annual attendance of over 21,000 businesses and the showcasing of products from over 1,500 brands. The show is split into 11 sectors spread across the 26,000 square meters complex, making it easy for people to locate the exhibition stalls they need.
Top Drawer London also runs a very popular social media presence that helps it keep in touch with people on top of advertising the event wide and far to increase attendance. This is why it sees visitors and exhibitors from over 100 countries every year and that number is still rising.
KBB Birmingham
Source: https://www.kbb.co.uk/
Date: March 6 - March 9
Venue: NEC Birmingham
This 3-day event is usually held in the first quarter of the year at the NEC Birmingham complex, which is famous for hosting many other big trade shows. KBB Birmingham is the world’s largest gathering of kitchen and bathroom brands from around the globe, and with them, the participants carry a lot of furniture goodies for the enthusiasts who flock the show every year like clockwork.
The event plays host to over 400 exhibitors who reset up into various exhibition sections on the sprawling complex every year. The one area that KBB Birmingham shows excels pretty well in is how they make it easy for visitors to book accommodation to avoid inconveniences on the day that it starts.
If you are looking to revamp your kitchen and bathroom with the right furniture and accessories, this is the one show you cannot afford to miss.
London Design Junction
Date: September 24th - September 27th
Venue: King Cross Design District, London
The London Design Junction is all about combining art and furniture to turn living spaces into an artistic area. If you are into the artistic side of interior design then this is the perfect show for you as you will get the chance to encounter very talented people from across the globe. Some of the exhibitors from previous events include big names like ACTIU, Anglepoise and Article White. Over the course of 3 days, the event attracts people from all over the United Kingdom with some visitors from overseas.
The London Design Junction sees over 200 exhibitors every year and has won numerous awards for its role in advance home decor and the furniture industries.
Decorex International
Source:
Date: November 17 - November 19
Venue: Virtual Event
Decorex International has been a mainstay of furniture trade shows and fairs for the past 42 years, and this year's edition will be something that has never been seen before. The event is going virtual this November, probably due to the constraints of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Decorex International event features slots for interior designers, architects, property developers, furniture makers and retailers, distributors, and suppliers, among other people.
Hundreds of exhibitors drawn from all corners of the globe will be attending this year's event from their comfort areas, but it promises to be as lively as the previous events from the past.
Visitors can confirm their attendance by registering their interest in the vent. There is an online portal for exhibitors to register in advance to book a slot and an exhibition stall.
Surface Design Show
Date: February 9 - February 11
Venue: Business Design Center, London
The Surface Design Show is a mixed bag; it goes beyond the showcasing of furniture pieces worldwide. It also has a heavy focus on the interior and exteriors of houses and buildings in general. It is like an educational show for anyone interested in architecture and interior design. Attending the event will allow you to meet over 160 companies that use the two days to introduce their unique products to a curious audience. You will also get access to over 50 experienced speakers drawn from diverse sectors of the industry.
The event also features an award section that gives up-and-coming designers, furniture markets, and architects the opportunity to showcase their talents to the world. Surface Design Show collaborates with various media partners like Archello, ColourHive, among others, and has sponsors like Design Guild Mark, OboLife, among many others.
Architect At Work London
Date: January 29th - January 30th
Venue: Varies
Architect at Work is a trade fair that is held in London over two days. It has been around for eight years now and attracts an impressive lineup of over 2000 architects every year and almost 100 leading architectural suppliers in the United Kingdom. Unlike most furniture trade fairs and other shows, this event is not simply open to anyone interested to showcase their products and services. A rigorous vetting process is undertaken to ensure that only the very best get the chance to have an exhibition slot.
Every year, to keep things more lively, Architect at Work adds new events and categories to their itinerary to make it more accessible to more exhibitors as visitors’ demands keep increasing every year. The event partners up with various media companies and a long list of event sponsors who have ensured that the event is still growing in leaps and bounds over the years.
CIFF
Source:
Date: March 18th - March 30th
Venue: China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex
There are other furniture fairs outside of the United Kingdom that deserves a notable mention. One such show is the CIFF, without doubt, the most significant furniture show in the whole of China, if not the Asian continent. The CIFF has been held religiously every year for 47 years now, and it shows no signs of ever stopping that tradition. It is like an all-inclusive furniture market where you can find anything you want.
Every year companies and small furniture businesses fly into China for this event that attracts thousands of both local and international furniture enthusiasts. Among the many reasons you should make plans to attend this fair is to get to see a comprehensive array of products that cannot be found in any other place on earth. You will also get to attend educational seminars that could improve your business back home if you are a distributor or a furniture manufacturer.
Conclusion
Furniture shows are the blood and sweat of the furniture world and every year several top furniture fairs are held all around the globe. They are the best places for launching new products, and in most cases, they are the perfect opportunities for small businesses to get the funding they may be lacking. Therefore, if you are in the furniture industry in whatever capacity, it is time you started attending these shows to boost your business. If you are from outside China, do not fret, there are countless ways you can import the furniture you want straight to your location.
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