KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, March 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) unveiled its biggest ever show in 24 years with design as the cornerstone of the four-day event, bolstered by a 13% increase to 622 exhibitors and a new modern co-venue.

Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, was the Guest-of-Honour at the opening ceremony fittingly held at the spacious Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), the latest landmark exhibition space in the country.

The biggest international furniture meeting place in Southeast Asia has grown further by 25% to 100,000 sqm, packing 18 halls in MITEC and long-time venue, Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC).

In sync with the theme "Design Connects People," MIFF 2018 brings together noticeably more new product ideas and collections by Malaysian and international suppliers, and lively crafted elements to highlight design quality and new business opportunities on the trading floor. 

With international buyers and overall sales trending up in successive years, show organiser UBM Malaysia said a third of participants are new exhibitors and pre-registered buyers from 135 countries include 34% first time attendees, setting the stage for four days of brisk business after last year's US$940 million sales record.

"The bigger exhibition space brings greater advantages. MIFF can now provide more innovative ways for our exhibitors to showcase their products and engage buyers in greater comfort. I am confident MIFF 2018 will not only be a productive experience for them, but it will set the benchmark even higher as the must visit furniture marketplace every year in Southeast Asia and the biggest export platform for Malaysian furniture," said MIFF Founder and Chairman Datuk Dr. Tan Chin Huat in his welcome remarks.

Alongside the wide-ranging home and commercial products, including wood furniture by Malaysian manufacturers, are complementary products available in different materials and designs unique to international exhibitors from Mainland China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, South Korea, India, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, Singapore and the United States.

The largest dedicated local presence is Muar Hall, featuring more exhibitors organised by Muar Furniture Association, the country's most prominent industry group and a strategic partner of MIFF.

International clusters include regular attractions, Mainland China Hall and Taiwan Hall, and the debut of a group of South Korean companies supported by the Korean Federation of Furniture Industry Cooperatives (KFFIC).

MIFF Office, the largest showroom for office solutions in the region, will also provide greater choice and deals with the gallery filled by 120 exhibitors, up 20% from last year.

New highlights in 2018 include:

• designRena an exclusively curated 15,000 sqm floor for 80 top Malaysian manufacturers to showcase their products in lifestyle settings
• MIFF Timber Mart a one-stop platform for global wood suppliers and buyers
• Millennials@Design (MAD) gallery featuring export ready furniture by young designers from MIFF Furniture Design Competition (FDC), Pattern Banyak, Tanggam Design Centre by Malaysian Timber Industry Board and Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation; top entries of 2018 MIFF Furniture Design Competition (FDC); and FDC in Action.

FDC in Action is the latest MIFF initiative to support creative talent. Seven young designers selected from previous FDCs are mentored by MIFF Creative Director Philip Yap to provide product design and booth styling for exhibitors.

The group visited several major cities and industry shows in China to upgrade their design skills and knowledge of the real market. Exhibition services company Innogen Malaysia is the Platinum Sponsor of the program.

MIFF 2018 is also promoting the inaugural ArtEDecor exhibition to promote aspiring artists as a co-located event at the MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre, next to MITEC, as part of its CSR programme to support the creative industry.

A host of top industry experts will helm eight dynamic seminar series throughout the four days of the trade show. The speakers are Enrico G. Cleva, Roberto Mutti and Franz Rivoira (Italy), Shinichi Mitsuki (Japan), and Philip Yap, Walter Tan, Dr Eric Leong, Professor Dr Jegatheswaran Ratnasingam and Helen Chen (Malaysia).

In 2017, MIFF featured 550 companies and drew nearly 20,000 visitors. Global buyers from 132 countries rose 5% to 5,603.

Notes to Editors

About MIFF (www.miff.com.my)

MIFF is Southeast Asia's most global and largest industry trade show of its kind serving 20,000 furniture professionals from 140 countries across the world. Held annually from March 8-11, the show offers a comprehensive selection of all kinds of home and commercial furniture including Malaysia's renowned top quality wood furniture and the most extensive office solutions in the region. Since its inception in 1995, the show is a UFI-approved event by The Global Association for Exhibition Industry. MIFF is organised by UBM Malaysia, a member of UBM Asia group of companies owned by UBM plc, the largest pure-play B2B Events organiser in the world.

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SOURCE UBM Asia (Malaysia)