Furniture expo opens in HCMC

HCM CITY – The international exhibition of furniture and home accessories VIFA 2011 opened yesterday at the Sai Gon Convention and Exhibition Centre in HCM City.

The fourth exhibition brings together 150 exhibitors from countries and territories, including China, the US, Czech Republic, Singapore and the host country of Viet Nam.

Products on display at 650 booths include indoor and outdoor furniture, handicrafts, equipment and tools for wood processing.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Bien said: "In order to meet the export target for this year of US$4.2 billion, an increase of 22 per cent over last year, the industry needs to overcome difficulties, including shortage of wood material, higher input costs and conformity to the US's Lacey Act."

"VIFA 2011 will be a good bridge for trade promotion, bringing local and international enterprises together for more trade co-operation and exchange," he said.

Nguyen Thi Hong, deputy chairwoman of the HCM City People's Committee, said :"In the current economic situation, it is hard to find a buyer and is even harder to keep that buyer with us. Therefore, via the trade fair, exhibitors should try to understand more about customers' demand and preference, being more creative to be more competitive in the global market."

Co-organised by the Handicrafts and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (Hawa) and Hawa Corporation, the exhibition will run until March 14.

For designing the Ayatori Chair, Nguyen Ngoc Duy from AA Interior Furniture Corporation has won first prize in the furniture design competition Apricot Blossom 2010, which was organised by the Handicrafts and Hawa.

The second and third prizes were awarded to students from the HCM City University of Architecture and an employee at the AA Interior Furniture Corporation with designs named Knot Chair and Phieu, respectively. — VNS