Archives

International Opportunities Abound

Office Furniture China
Shanghai New International Expo Centre
Shanghai, China
September 9 - 12, 2009

Office Furniture China (OFC) will enter its 15th edition this September at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. With the exhibition set in Shanghai, one of the leading areas on a fast-track economic development plan along the Yangtse Delta, the stage is set for interested parties to break into the Chinese market for office furniture.

More than 300 professional office furniture manufacturers will bring in quality products to the exhibition space of over 30,000 sq m. It will also focus on attracting export sales by offering a multitude of choices in Chinese-made furniture. The exhibition this year will be more visitor-friendly, with displays organised according to categories like office chair and public seating area, comprehensive office furniture, and branded office furniture. International and local brands will all make an appearance and showcase their latest trends, designs and innovations.

OFC will be held concurrently with Furniture China 2009, Fabrics & Lightings China 2009, Kitchen & Cabinet China 2009, and Furniture Manufacturing & Supply China 2009. The fair will be open to the public only on September 12.

The Indian Index

Index Office
MMRDA Exhibition Centre, Banda-Kurla Complex
Mumbai, India
September 18 - 22, 2009

Touted to be the biggest event for the furniture industry, Index Tradefairs Mumbai will be back again this year will be back on September this year. As one of the five industry-specific exhibitions within the fair, Index Office will be held at the MMRDA Exhibition Centre in Banda-Kurla Complex. An international trade fair on contract and office furniture, products on display will include designs, furniture and furnishings for the office space, and conference and seminar area furniture, among others.

Index Fairs 2009 looks set to be of a large scale, judging by precedence set from the 2008 edition. It saw a total of 200 participants representing more than 400 Indian and international brands exhibiting their products in over an area of 40,000 sq m, attracting 25,951 visitors. The exhibition will be open to industry players only.

Neo-NeoCon

IIDEX/NeoCon Canada
Direct Energy Centre
Toronto, Canada
September 24 - 25, 2009

IIDEX/NeoCon Canada celebrates 25 years of design firsts this coming September. In this edition, it will be collaborating with the Woodworking Machinery & Supply Expo (WMS). This is to forge a “strategic partnership to advance the awareness of this important sector for designers, architects, facility managers and manufacturers,“ says Tracy Bowie, Vice President of IIDEX/NeoCon Canada. This will include joint and reciprocal promotion and conference content resource sharing. Both WMS and IIDEX/NeoCon will feature a four-day conference from September 23 to 26. Hence, content in some sessions have been tailored to also fit visitors to the other conference. In addition, visitors holding IIDEX passes can attend WMS free of charge, and vise versa.

The Green Building Festival (GBF), a co-located show within IIDEX, has invited Enrique Peñalosa as the 2009 Environmental Keynote speaker. Peñalosa is recognized as the politician who successfully pushed for environmentally friendly urban reforms in Bogota, Colombia, during his 3-year tenure as city mayor from 1998 to 2000. Currently a consultant on Urban Vision and Sustainability Strategy, Peñalosa will present a keynote address on the topic “What Makes a Good City?” on September 24 at 4pm.

NeoCon will also feature a new visitor guide - the NeoCon Navigator, which aims to help enhance visitor experience. Sponsored by Interior Design Magazine and MMPI, it is an online service that provides exhibitor and product information that will help visitors tailor their trip to increase efficiency and better matching of product and customer even before they reach the exhibition area.

Official Business

Office Today
BMICH
Colombo, Sri Lanka
October 2 - 4, 2009

Following the previous editions of Office Today, in two Indian cities, Bangalore and Chennai, the 9th edition will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from October 2 to 4. The exhibition offers a platform for entrepreneurs, decision makers, interior decorators, fabricators, and other related enterprises to meet and create business opportunities. The 3-day event will showcase both local and international exhibits, and will be expecting over 20,000 visitors from South East Asia. Hence, there will also be potential for export and import ventures with overseas partners.

Office Today is organised by BuySell Interactions, a company specialising in planning professional trade exhibitions, seminars and workshops.

Focusing On Design

NeoCon East
The Baltimore Convention Centre
Maryland, US
October 28 - 29, 2009

Into its 7th year, NeoCon East has built its reputation as one of the prominent design expositions and conferences for the mid-Atlantic region. One of the highlights of this edition is the Prime Design! contest, which awards a design firm the chance to create the General Service Administration (GSA)’s Integrated Workplace Acquisition Centre book on the show floor. Five firms have already entered their proposals for the competition, and they include Clark Nexsen, Group GLLC, OTJ Architects, Stratton Design Source, Inc and Zoom, Inc. The winning design will be unveiled on the first day of the exhibition.

Another special feature is the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Principals’ Roundtable, which will be held on October 28 from 8.30am to 10am. It will be moderated by Interior Design magazine, and invites principals and senior management of local A&D firms to participate. The event will be discussing current topics facing design leadership, as well as strategies to enhance the importance of design in today’s marketplace.

Design Lights Up

Contract World
Deutsche Messe Hannover
Hannover, Germany
January 16 - 19, 2010

ContractWorld, which aims to bring together architects and manufacturers, will exhibit products from companies in the furniture, lighting and floor covering sectors. In addition, it will continue its tradition as a forum for knowledge transfer and networking within the industry. Four lectures on the keynote themes are planned for each day of the event and will be delivered by well-known architects. Experts from other fields, including occupational psychologists, communication experts and hoteliers, have also been invited to share their views on modern architecture.

The 10th Contractworld award competition will also be held during the fair, and prizes will be awarded to the best design concepts in progressive work environments, creative hotel and restaurant interiors, and innovative shops and exhibition stands. A new category for 2010 will honour attractive and unusual interior designs for buildings in the healthcare and education sectors. The Contractworld award focuses on the latest developments in interior design, with particular reference to interior fittings and fixtures, lighting, flooring, wall and ceiling finishes, and is worth EUR 60,000 in prize money. It is now open for registration.

Contractworld will be held concurrently with Domotex Hannover.