HCMC Frames Annual Furniture Expo

The Ho Chi Minh City Handicrafts and Wood Processing Industry Association (HAWA) said it is planning to hold an annual international fair to promote the export of furniture and wood products next year in Ho Chi Minh city.

 

The Vietnam International Furniture and Home Accessories Fair (VIFA) will be organized by the joint-stock company Lien Minh (HAWA Corp), a member of the association.

 

VIFA 2008 will be held between March 14 and 18 at Phu Tho Stadium in the city's District 11.

 

The fair will display handicrafts, furniture, interior furnishing, accessories and equipment and tools for wood manufacturing and processing, according to Nguyen Ba Tuan, director of HAWA Corp.

 

Tuan said this is the second annual event held by the association. Since 2005, HAWA, in coordination with the municipal Trade Department, has held annual handicraft and wood product exposition in October.

 

The new annual fair in March will offer another opportunity for Vietnamese wood processing enterprises to meet prospective foreign customers.

 

Tuan said the event will coincide with several fairs and expositions in ASEAN countries and China, thus attracting tourists on tours covering Shanghai-Singapore-HCM City.

 

So far, 55 companies from Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam have registered to attend VIFA 2008 with 250 booths.

 

Local exhibitors will include big wood processing enterprises such as Savimex, Mifaco Ltd, Scansia Pacific, AA Corp, Truong Thanh Furniture Corp, My Tai Co, and Lee's Furniture Vietnam.

 

The International Fine Arts and Woodwork Products Exhibition or EXPO 2007, the largest and concentrated event for furniture and handicraft industry, will be back at the HCMC International Exhibition and Convention Center (HIECC) and Tan Binh Gymnastic and Sport Centre from Oct 7 to 14, 2007, with the estimation of 800 booths.

 

Vietnam earned US$1.71 billion from woodwork exports in the past nine months of 2007, up 24.9 per cent on-year, meanwhile it spent US$761 million on wood imports during the period, up 40.3 per cent on-year. (VNS, Liberated Saigon)