INDEX TRADEFAIRS 2006 REPORT
Index means business!... and Universal Expositions Ltd. the organizers of Index Fairs have proved that once again this year by providing the ideal business platform for 178 participants from all parts of the world. Spread over an area of 32,000 square meters, and with a tremendous response from over to 22,000 visitors the fair was, by far the best business forum for the industry.
Index Fairs 2006 was formally inaugurated by Marco Montagna, President of Confindustria Pesaro Urbino and Amerigo Varotti, President of ASPN 2000, Pesaro Urbina, Italy on the 13th of September. This year Index tradefairs set a new precedent by inviting eminent architects on each day of the fair, as the special guest for that day. We are proud to say that Ar. Premnath,Ar. Hafeez Contractor, Ar. Zahir Cassum and Ar. Shakti Parmar visited the fairs as the “Guests of Honor” on the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th September, respectively.
INDEX FAIRS are known to bring together the trade and industry segments as well as the all important specifiers from all parts of the countryin very significant numbers.As with the previous years, all attempts were made to ensure that the fair provided the best conditions for the participants to make a successful presentation, by providing the right ambience and creating an ideal framework for carrying out important business dealings.
This year, Index Tradefairs includedsix specialized fairs.
Index Furniture Fair - on finished furniture,
Index Office - incorporating office furniture and accessories,
Index Kitchen and Bath- displaying latest modular kitchens and bath accessories,
Index light - exhibiting lighting, switches and accessories,
INDEX INTER-FURN, an international tradefair on furniture hardware and intermediates.
Index W+M –(Wood + Machine) Showcasing woodworking machinery, tools and materials.
The Index furniture fair with 81 participants and encompassing an area of 13,000 square meters had the best of home furniture and interior products from around the globe.
The special feature of Index Furniture Fair was the participation of over 40 of the top brands from Italy, which included 30 companies under the banner of FEDERLEGNO ARREDO the Italian Association of wood, cork, furniture and furnishing manufacturers(representing the furniture industry in Italy) and their initiative for the Indian market ie; Consorzio Nuovi Mercati (CNM) under the aegis of the Italian Trade Commission (ICE), the Government agency which promotes, facilitates and develops trade between Italy and the rest of the world.
A number of the brands represented by them in the home furniture segment included world renowned names like Matteograssi Spa,Paola Lenti Srl, Reflex Spa, Bizzarri Spa, Bimax Spa, Valli & Valli Spa, Tonin Casa Sas, Feg industria mobili Sas, Verardo Spa, Flou Spa, Spa, Former In Srl, Doc Mobili Spa and Europeo Spa.
The CAMERA DI COMMERCIO DI PORDENONE was another association from Italy representing some of the top brands of the province that included, Julia Arredi ( bedrooms) and Presotto Industria Mobili ( bedrooms & dining) among others.
For the very first time the Indian buyers saw the display of Brazilian furniture at Index tradefairs as BRAZILIAN FURNITURE PROJECT, a trade association focusing on furniture participated along with brands like BRV Movies Ltda. Unica Industria De Móveis ltda, Bertolini S.A, Rimo S.A. Indústria e Commercio. The participating companies were very pleased with the excellent response they received at the fair.
THAITRADECENTER participated with 10 companies from Thailandwhich included Acme Industries Co. Ltd., BNS Wood Industry Co., Ltd, Diamond Sofa Co., Ltd., East Coast Industry Co., Ltd., Image Intermarketing Co., Ltd., Kritranun Intertrade Co., Ltd., Kunakij Furniture Industry Co., Ltd., Prize Of Wood Co., Ltd. and Universal Parawood Co., Ltd.
Taiwan furniture Manufacturers’ Association too introduced several new brands in the Indian markets through Index 2006. There were also, 8 exhibitors from Malaysia and one from China.
Among the Indian participantsthe top names included, Auburn Collections, Spacewood Furnishers, Huzaifa Décor, BP Techno,XL World Corporation, Renaissance Glass Works, Zuari Furniture, Crystal Furniture and the Rubber Board ( Govt. of India ).
Index Office 2006 covered an area of 5500 sq. mtrs and had 15 of the very best brands in the industry. The top Indian brands in Office furniture ie; Godrej & Boyce, Featherlite Products, BP Ergo, N R Jasani, DE Office and Next Furniture Solutionswere present with their latest range of products.
In the international arena the renowned brands included Martex Spa, Matteograssi Spa, Styloffice Spa, Aresline Srl, Art design Group, Fasem International Srl, Uffix Spa,Deko Collezioni Srl, and Tonon C who specialize in seating systems.
Participation of American Hardwood Export Council, USA (AHEC) was another major highlight of Index 2006. Internationally acclaimed designer John Kelly’s designs were displayed by AHEC.
