MORE INTERNATIONAL THAN EVER

‘Brussels’ sums up a whole concept; the abbreviation suffices.

Officially, the full name is ‘Brussels International Furniture Fair’. A title which is more relevant than ever this year. ‘Brussels’ is more than simply the centre of Belgium and the Benelux region. The Furniture Fair has become the effervescent heart of the European interior industry. Here you see players from all points of the compass coming together and fanning out. The orientation towards Western Europe stretches from North to South. Brussels is there to support the furniture trade to the max, not to sell the maximum number of square metres.

First a flashback, back in time to 31 May 1978. The name “National Fair of the Furniture Industry” was statutorily changed ─ or in retrospect, corrected. National became INTERnational: these five extra letters have made a world of difference. They heralded the beginning of a new era. The Furniture Fair aspired to more international support. The role of foreign exhibitors has almost completely reversed: from 10% back then to a two-thirds majority now. That’s when the ball started rolling.

This internationalisation works as a catalyst for exhibitors and visitors. A more international offering makes the fair more attractive for a more international professional audience, which in turn makes the fair more attractive to Belgian and foreign exhibitors, and so on and so forth. The ball keeps rolling.

Foreign exhibitors see Brussels as a springboard to new markets, to the Benelux, France, Germany, Scandinavia… (You will regularly find such statements in the Blog.) Belgian and foreign visitors see Brussels as a voyage of discovery encompassing new collections from familiar and less high-profile firms. In short, a win-win situation.

The fair’s internationalisation is one aspect, but this does not come ‘at a cost’. Brussels exists to support the furniture trade to the max, not to sell the maximum number of square metres. The fair is not filled, but carefully curated. Brussels prefers quality over quantity. What counts is the level of the fair: the exhibitors, the visitors, and everything in between. Does the supply match the demand? What if the boundaries between outdoor and indoor disappear? What if contract and hospitality are serious business? What if ecological thinking more often translates into economic doing? Then these developments must and shall be on display at the Furniture Fair!
One thing that definitely won’t change? Brussels is all about mixing business with pleasure. No stress, no energy drain: Brussels is chill.

All the exhibitors and organisers wish you a very warm welcome!