Post Show Report MAISON&OBJET & MEUBLE PARIS

Furniture World News

The Paris Furniture Show submitted the following post show report: 86,085 trade visitors attended the recent MAISON&OBJET, beating the visitor record again (+3.20% vs. 2007); 25,759 for MEUBLE PARIS. With a total 111,844 visitors, the show exceeding the objective that organisers had set at the 100,000 buyer mark. The 2008 edition again showed strong international growth at MAISON&OBJET exhibitions (+11.95%), representing 42% of visitors and 35% for MEUBLE PARIS. From 24th to 29th January 2008, MAISON&OBJET and MEUBLE PARIS created a special event, with an international, upmarket insight into the homeware markets. SAFI, the exhibition organiser, successfully rose to the challenge: more targeted buyers and major specifiers, more international customers, enhanced quality in the products and services on offer and a cross-cutting approach to the home of the present and the future. The success of this 2008 session, presenting a general vision of the decorative arts linked to the home and revolving around a strong and unique creative expression, clearly demonstrates the vitality of Paris, an essential creative and major economic venue. APPRAISAL OF MEUBLE PARIS Organised for the first time at Le Bourget from 24th to 28th January 2008, MEUBLE PARIS received 25,759 visitors including 8,966 foreigners i.e. 35% of its visitors who discovered the 2008 collections consisting of almost 471 brands, covering over 44,000 m² of net stand space. Visitors are more specialised, more qualified and adapted to the market targeted by this exhibition, which takes place once a year. Furniture was represented in an exclusive, high quality way with a breakdown into sectors – ATMOSPHERE broken down into 5 themes: EPOQUEs, CLASSIC, CHARME, ETHNIC, IN&OUT, and LIVING seen in 4 expressions LOFT, SOFT, TODAY and KIDS - highlighted by the acclaimed scenography by Francesca Avossa and Isabelle Cohendet aimed at giving greater fluidity to the presentation. Besides the exhibitors themselves, the exhibition's special events were extremely successful. VIA exclusively presented all its “Aides à la Création” (creation grants) with “La Carte Blanche” awarded this year to designer Jean-Louis Fréchin, the “10 Aides à Projets” (10 project grants) as well as the partnership project, “Création et Maîtrise d’Art”. VIA and Innovathèque exhibited together to show the importance of materials, technology and production processes in design. Daily conferences on the theme of “furniture markets: trends and evolutions” offered a wide panorama of the added value of design in the development of companies and of legislative developments in trade with the presence of Mr. Erik Orsenna, member of the government-appointed Attali Commission on French growth. Tribute to creativity: with Pierre Paulin, MEUBLE PARIS 2008 designer of the year, acclaimed by the whole profession and the press for his work; and finally, the discovery of young talent thanks to Tremplins and Ecoles operations. APPRAISAL OF MAISON&OBJET, scènes d’intérieur, now! design à vivre, MAISON&OBJET éditeurs, MAISON&OBJET musées. MAISON&OBJET which was held on 25th to 29th January 2008 at Paris-Nord Villepinte, is the major international event for the decoration and design world. 3,001 brands, present on 123,912 m² of net stand space, received 86,086 trade visitors, i.e. an increase of almost 3.20% on numbers in January 2007. MAISON&OBJET offers a cross-cutting and essential insight into national and international markets. This session definitively marks the international positioning of all the exhibitions linked to MAISON&OBJET with a considerable increase in the number of international visitors: + 11,95% on the January 2007 session. This is an undisputed success in terms of quantity with the presence of high quality specifiers and buyers noticed by all exhibitors. A total 3,993 journalists visited the exhibition, including 1,404 foreign journalists, i.e. a 10.91% increase on January 2007. For the second time, the threshold of 50,000 French visitors was achieved. The share of international visitors reached 42% with 36,003 buyers. More than 65.9% of buyers came from the European Union with a strong rise in Italian visitors noticeable in the aisles of the exhibition and confirmed by the figures: + 10.59% on January 2007 with 5,898 visitors. Italy is the leading country in terms of visitor numbers (+11%) and the United Kingdom (+17%) has reclaimed its second position with 3 ,777 visitors. There is a significant increase by Germany with +14% (2,673 visitors) and Spain with +12% (2,322 visitors); Austria and Switzerland rise by 13%. Russia is not to be outdone and the emergence of the middle classes and a very rich class interested in decoration and design is confirmed. Russia is ranked for the second time in the top ten countries sending visitors to the exhibition, with a strong increase of + 51.82%. Asia is still growing with 3,860 visitors, i.e. +7% increase on January 2007. The rise of China continues + 16% - with 404 visitors and Indian numbers grew by 23%. Tribute to creativity: female creativity was featured with charismatic architect and designer Zaha Hadid, MAISON&OBJET 2008 designer and a charming trio represented by Carolyn Quartermaine for MAISON&OBJET éditeurs, Kelly Hoppen for scènes d’intérieur and Patricia Urquiola for now! design à vivre. Forthcoming events MAISON&OBJET (halls 1, 2, 3, 4, 5A, 6) scènes d’intérieur, MAISON&OBJET I projets I, now! design à vivre (hall 5B) MAISON&OBJET outdoor_indoor (hall 7) September 5-9, 2008 – Paris-Nord Villepinte MEUBLE PARIS January 22-26, 2009. Paris le Bourget MAISON&OBJET scènes d’intérieur, MAISON&OBJET éditeurs, now! design à vivre January 23-27, 2009. Paris-Nord Villepinte Organisation: SAFI, subsidiary of the Ateliers d’Art de France trade association and Reed Expositions France. MEUBLE PARIS is organised by SESMP, a 100 % subsidiary of SAFI. Tel. +33 (0)1 44 29 02 00. Fax: +33 (0)1 44 29 02 01. info@safisalons.fr