The newly formed Association of Furniture Manufacturers of India (AFMI), was offered a premium location at the tradefair with the intention of providing a boost to the local manufacturingindustry as well as build awareness about the initiatives planned.
Similarly, as a tribute to the wealth of creativity in the industry,the National Institute of Design (NID) was provided a complementary booth as a platform, to showcase the talents of the budding design specialists of the country.
Index Light:
As the lighting industry in India is still in the process of accepting the fact that furniture and interior lighting complement each other and, need to be displayed side by side,Index Light was relatively small with 10 participants. The top lighting consultants of the country were invited to the fair so that they could have a first hand opinion about this ideal business platform and, thereby be in a position to advice the industry about the business opportunities. It must be noted that the feedback received was very positive and we are looking forward to a robust growth in participation next year.
For the lighting section the renowned international brands included, La Murrina Spa with their elegant Venetian classic and contemporary collection of Murano blown glass, designed by world renowned architects. Also present were CT Consorzio Components Team, Art Design Group, Reflex Spa and Homedecor Worldwide who also have products for home lighting.
Index Kitchen & Bath: The kitchen industry in the country is booming and this was evident in the number of top brands that were present at the fair this year. With 21 companies displaying their latest products, covering a cumulative area of 5500 sq. mtrs, the visitors were spoiled for choice.
The international brands included Scavolini Spa, Arrital Cucine,Cesar Arredamenti Spa, Mobilclan Spa, andGory Cucine ( Pordenone). The major brands based in India on display were B.PTechno, Kanu Hacker Kitchens, Indoline, Kaff, Euro Plak Cucine, and Faber Heat Kraft. Also on display wereClassic Marbles and Hindustan Sanitary Ware.
INDEX INTER-FURN:The International Tradefair on Furniture Intermediates and Hardwaresupported by the All India Hardware Association (AIHA) covered an area of approximately 4000 sq. mtrs. and, had 24 renowned brands participating this year. The fair attracted a number of Indian and overseas exhibitors, mainly from Italy, Malaysia and Taiwan. Among the exhibitors, there were importers, local manufacturers, traders as well as reputed international brands.
Prominent Indian and international brands like Hafele India P Ltd., Mars Industries, Collins India, Narayani India (Ipsa), Kismat / Pooja Creation, Paras Enterprises, Ebco Pvt Ltd, Heenal Security Systems, Dunex Metal Products, Shaan Laboratories , Economic Hardware, K.N.Corporation, Rolex Enterprises P Ltd, Palladium Products, Amble Sparkle Sdn Bhd ( Malaysia), Amol House Ware, Scrim Products Pvt Ltd, Khirani / Innofit Systems, Auto Control Systems, Premier Enterprises, Jay Products, Patwa & Sons and Euro Furn exhibited at Inter Furn.
The First edition of Index W+M ( Wood + Machine ), tradefair showcasing woodworking machinery, tools and materials was held in a separate pavilion, adjoining the main fair. It must be noted that the fair had the support of the main players in the industry and is expected to record a dramatic growth in the coming years.
With 27 participants covering an area of 4000 sq. mtrs the fair was an absolute powerhouse of business activity and, based on information from interviews with the participants, a real “eye opener” in the context of the quality of visitors and volume of business generated.
Some of the prominent exhibitors were, Homag India Pvt. Ltd., Ramu Machinery Pvt. Ltd., Leitz Tooling Systems P Ltd., Malmyanmar Corp. Sdn. Bhd, Segamat Panel Board Sdn. Bhd., Dellatecnica, Amit Engineering, Hbr Consultants Pvt. Ltd., Master Handlers Pvt. Ltd, Pilot Machinery, Wood Master India, Woodtech Consultant P Ltd, Total Tools & Equipments ( P ) Ltd. , Perfect Tools Industries, Apt Pneumatics Pvt Ltd, Master Cutting Tools, Whitestar Engg Co., Parallax Décor Pvt Ltd, Apsom Technologies P. Ltd. and Chabros Timber Trading.
The Malaysian Timber Council was an important presence, promoting the interest of the Malaysian timber industry and representing a broad gamut of wood based manufacturers including lumber, panel-products, mouldings, builder’s carpentry and joinery and furniture. Also noteworthy was the participation from Dubai and Turkey.
Profile of participants at Index Fairs
VISITORS’ PROFILE
The USP of Index Fairs has always been the excellent quality of visitors that visit the fair in extremely large numbers. The visitors to the fairs are directly or indirectly connected to the furniture and allied industries and they come from all over the country as well as the region.
As is the norm, the entry to the tradefairs was restricted purely to the business visitors for first three days of the total five days. This ensured that the participants had enough time to meet with their top business prospects and dedicate quality time for each of them.
An overall profile of the visitors for all five days indicates the growing level of interest about the furniture industry among the cross sections of the industry.
