The Malaysian International Furniture Fair 2015 is all geared up to open the first industry trade event of the year in Asia on Mar 3 with packed show floors at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) and Matrade Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC).

Organised by UBM Malaysia, the five-day annual event and Southeast Asia’s largest industry platform will  feature  500  exhibitors  from  14  countries and regions and primed to live up to its reputation as a robust trading platform as a top 10 global furniture show.

Visitor pre-registration is overwhelming with a strong number of first-timers. The show has a track record of drawing overseas attendees from 141 countries.

Besides Malaysia, the 21st edition of MIFF will feature exhibitors from China, Taiwan, Bulgaria, Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Spain, USA, Singapore, Italy, France, Japan and Turkey filling up 80,000 square metres of booth space.

China and Taiwan pavilions are located at PWTC while Muar Hall, helmed by producers from Malaysia’s main furniture hub, is in MECC.

A new showcase entitled “Designing with Malaysian Hardwood” will take  the centre stage in PWTC in  a first-time collaboration of state agency, Malaysian Timber Council and MIFF, with China-based Malaysian designer Philip Yap on  designing with  Malaysian  hardwoods. Called “Collection No  1”, it features  contemporary living and tropical hardwood.  bedroom sets made  of Sepetir, a light golden brown.

Potential visitors are already getting a headstart even before MIFF 2015 opens,  thanks  to the free MIFF  app which has more business friendly and social  interaction features that allows them to search for exhibitors and products in advance, and to keep in touch with fellow buyers.

The app compatible with iOs and Android can be downloaded from Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

A major show side-bar is the series of five industry seminars from March 4 to 6 that  will highlight  current  trends  and  bring  attendees  face-to-face  with international industry experts.

Among the speakers are Italian industry consultant Enrico G. Cleva who will share his take on new trends in furniture design while compatriots Roberta Mutti and Franz Rivoira will focus on products and lifestyle. A two-member panel from the  United  States  Consumer Product  Safety  Commission  will  make  a presentation on the requirements for furniture sold in the U.S.

The MIFF Furniture Design Competition (MIFF FDC) with 220 entries reaches a climax on Mar 5 with the winner selected by an international jury to be announced at a prize presentation ceremony. The Malaysian Timber Council is a sponsor this year.

The works of the 10 finalists will be showcased during MIFF at Hall A, MECC. Design students are welcomed to visit the showcase by pre-registering on www.mifffdc.com.

Last year, MIFF had 503 exhibitors from 12 countries and a 6% increase in attendees to nearly 20,000 including 6,171 international buyers. It posted a record turnover of US$892 million.

Mrs. Karen Goi, MIFF General Manager comments: “This is the most exciting run up to MIFF as signs of recovery in global demand picks up further. The momentum shows MIFF continues to gain international prominence. We have a great mix of regulars and new exhibitors  bringing latest collections  and innovative products for genuine business opportunities. We are just waiting to open the show.”

MIFF 2015 opens at 9.30am to 6pm daily from Mar 3 (Tuesday) to Mar 6 (Friday) and 9.30am to 5pm on Mar 7 (Saturday).