Mesago Messe Frankfurt, IDAFIJ Jointly Re-launch IFFT / Interiorlifestyle Living to Show Changing Co

The International Furniture Fair Tokyo (IFFT), the biggest furniture-oriented trade fair in Japan and organized by the International Development Association of the Furniture Industry of Japan (IDAFIJ), will be re-launched as "IFFT / Interiorlifestyle Living" from 2008 onwards. Mesago Messe Frankfurt, the organizer of Japan's leading design-oriented interior show "Interior Lifestyle," and IDAFIJ join hands to upgrade the fair to benefit exhibitors and visitors by merging their networks.

Uniting the autumn version of Interior Lifestyle which is called "Interiorlifestyle Living," and IFFT, the premier IFFT / Interiorlifestyle Living will take place from Nov. 19 (Wed) to 22 (Sat) at East Halls (25,690 square meters) of Tokyo International Exhibition Center, also known as Tokyo Big Sight. Consequently, Interior Lifestyle will be held twice a year for the first time in 2008: Interior Lifestyle in June and IFFT / Interiorlifestyle Living in November.

Successful combination of the two shows in Japan

Interior Lifestyle, the leading design-oriented interior trade fair in Japan, has been held in June by Mesago Messe Frankfurt for over 15 years. Having two of Frankfurt's world-known trade fairs, Ambiente and Heimtextil, as mother fairs, Interior Lifestyle has been the top trend pool for kitchen, cooking, entertaining, furnishing and decorating, as well as home accessories and home textiles. The 2007 fair hosted 600 exhibitors (domestic: 363, overseas: 237) from 29 countries / regions and 26,332 trade visitors from 37 countries / regions.

" We have been receiving feedback both from visitors and exhibitors that they want us to hold an another fair in autumn, for the second half of a year. Buyers need to purchase new products in shorter cycle to keep providing fresh product lineup for neophiliac Japanese consumers so that there was a strong demand in the sector to have another ordering platform. To respond to the demand, we decide to co-organize IFFT / Interiorlifestyle Living with IDAFIJ. We hope this new trade fair offers the best possible opportunities for our exhibitors to reach buyers in a more timely manner," said Mr. Akihiro Hirose, president of Mesago Messe Frankfurt.

The International Furniture Fair Tokyo (IFFT) organized by IDAFIJ has established a strong presence in the Japanese industry as the biggest furniture-oriented trade fair in Japan. The previous IFFT attracted 22,772 trade visitors as well as 374 exhibitors (domestic: 275, overseas: 99) from 14 countries.

Mr. Yasumasa Kosuga, Chairman of IDAFIJ, remarked, "Since its founding in 1957, IDAFIJ has been Japan's only globally active association with the objective of internationalizing the Japanese furniture industry. Because of the objective, Mesago Messe Frankfurt is an ideal partner to collaborate with and by co-organizing the two shows, IFFT / Interiorlifestyle Living will be the first step."

"IFFT/Interiorlifestyle Living" Covers Everything Interior

Expected to generate new, promising business opportunities in Japan, the re-launched larger-coverage fairs are poised to go from regional to global in scale, content and impact.

The new name "IFFT / Interiorlifestyle Living" reflects changes in the fair's concept and product offering, and will feature much wider range of product categories, with virtually everything for indoor and outdoor, including home furnishings, home textiles and lifestyle-related consumer goods. The official list of exhibit categories are:

-Furniture(home furniture, office furniture, kids furniture, outdoor furniture, tatami mat, door, etc)

-Kitchen & Bath (kitchen system, bath system, faucet, kitchen & bath products)

-Home textile (table and kitchen linen, bathroom textiles, sleep system, furnishing fabric, curtain, sun blind, floor covering, wall paper, furniture fabric, furniture leather, etc)

-Consumer goods (table, houseware products, gift items, interior products).

By bringing new exhibitors of other interior items, the show will be changed to total interior show.

The organizers of IFFT / Interiorlifestyle Living

The International Development Association of the Furniture Industry of Japan (IDAFIJ) has been Japan's only globally active association with the objective of internationalizing the Japanese furniture industry since its founding in 1957. It carries out several projects to promote export and import of furniture. There are 55 companies and associations as its member.

Mesago Messe Frankfurt Corp. belongs to the Messe Frankfurt group covering over 100 countries with 62 subsidiaries and representative offices. Messe Frankfurt group organizes more than 100 trade shows worldwide every year. Mesago Messe Frankfurt Corp. has a long experience in Japanese market since 1987 and enjoys the reputation as one of the leading trade show organizers.

For more information, visit: www.interior-lifestyle.com or email at info@interior-lifestyle.com

International media contact

Eva Schlafer

Phone.: +49 69 75 75 6687

Fax: +49 69 75 75 6757

eva.schlaefer@messefrankfurt.com

Messe Frankfurt consumer goods trade fairs around the world:

Group of Ambiente

- Ambiente (8 - 12 February 2008), Frankfurt am Main, Germany

- Interior Lifestyle / Heimtextil Japan (11 - 13 June 2008), Tokyo, Japan

- Ambiente Russia (9 - 11 September 2008), Moscow, Russia

- Interior Lifestyle China (16 - 19 October 2008), Shanghai, China

- IFFT / Interiorifestyle Living (19 - 22 November 2008), Tokyo, Japan