Post Event Press Release of the Mebel’2013 International Exhibition
The 25th anniversary international exhibition for furniture, fittings and upholstery – Mebel’2013, held on 18-22 November 2013 in Moscow, at Expocentre Fairgrounds, has finished its work.
This year the Mebel Exhibition ran under the slogan Defining Tendencies. Setting Trends! The exhibition saw a traditionally extended exposition uniting renowned world brands, new products of Russian and foreign major companies of furniture industry. Once again the exhibition maintained its high status of the main industry event in Russia’s furniture industry.
This largest furniture industry show in Russia and Eastern Europe organized by Expocentre ZAO was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, under the patronage of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and the Moscow City Government. The Russian Union of Timber Industrialists and Exporters and the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia contributed to the organization of the exhibition.
The logos of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) and the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs (RUEF) are a testimony to the exhibition’s high status.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Georgy Kalamanov made his speech at the official opening ceremony. He said, “Exhibitions have always been a show of the positive changes that had taken place. I hope the Mebel exhibition will be an important show of our achievements further on.”
Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Industry Pavel Dorokhin congratulated the participants and visitors on the opening of the exhibition. According to him, “the furniture market has good prospects and the Mebel exhibition contributes to the development of business contacts of its participants to the utmost. The exhibition enables to solve business problems concerning engagement of partners, potential buyers and customers and facilitates the development of furniture production taking into account the experience of the best foreign specialists.
The furniture industry has always been the centre of the government’s attention, as far as furniture is a socially imported commodity, thinks President of the Russian Union of Timber Industrialists and Exporters Miron Tatsun. The furniture industry has been steadily enough in recent years; the quality of goods is improving. The Union’s President addressed the Russian furniture-makers a proposal to solve the problems of their business more actively and use the measures of the government support.
Adviser to the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as CCI RF) Vladimir Gubernatorov welcomed the participants on behalf of the CCI RF. He said that the CCI RF places a high priority on the exhibition as the most important factor stimulating the development of the furniture market, furniture industry and trade. “It is difficult to remember a Russian or foreign company for which the Mebel exhibition had not become a startup for active development of their business and partnership links”, said the representative of the CCI RF. He stressed, “The exhibition remains an active drive for the industry development and encouragement of business contacts that is especially important in terms of Russia’s integration into the global economy and accession to the WTO.”
World leading brands were presented at the stands of the Mebel exhibition. The participants in the main event of the furniture market were 890 companies from 37 countries. National pavilions were presented by 9 countries: Belarus, China, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.
During the exhibition period almost all Expocentre’s pavilions were occupied. The total exhibition area made up 86,000 sq m.
The newest world achievements were showcased by such companies as SMEG, MobilPiu’, Zuliani Mobili (Italy); Blanco, Josef Hoffman, Suddekor (Germany); Luis Silva (Portugal); Gamet (Poland); Jela Jagodina, Forma Ideale (Serbia); Kikuchi (Japan); SNGP (France); Microtex (Czech Republic); Bellona, Kilim (Turkey); Embawood (Azerbaijan) plus many others.
Russian furniture products were demonstrated by 549 companies including Shatura Furniture Factory, Dyatkovo, Angstrem, Mebel Chernozemya, Ufa Mebel, Stolplit, Komandor, Kalinka, Askona, Consul, Ametist, Textiledata, Souz-M, Sputnik Style, Ekomebel, Driada, Pervaya Mebelnaya Fabrica, Norkpalm, Blum, MDM Complect, Hettich, Makmart, Sidak, Kronostar and others.
Owing to a large share of foreign participation, the exhibition rendered its assistance in extending cooperation of world-known designers and furniture makers with their Russian colleagues as well as the largest customers from Moscow and Russian regions.
The show, universal in its subjects, has reflected all the range of the modern furniture market. For participants and exhibitors’ convenience 7 thematic salons were organized: Style – classic and contemporary furniture from across the world, Comfort – residential upholstered and cabinet furniture, upholstery materials, Components – furniture fittings and components for furniture manufacture, Kitchen – world of kitchen: furniture, household appliances and accessories, Office – office and commercial furniture, Dream – mattresses and fillers, Decor –furniture and interior décor items. A wide thematic range of goods satisfied the demand of all the consumers.
