The International Istanbul Furniture Fair Has Started
The International Istanbul Furniture Fair IIFF 2024, the eagerly awaited big gathering of the furniture industry, has started with a ceremony. The opening ceremony was attended by the Istanbul Governor Davut Gül; Prof. Ömer Bolat, Minister of Commerce; Mustafa Gültepe, Head of Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM); Şekib Avdagiç, President of Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO); Edi Snaidero, President of the European Furniture Industry; Ahmet Güleç, President of MOSFED, and İlhan Ersözlü, General Manager of TÜYAP Fuarlar Yapım A.Ş.International Istanbul Furniture Fair (IIFF 2024), which is one of the three most prestigious furniture fairs in the world, opened its doors with a ceremony with great attendance. The fair, which has been organized with the support of the Federation of Furniture Associations (MOSFED) in cooperation between TÜYAP Fuarcılık and MOS Fuarcılık, will host buyers from 200 countries and remain open until January 28th.
"We rank 7th among the top global furniture exporters"
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Ahmet Güleç, President of MOSFED, stated: "We are happy to launch the IIFF, which is the largest fair in Turkey and the largest one among all industrial fairs, under the coordination of MOSFED and with the joint organization by MOS Fuarcılık and Tüyap Fuarcılık. The furniture industry exports more than USD 5 billion of its total production value, which is nearly USD 12 billion, and represents the Turkish nation in 200 countries around the world. In this respect, we are one of the leading industries with the highest export ratio in Turkey. More than 20 thousand of our 50 thousand manufacturers are also exporting companies. Our exports figure, which totalled USD 250 million in 2001, has exceeded USD 5 billion as of today. The industry's share in Türkiye's exports increased from 0.8% to 2% during this period. Our share in the global furniture trade increased sixfold during the same period, rising from 0.3% to 1.8%. We have climbed to 7th from 36th in the global furniture export rankings. We generate a foreign trade surplus every year, without exception. Since 2001, our cumulative trade surplus has reached USD 35 billion. The fair has a special value in terms of being a productive event where domestic and international participants and global furniture trends meet, many commercial collaborations take place, and each year the fair is organized more successfully than its precedessor. I'd like to extend our gratitude to our esteemed ministers, the valuable bureaucrats of the ministries and all of our industrial associations, exporter unions and chambers who have joined forces under the umbrella of MOSFED as well as valuable participants and guests of the fair."
Edi Snaidero, President of the Confederation of European Furniture Industries (EFIC), congratulated the performance of the Turkish furniture industry during the general economic recession in Europe and showed his appreciation for the development of the furniture industry in Turkey. He also stated that he wholeheartedly congratulated the cooperation between MOSFED and Tüyap for their efforts to develop the culture of cooperation.
Europe's Largest Fair
Şekib Avdagiç, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), stated that they launched the largest fair in Europe and continued: "Almost 1000 companies are exhibiting their products across a total area of 250.000 m2. We have nearly 3000 brands here. The industry is growing and improving, and although we could not exceed the target in 2023, but we will reach our target of USD 10 billion in 2028. We need to successfully introduce the furniture industry to the new generation via the digital world. Finally, we need to carry out supplemental marketing activities by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence apps that can meet customers' expectations."
Mustafa Gültepe, Head of Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) states that they have continuously increased exports for 6 years on a row except for 2020 when the global trade was hit by the pandemic and that the industry has big expectations in 2024. Gültepe explains "Turkey ranks 11th among the top export countries in this important industry with a market share of 1.7 percent. We have managed to climb up in the furniture export rankings by 25 steps during the last 20 years. As the furniture, wood and forest products industry, we have set an export target of USD 10 billion for this year. We also expect to increase our exports to USD 20 billion dollars by 2028."
Davut Gül, the Governor of Istanbul, states "Every week, we have more than one fair held in Istanbul with the leadership of our Ministry of Commerce. Istanbul is the capital of trade. So, most of the products manufactured in other parts of the country eventually end up here. I'd like to thank all the industry actors as well as the fair participants and everyone who contributed to making this a joyful event with their participation."
"IIFF is a showcase that demonstrates the strength and versatility of the Turkish furniture industry"
Ömer Bolat, Minister of Commerce, states that the fair is a showcase that demonstrates the strength and versatility of the Turkish furniture industry and explains "While Türkiye ranked 11th in the global furniture trade in 2021, it climbed up two places in the rankings and ranked 9th in 2022. On this occasion, I'd like to thank all our exporters who put our industry among the top 10 in the world. We aim to reach export figures of USD 267 billion in 2024 and 302 billion in 2026. This year, the Ministry of Commerce finances 50% of the rent and stand set-up expenses of the fair participants up to an upper limit of TL 222.472 per participant."
İlhan Ersözlü, General Manager of TÜYAP Fuarlar Yapım A.Ş. states that the Tüyap Fair Organization Group is proud to organize the IIFF and hopes that the fair will be profitable event for the entire industry.
The fair, which contributed a lot to the efforts of the furniture industry in reaching its export targets, aims to further improve Turkey's position as a manufacturing base of furniture.
Modern-modular furniture, beds and bed bases, garden furniture, office-school furniture and furniture accessories will be exhibited at the Fair Center. On the other hand, modern-modular furniture, luxury furniture, children's and teen room products will be exhibited at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center. BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE