Cebu X bares plan to join Singapore furniture show
March 3rd, 2006 Category Events, FurnitureThe Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition, also known as Cebu X, will go to Singapore next year to bring the Cebu brand to a bigger market.
Cebu X 2006 chairman Eric Mendoza said the exhibit, called Cebu X and Beyond, is a business promotion activity that will bring Cebu to the world.
“We will not abandon Cebu. We will still continue our annual exhibit here but we will also be engaging in a beyond-kind-of-thing, creating a scenario of choice for our local exhibitors in promoting their products in foreign ground,†he said in an interview.
Bigger
The four-day 17th Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition at Waterfront Cebu Hotel and Casino ended yesterday with bigger number of participants and buyers, he said.
There are over 300 furniture manufacturers and exporters located in Cebu, comprising 20 percent of the Philippine furniture industry employing 80,000 direct workers and 140,000 indirect workers or subcontractors.
The US market remains as the country’s top export market followed by Japan, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Italy and Spain.
The Philippine furniture industry is projected to grow six percent from that of last year.
Maintain
“In the past five years, Cebu has maintained its 40 percent share in the total Philippine export of furniture. Average growth rate of the Cebu furniture industry is two percent over the past five years,†a statement said.
He said the first time Cebu X went abroad was its participation in Macef, a furniture exhibit in Milan, which was a “tremendous success,†he said.
He said Singapore is the best choice for next year because it’s the closest and “freest†country.
“It’s peaceful there and exhibitions held in Singapore are very successful and well-attended,†he said.
