This new design will be among the highlights of 2010 Manila Now furniture expo.

Last year’s furniture expo in Cebu was all doom and gloom as the city’s furniture exporters were suffering from the effects of the world recession.  Acquisitions from major markets like the US were considerably lower. Consequently, the Cebu expo had less to present as many regular exhibitors opted to sit out that show.

In contrast, the organizers of the Manila Now furniture expo are much more optimistic than their Cebu counterparts. They’re going through with their annual fair and they’re having it in what is arguably the most modern tradeshow venue in Metro Manila, the SMX Convention Center.  Manila Now is organized the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines, and the people behind it are not about to whine about the bad economy or lower sales.

The expo’s chairman Eduardo Zuluaga, ironically a Cebuano, says they’ve even extended the days of the exhibit from last year’s four to five. During a media luncheon at the SMX, he said the extended time gives buyers a bigger chance to view the exhibits, he explains. “We expect to welcome more than 10, 000 visitors within those five days,” he pointed out.

Zuluaga also noted that despite the recession, foreign customers still have to visit these expos to check out the latest designs in furniture. “They can’t afford not to come,” he said. “They have to fill their showrooms with the newest designs. They can’t have more of the same look every year. Each year, they have to have something new and different for their customers.”

For her part, CFIP president Josefina Cancio said the number of buyers the show generates every year imparts the trust these customers have in the design quality of furniture the local industry produces. “They know they can find pieces here that will do well in their stores and homes,” she said.

Meanwhile, Zuluaga says the country’s furniture exporters are using various means and adopting new methods to keep their products competitive.  This includes using materials that can last long in the countries they are shipped to. For instance, he says resorts in the Middle East comprise a major market for exporters so what manufacturers use are aluminum and plastic for outdoor furniture.  “Previously, we used a lot of teak wood but we don’t have enough supply of teak. We can’t match Indonesia, which manufactures a lot of teak furniture because of their bigger supply of teak.”

As for indoor furniture, local manufacturers use lighter materials, particularly those of the laminated kind. Zuluaga explains that exporters couldn’t use local hardwood for markets like Canada and the U.S. because our hardwood isn’t meant for the climates in those two countries. “A lot of exporters had to import hardwood from the U.S. because those are the types of wood that will last long in those markets,” he explains.

Held in conjunction with two other shows – the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers’ New Essentialism and Hotel Show Philippines, the Manila Now 2010 will be held from March 3 to 7.

For details, contact 750-8588.