Expocentre for Counterfeit-Free Exhibitions project was carried out at the Mebel’2013 exhibition. It is designed to reduce the number of counterfeit products showcased at trade shows. Customs Clearance Consultation Centre was opened for visitors and participants in the exhibition.
The video-diary became a novelty of the exhibition. The positive feedback of the participants, visitors and potential customers proves the fact that the exhibition was really interesting and useful. One can see the videos at www.meb-expo.ru/ru/videodnevnik.
The programme of events of the exhibition has traditionally featured its variety and representation.
The key event of the programme was the 7th Forum of Directors Furniture as a Business organized by the Congress Exhibition Company Imperia and Expocentre ZAO.
Two hundred delegates from more than 50 cities of Russia and the CIS countries took part in the Forum. It included more than 30 reports, discussions and masterclasses. Among the speakers there were heads of the Russia’s leading furniture enterprises such as Pervaya Mebelnaya Fabrica, Fabrica Mebeli 8 Marta, Askona, Forema-Kukhni (Kitchens), Zetta, Hoff, Elba Mebel, Kurazh, SenatorClub, Ronicon.
One of the Forum’s sessions was carried in talk show format: its participants represented different segments of the furniture market and the subjects were defined by the open Internet-voting.
The Forum’s participants got an overview of the furniture market conditions.
Head of the analytical department of Express-Obzor Dmitry Brusnetsov said that for the first half year of 2013 Russia’s furniture manufacture reduced by more than 5%. Whereas import increased by 10% and export decreased by 29%. The market keeps growing at the expense of the import of cheap furniture with an increasing share of the countries from Southeast Asia
President of the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia Alexander Shestakov thinks the costs of European furniture makers are lower than ours, business competition is getting fierce – Belarus builds some new factories targeted at Russia.
According to President of Neocon Expert Consulting Company Mikhail Khazin, the opportunity for Russian manufacture is import substitution. “We are quite capable of manufacturing a large proportion of the products imported at present; we have all the necessary resources for it.
Evgeny Milner, the Manager of Trio-Pyatnitskaya Salon, answered the question “What should a furniture company do off-season, when there are no sales?”. He stressed that we have a very important influence group – architects and designers. Seasonality concerns end customers, nor architects’ work – sometimes they prepare their projects for half a year and we cooperate with them off-season as well.
The issues concerning dumping, discounts and prices for furniture products were also discussed at the Forum.
The subject “How to Get a Better Service Working Face-to-Face with a Customer?” aroused a great interest. It is important for personnel to understand that meeting standards means sales. And sales are his/her salary.
It was also mentioned that for the development of perfect furniture one should combine research of consumers’ demand, analysis of non-standard orders and costs saving.
Director General of Expert Patent Legal Office Ludmila Shchyolokova stressed in her speech that furniture makers can protect their original products against copyrighting using 3 types of intellectual property protection. Furniture design is protected like an industrial design; construction components – like invention patents; brands, names and graphic designs – like trademarks.
The participants in the Forum discussed shortage of personnel in the furniture branch. It was said that the shortage of personnel inevitably results in wages rise: among sales assistants in the furniture sector this rise made up over 7% (data collected in Moscow).
A modular system of vocational training, including full-time, self- and remote learning, is being introduced.
Representative of the International Furniture Personnel Center Sergey Alexandrov said that a lot of directors dream of finding good sales managers. To realize this dream one must have a combination of standards, training, complete business processes, a wages system connected not only with sales but also with the standards compliance.
In the frames of the Mebel’2013 exhibition there was a Meeting of the Executive Council of the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia.
The Industry Art and Technical Council on Furniture, Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia, Union of Russian Designers and Expocentre ZAO held the 25th Russian Show and Competition of the Best Russian Furniture and Fittings “Russian Furniture” and the elimination round of the 9th Russian Industrial Design Competition for the Russian Cabriole Award.
On November 19, 2013 there was an award ceremony of the 8th Russian Industrial Design Competition for the Russian Cabriole Award.
The winners of the 8th Russian Industrial Design Competition for the Russian Cabriole Award became the following companies in the following categories:
Residential Cabinet Furniture:
- gold medal was given to Baltiskaya Mebel OOO (Interdesign Furniture Factory);
- Russian Cabriole Awards were given to Miassmebel ZAO, Furniture Compane ‘Shatura’ OAO, Mebel Chernozemya OAO (Holding Company) (Voronezh).