PROFILE OF VISITORS - INDEX 2006
Architects: 1,555
Interior Designers: 2,681
Contractors: 338
Builders: 706
Project Managers/ Consultants: 367
Corporates: 1,970
Manufacturers: 1,888
Importers/ Exporters: 1,019
Dealers/ Distributors: 1,777
Wholesalers: 421
Other Business Visitors: 4,498
General Visitor (unregistered) 5,040
A total number of 17,220 trade and business visitors were registered who visited Index 2006. As is mandatory, on the last two days, the fair was kept open for general visitors. The general visitors who came to the fair were not registered though it must be noted that the count was 5040.
The total count of visitors for the five days of the fair was 22,260.
EVENTS AT INDEX FAIRS 2006
One of the most significant of developments in 2006 was that, early this year, Universal Expositions signed up with Koelnmesse GmbH, Germany, the largest global tradefair organizers, for the international participation at Index Fairs. As a first step in this direction, Koelnmesse participated at the tradefair with its renowned IMM Trend Show, displaying their researched trend findings.
IFJ – the Index Furniture Journal (The Indian Review of World Furniture & Design), the country’s premier trade publication for the industry and the official publication for Index Fairs 2006, organized a seminar on “Furniture Trends”: a focus on new materials and design.”
The seminar was held over two days, 14th and 15th of September 2006, in two separate sessions at the Index Fairs venue and was structured into three hour period of presentations by eminent designers and members of the industry on each day.
14th September
Presentation 1 : A year in Italian furniture design : Trends of 2006.
By: Ms. Antonella Lanari, Federlegno Arredo, Milan.
Presentation 2 : Indian furniture design : The story so far
By: Mr. Anil Mathur, Furniture and Interiors Group, (Godrej), Mumbai.
Presentation 3 : Trendshow : A look at the dominant trends of 2006.
By: Mr. Ruediger Sprave, Designer Trendshow, Koeln.
Presentation 4 : Trends Forever: A Design Methodology for Evernewness
By: Prof Kirti Trivedi, IDC – IIT, Mumbai.
Moderator : Prof Ravi Hazra, IDC – IIT, Mumbai.
15th September
Presentation 1 : The old-new : Designing with hardwood
By Mr. John Kelly, John Kelly Design, New York.
Presentation 2 : The old-new : Designing with steel
By: Padmashree Dashrath Patel, Dashrath Patel Studio, Ahmedabad.
Presentation 3 : The new-new : Fabric and texture
By: Mr. Krsna Mehta, Zeba Design Studio, Mumbai
Presentation 4 : The new-new : Indigenous materials in modern design
By: Arch. Jaisim, Jaisim-Fountainhead, Bangalore.
Presentation 5 : Indian furniture design : Emerging trends in material.
By: Sandeep Mukherjee, Quetzel Design, Bangalore.
Moderator : Ashish Deshpande, Elephant Design, Pune.
A new publication M+M (Materials + Machines), was launched by Index Media on 15th September at the hands of one of India’s best known architects, Ar. Hafeez Contractor, the chief guest for the day. This new publication is focused to provide extensive coverage to the materials and machines in the interior and architectural designs and to explore new possibilities.
Buyers’ night was held at Grand Hyatt on 15th September where the exhibitors and the buyers mingled with each other in a relaxed atmosphere over cocktails and dinner as the cultural performances lit up the evening.
FACILITATION AND SERVICES:
Hospitality packages offering discounted hotel tariffs and transportation were offered to exhibitors and visitors to the fair making it much easier to maintain focus on business and meetings with potential trade partners were arranged on request. A full fledged communication centre was set up at the venue to enable the exhibitors and visitors to send and receive e mails and fax communications.
The venue was WI - FI enabled for the convenience of the participants and visitors.
INDEX FAIRS PUBLICITY:
Index 2006was publicized widely all over India through the print and electronic media besides other means of publicity. Twenty front page advertisements were released in the major English dailies besides advertising in vernacular newspapers all over India.Prominent advertisements were also released in The Daily News- Sri Lanka, Independent - Bangladesh, Kathmandu Post - Nepal and Gulf News – UAE.
The electronic media too was very effectively used and the top channels like Zee News and CNBC Awaz among others, providing coverage to the tradefairs. The city of Mumbai was adorned by 40 giant sized bill boards/ hoardings at strategic points. Publicity to the event resulted in creating an extensive awareness among all those connected to the industry in India.
A special feature published on the tradefairs in the latest issue of IFJ during the event included detail profile of the exhibitors with their contact details. Inaugural issue of M + M carried a preview feature on the W+M show.
Index 2006 not only brought those connected to the furniture industry under one roof for five days of extensive business but the event also turned out to be an important occasion in creating a better understanding about the markets and industry among the exhibitors and the visitors.
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