The Australian International Furniture Fair will again offer the furniture and furnishings industry its first glimpse of all the key design trends that will characterise furniture in 2006.
The fair will have a new mid-week schedule at the Sydney Exhibition Centre from Wednesday 8 February to Friday 10 February 2006, and a long list of exhibitors and designers.
Among exhibitors, booking response has been strong, with many repeat bookings from last year as well as new companies signing up to take part in the dedicated three day trade-only event. The trend towards creating larger stands means this year the fair has grown by over 20 per cent, with exhibitors eager to take advantage of the opportunity to showcase their products to over 7000 visitors.
Some of the high profile names taking part in the 2006 event are Acme Fine Furniture, Coringle Furniture, DIM Furniture (VIC), Furnir, Jamel Industries, Jar Furniture, Lounge Innovations, Morgon Furniture, Rico Furniture, Rubelli, Sealy of Australia (NSW), Sleepeezee Bedding Australia, Sleepmaker, Susman, Warwick Fabrics, and Zozobra.
Last year, the Fair’s design competition, The Edge, was hugely popular according to organisers Australian Exhibitions & Conferences , with many participants registering tremendous success as a direct result of exhibiting in 2005. Entries for the 2006 competition have now closed, with applications in the Concept and Student categories increasing exponentially. Situated at the heart of the Fair, The Edge provides an ideal meeting place for leading industry professionals and designers to discuss industry issues, gain invaluable feedback for their products, and create a launch pad for their new designs.
Another feature of the Australian International Furniture Fair is the Industry Seminar Series, where well known industry experts will be presenting a broad range of topics in an engaging and relaxed venue. This year’s discussions will include key industry themes for 2006, including Anny Friis (editor, Australian House & Garden), speaking on What's Hot and What’s Not in interiors, Prue Royal (The School of Colour & Design), exploring colour trends, and John Gertsakis (director, Product Ecology), will discuss eco-friendly design.
