CIFF is a group of furniture related shows held in March/April and September each year with separate sections and dates for domestic and office furniture as well as areas for production machinery and components. Each section is large enough to keep the most avid enthusiast happily engrossed for the shows' duration without needing to looking at any alien products. CIFF Office is held at the Canton (the former name of Guangzhou) Fair Complex, although from 2015, the September elements of the CIFF shows will be moving to Shanghai.
Perhaps because of the size of everything Chinese, the tendency is to divide everything up, so for instance, eight halls displayed nothing but office seating – enough to sate the most enthusiastic appetite. Desking, tables and storage covered another eight enormous halls and 'accessories', a further three.
The trend of Western shows in recent times has been to reduce their timescale; in contrast, this year, CIFF Office was extended from four days to five. Despite this, the crowds were massive, sometimes, overwhelming, especially on the first few days. Some of the larger companies coped with their hoards of visitors by roping off areas of their booths for 'VIPs' where entry was restricted.
Many of the exhibition stands were very large, well designed and attractive. Last year we saw real grass turf laid underfoot. This year it was the turn of the sandy beaches strewn with stones. Not only did they set off the furniture very effectively, they seemed to be perfectly practical.
Several exhibitors, for example My Idea Office and Jiulong Yousheng, were showing exciting creations from a new generation of design graduates from Chinese universities.
This is not an international show. Yes, there were plenty of visitors from the USA, Europe, South America, the Middle East and India but, unlike 2013, when a sole Danish company was showing their height adjustable tables, there was not one office furniture exhibitor from outside Asia.? A badly missed opportunity, as the overseas exhibitors participating at February's 100% Design in Shanghai will testify – they were rushed off their feet.
There were some Western products on show, represented by local partners and importers. Onlead showed SBS' H?G chair and My Idea were partnering Codutti's executive furniture from Italy, but as neither was particularly prominently presented, these products were not attracting much interest.