Cabinet Furniture for Living and Public Rooms:
- bronze medals were given to ASM OOO, Ufamebel OOO;
- silver medal was given to Angstrem OOO (Manufacturing company);
- gold medals were given to Optima OOO (Renaissance (Furniture Company), Life Concept OOO.
Furniture for Bedrooms:
- bronze medals were given to Alliance of the 21st Century OOO, Elit OOO (Trading House), (RosMebel OOO);
- silver medals were given to Silva OOO, Ulyanovskiy Mebelny Kombinat OOO, Life Concept OOO;
- gold medal was given to Angstrem OOO (Manufacturing Company);
- Russian Cabriole Award was given to Dream Land (Dream Technologies OOO, Moscow).
Kitchen Furniture:
- bronze medal was given to Grafskoe OOO;
- gold medals were given to Vitra OOO, Pervaya Mebelnaya Fabrica ZAO;
- Russian Cabriole Awards were given to Ulyanovskiy Mebelny Kombinat OOO, Furniture Factory ‘Ekomebel’ OOO.
Upholstered Furniture:
- bronze medals were given to Favorit OOO, Furniture Company ‘Aisha’ OOO;
- silver medal was given to Divany Germany OOO;
- gold medals were given to Pushe Upholstered Furniture Factory, ARTmebel Furniture Factory;
- Russian Cabriole Award was given to Mebelnaya Fabrica Britannica OOO.
Children’s and Juvenile Furniture:
- Russian Cabriole Award was given to Mebelnaya Fabrica ‘Griga’ OOO.
Office Furniture:
- gold medal was given to SP Mebel OOO (Sergiyev Posad, Moscow Region);
- Russian Cabriole Award was given to Partcom OOO.
Special-Purpose Furniture:
- silver medal was given to Pervaya Mebelnaya Fabrica ZAO (St. Petersburg);
- Russian Cabriole Award was given to Gruppa 396 OOO (Moscow).
Foreign Furniture
- Gomelskaya Mebelnaya Fabrica (Republic of Belarus, Gomel), Resmita ZAO (Lithuania, Siauilai).
Style of NEXT Generation
- Projects of upholstered furniture ‘Bubble’, series of illuminated armchairs ‘Termit’, modular bench made of fibre concrete ‘Beresta’, a set of cabinet furniture for sitting-rooms ‘Mandarin’. Furniture Design Department of the Moscow State Academy of Arts and Industry named after S.G. Stroganov.
- Projects of a series of seats ‘RILL’, ‘TORUS’, ‘ARRAY’ based on innovative thermoplastic plywood ‘Grada’. Furniture Design Department of the St. Petersburg State Academy of Art and Industry named after A.L. Stieglits.
- Project of children’s transformer furniture ‘SPHAPPLE’. Service and Design Technology Department of the Russian State University of Tourism and Service (RGUIS), Samara.
The Industry Art and Technical Council on Furniture drew up the results of the Show and Competition of the Best Russian Furniture and Fittings “Russian Furniture” and held an elimination round of the 9th Russian Industrial Design Competition for the Russian Cabriole Award at the Mebel’2013 exhibition.
Following the results of the elimination round of the Russian Industrial Design Competition for the Russian Cabriole Award, the decision was made to give Certificates of Participation in the elimination round of the competition to the laureates of the show in the category the Best Designer’s Development.
It was also decided to award diplomas of the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia, Union of Russian Designers, Non-Profit Partnership ‘Furniture. Design. Russia’ and Industry Art and Technical Council on Furniture and present Grand Prix Awards bestowed by the Industry Art and Technical Council on Furniture to the show nominees in the following categories:
For the Best Designer’s Development;
- Mebel Chernozemya OAO (Holding Company) (Voronezh), Slavyanskaya Mebel OOO (Moscow), SP Mebel OOO (Sergiyev Posad, Moscow region), Furniture Factory ‘Vash Den’ (Kostroma), Furniture Factory ‘Ekomebel’ OOO (Dubna, Moscow Region), Involux ZAO (Republic of Belarus, Brest), Kostromamebel OAO (Kostroma), Yantar’Mebel’ PKF OOO (Protvino, Moscow Region), Almaz OOO Lyubimy Dom TM (Volgodonsk) were awarded Grand Prix by the Industry Art and Technical Council on Furniture.
