Seeing the rapid development of the furniture industry in mainland China and Vietnam, Fredrich Chen, chairman of the Taiwan Furniture Manufacturers` Association (TFMA), is eager to help revitalize Taiwan`s declining furniture industry. He believes organizing international furniture shows on the island is the most effective way to redirect foreign buyers back to Taiwan, once a powerhouse in the sector, and perhaps more importantly respark the notion in overseas-based Taiwanese furniture makers that home is still a green pasture.



"Taiwanese furniture manufacturers have been the main driving force behind the burgeoning furniture industry in China and Vietnam-as they have been moving production to China since the late 1980s and to Vietnam in recent years. Nevertheless, those who have stayed put in Taiwan have been savvy about targeting niche markets or fine-tuning existing strengths to stay competitive globally. Regardless, backed by seasoned expertise of master craftsmen, Taiwanese furniture makers both at home or abroad are still recognized as formidable suppliers by buyers worldwide," Chen indicates.

To play up the fortes of Taiwanese furniture makers, the TFMA has been going out of its way to put the life back into the Taipei International Furniture Show (TIFS), by asking Taiwanese furniture manufacturers both at home and abroad to showcase their wares at the TIFS, with equal efforts invested to bring foreign counterparts to the show. The TIFS finally made a comeback to the international stage this year and ran from Mar. 25-18 at the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC), supported by the TFMA and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA).



The TIFS 2006 saw a total of 211 exhibitors occupying about 1,300 booths. "With upbeat response from the Taiwanese furniture sector, the TIFS rose like a phoenix from the ashes," Chen remarks. "TIFS 2006 attracted more than 1,000 foreign buyers from many countries around the world and helped put back that sheen on the logo of Taiwan-made furniture, which is still synonymous with quality at competitive prices.

"Foreign buyers said it had been a productive trip and promised to come back next year. The reassuring response generated by the TIFS 2006 was a well-deserved pat on the back for local furniture makers-paving the way for an even better TIFS 2007," Chen affirms.

"Success should not lead to complacency. There is still much room for improvement. For examples, more should be done to show that foreign buyers are very welcome to exhibit at TIFS; more efficient scheduling is in order; more advertising would help; and rentals for exhibitors should be lowered," Chen points out. "I look forward to the government to step up with more substantial support-both financially and strategically."

Chen urges that the TIFS needs to look to individualization and differentiation as a marketing strategy in the future. "The show had better develop into a venue for design-oriented, innovative, and high-end furniture products to widen the gap between the TIFS and down-market counterparts in China and Southeast Asia," Chen says.



"Compared to the huge exhibition sites in China, the international exhibition halls in Taiwan are much smaller, even more so than those in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. So, the TIFS would do well not to focus on quantity but on quality, with an accent on characteristics. Also, the show should have dedicated zones-offering product-specific showcases for glass and metal furniture, OA furniture zone, acrylic furniture and others, making sourcing easier for buyers and visitors," Chen suggests.

According to the statistics compiled by the TFMA, Taiwanese furniture manufacturers currently export US$1.7 billion worth of products out of Taiwan, US$2.8 billion out of China, and US$500 million out of Southeast Asia every year. Those who still produce items in Taiwan mostly turn out high-value-added lines on the island and lower-priced products offshore. "It`s heartening to see that Taiwan is evolving into a design house brimming with innovations, with an increasing number of companies serious about building in-house brands," Chen emphasizes.

The 21st century is an age of rapid development, global competition, and knowledge-based economy, so a traditional industry like furniture making must tweak its global competitiveness by adopting more flexible and sophisticated operating strategies-ones designed help them set footholds in niche markets.



In the future, Chen believes, the mega furniture exhibitions in China may parallel those in High Point and Las Vegas, U.S., and those in Cologne, Germany or Milan, Italy. Vietnam is very likely to become the second-largest manufacturing base in Asia for furniture products, trailing only China; while Eastern European countries may emerge as the new furniture production base in the region to replace Germany and Italy.

Today the TFMA has about 300 members, with many running operations on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, while some produce only in China or Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam. To consolidate its membership, the TFMA has been aggressively organizing member-groups to exhibit in or visit international furniture shows. This year the TFMA led such groups to take part in furniture fairs in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Germany, and the Middle East.

Chen believes that Taiwan, the home of Taiwanese furniture makers, can play a pivotal role to promote and develop furnishings crafted by the Taiwanese. And foresighted businesspeople know that such a task is long-term but ultimately beneficial to everyone in the industry, in view of which Chen urges Taiwanese furniture makers everywhere to sign up for the TIFS 2007, which is scheduled for March 3-7 at the TWTC.

"There is no better time than now to polish the image of Taiwan-made furniture to a shinier gloss," Chen insists. "Either in Taiwan or offshore, our furniture makers need to build on the enviable reputation and strengths already established in the global arena by showing their fine product lines at the TIFS 2007."

(by Judy Li)