- Yantar’Mebel’ PKF OOO (Protvino, Moscow Region), Involux ZAO (Republic of Belarus, Brest), Furniture Company ‘Lerom’ OOO (Penza), Imperiya OOO (Mari El Republic, Volzhsk), Expro ZAO (Tula), Trading House ‘Rusmebel’ OAO (Yaroslavl), Ulyanovskiy Mebelny Kombinat OOO (Ulaynovsk).
Quality-to-Price Ratio
- Furniture Company ‘Style’ (Penza), Expro ZAO (Tula), PTC Kavelio OOO (Electrostal, Moscow Region), Soyuz Mebel (Sole Owner is Tolmachyov S.V., Belgorod), Ulyanovskiy Mebelny Kombinat OOO (Ulaynovsk).
Innovations in Technological Solutions, Applied Materials, Fittings and Components
- Grafskoe OAO (Voronezh region) was awarded Grand Prix by the Industry Art and Technical Council on Furniture.
- Pervaya Mebelnaya Fabrica ZAO (St. Petersburg), Delta+ OOO (Ulyanovsk), Mebel Chernozemya OAO (Holding Company) (Voronezh), Consul Holding (Moscow), RosMebel OOO (Stavropol), Baltiyskaya Mebel OOO (Interdesign Furniture Factory) (Kaliningrad), Gomelskaya Mebelnaya Fabrika ‘Progress’ (Republic of Belarus, Gomel).
It was decided to recommend the following companies as nominees for the Russian Industrial Design Competition and Russian Cabriole Award and give them Certificates of the Winners of the Show and Competition:
Mebel Chernozemya OAO Holding Company, Slavyanskaya Mebel OOO, SP Mebel OOO, Furniture Factory Vash Den’, Furniture Factory ‘Ekomebel’ OOO, Involux ZAO, Kostromamebel OAO, Yantar’Mebel’ PKF, Furniture Factory ‘Lerom’ OOO, Expro ZAO, Almaz OOO TM (Trade Mark) Lyubimy Dom, Trading House Rusmebel OAO, Ulyanokskiy Mebelny Kombinat OOO, Baltiyskaya Mebel (Interdesign Furniture Factory), Grafskoe OAO, Delta+ OOO.
The 25th international exhibition – Mebel’2013 ended with drawing up the results of the international competition for the Best Consumer Properties and Successful Promotion of High Quality Products Awards organized by the ANO Soyuzexpertiza of the CCI RF together with Expocentre ZAO.
Upon the decision taken by the competition committee 19 diplomas of the 1st degree and 19 gold medals, 8 diplomas of the 2nd degree and 8 silver medals were prepared and given to the participants in the competition in the categories for the Best Consumer Properties of the Products, 4 diplomas in the category for the Successful Promotion of High Quality Products. The products were awarded with the competition logo for its further use on them.
According to the results of the expert evaluation/test of the samples and distribution activity of companies, the Commission chose the winners of the competition and awarded the following companies:
I. In the category for the Best Consumer Properties
diplomas of the 1st degree and gold medals were given to Interdesign Furniture Factory, Furniture Factory ‘Ivna’ OOO, Materlux Style OOO, Airon OOO, Interdeck OOO, Ecodizayn OOO, Ormatek, Group of Companies ZAO, Polygran-M OOO, Stolplit Furniture Factory, Medina OOO (Holding Consul), Likarion OOO, Debut OAO, Involux ZAO, UFK Group of Companies; 2nd place diplomas and silver medals were given to Group of Companies; diplomas of the 2nd degree were given to Mebax Group of Companies OOO, Gala-Plast OOO, Snite OOO, Modnye Kaminy OOO, Involux ZAO, Furniture Company Pelikan OOO.
II. In the category for the Successful Promotion of High Quality Products
diplomas of the 1st degree were given to Airon OOO, Stoplit Furniture Factory.
The exhibition included round-table discussions, seminars, consultations, masterclasses which drew attention of numerous industry specialists, businessmen and general public. The Mebel’2013 exhibition was attended by 64,190 people, 80% of whom were industry specialists.
The Mebel Exhibition is a traditional meeting point for the leaders of the furniture market presenting a unique opportunity for effective business communication and business development.
The organizers of the exhibition will be happy to welcome the participants and visitors to the 26th International Exhibition Mebel’2014 which takes place at Expocentre Fairgrounds from the 24th to the 28th of November 2014.
Press Office
Expocentre ZAO