Post Show Report Mebel 2022

07 / 12 / 2022

33rd International Exhibition for Furniture, Fittings and Upholstery

The 33rd edition of the International Exhibition for Furniture, Fittings and Upholstery – Mebel 2022 – is the largest furniture show in Russia and Eastern Europe and one of the most respected professional platforms for the demonstration of the best furniture products. 

Sergey Selivanov, First Deputy Director General of EXPOCENTRE AO

“Over the years, Mebel has become a unique show that demonstrates the entire technological cycle of furniture production from components, materials and equipment to finished products and design solutions. Compared to last year, the show has grown. Its success depends largely on our regular partners and exhibitors, with whom we have long years of friendship and cooperation.”

Mebel 2022 traditionally brought together the world's leading manufacturers, designers and interior designers to showcase new furniture collections, promote effective business networking and business development, discuss urgent problems of import substitution, and find new partners and sales markets. 

The show’s success has once again confirmed its high status as an important component of Russia’s furniture market, which is constantly growing and has a high consumer rating and export potential.

Dates: 21–25 November 2022

Venue: EXPOCENTRE Fairgrounds, Moscow, Russia  

Organised by EXPOCENTRE AO

Supported by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia, the Russian Designers Association

Under auspices of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Floor space: 70,000+ sq. m

Attendance: 36,727 visitors from 88 regions of Russia and 60 countries

Total number of exhibitors: 667 companies   

Russian exhibitors: 500+ (Angstrem, Lyubimy Dom, Olmeko, Silva, Furniture of the Bazhenov Brothers, Andrea, Maria, Miassmebel, Ormatek, TBM, Slotex, Valmaks, Toris, MC Style, Promet, TriYa, Fabrikant, Noframes, Orimex, Anrex, Kronospan, CFMK, TatÑhair, Vektor, Megaplit, Melodia Sna, Souz-M, etc.

Newcomers: IMK Collection, Mebelrash, Krakov, Lavsit, Izzikids, Volume Map, Romano Home, China Design, MGS Mebel, Callisto Mobili, Metalltec, Listvig, Felder Group, Leda Artisans, Germex, Ramkad, Svedsta, Svetly Gorod, ÑÌ, Franke, Crafter, Bremen, Binom, California Mebel, Vitebskdrev, Krasnaya Nit, etc.

Countries: 12 (Armenia, Austria, Belarus, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Turkiye)   

Group stands of Russian regions: Arkhangelsk, Kaliningrad, Kirov, Leningrad, Penza, Rostov, Ryazan, Ulyanovsk, Yaroslavl Oblasts, Mari El and Udmurt Republics  

Show Highlights

Mebel 2022 showed the latest trends in market development, fashion, style and design. The exhibits included furniture in various price segments for bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, children's rooms, as well as kitchens from manufacturers, sofas and armchairs, furniture fittings, equipment for furniture production, finishing materials and various interior items, office furniture, furniture for hotels, cafes, and many other products. 

Turkiye and China had large showcases: Turkiye with more than 70 participants and China with 46 participants. Foreign partners brought upholstered and cabinet furniture, furniture fittings and furniture fabrics. 

Twenty Russian regions supported and financed the participation of their manufacturers in the show. The government support helped regional companies to use their participation in Mebel for further growth and development.

Tatiana Gigel, member of the Russian Federation Council Committee on Agrarian and Food Policy and Environmental Management

“Russian-made furniture is interesting because it takes into account all the tastes of our consumers, and most importantly, it is designed for all social groups, for different levels of income. And, of course, when you see such magnificent samples of Russian furniture, you feel proud of our country, and you realise that we will succeed in everything. We can be first not only in space, but also in the industries that have traditionally been developed in Russia.”

Dinara Alpashaeva, Director of the Development Corporation of the Udmurt Republic

“These are particularly good times for Russian furniture companies. With the departure of foreign companies, great opportunities have opened up for them to find new customers and occupy the vacated markets. This is why furniture trade shows are now very popular among our companies. Eight companies were selected for Mebel 2022, and half of them are exhibiting for the first time. We hope that the event will help participants generate new contacts, find partners and conclude contracts.”

Maksim Avdeev, Deputy Chairman of the Yaroslavl Region Government:

“The show brings together leading manufacturers, designers and interior design specialists. Participation is an opportunity to develop effective business contacts, look for new partners, as well as to monitor and master promising trends in furniture and interior design.”

Such major marketplaces SberMegaMarket, Avito and Ozon participated in Mebel 2022. It was primarily due to an increase in the number of service users and overall sales turnover in the furniture category. 

Conference programme

Mebel 2022 hosted 45 events as part of its conference programme, bringing together interested professionals to discuss the most relevant issues of the furniture industry. Special attention was paid to Russian design and its promotion in the current competitive environment.

The programme was opened by the 2nd Russian Conference of Furniture Manufacturers, organised by the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia and EXPOCENTRE.

Its speakers were Director General at the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia Timur Irtuganov, First Deputy Director General at EXPOCENTRE AO Sergey Selivanov, Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Oleg Bocharov, member of the Supervisory Council of Angstrem Group Sergey Radchenko, and other executives of the industry’s leading companies and a relevant committee of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The conference participants discussed the state of the furniture industry in Russia, the state support measures adopted and under development for furniture manufacturers, and the necessary tools to support domestic manufacturers. The conference included panels on fittings and components, the sale of furnished flats, and export development.

Watch the broadcast 

One of the key events of the conference programme was the RusMebel Forum 2022, organised by the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia and EXPOCENTRE. Over three days, the industry experts discussed the most important issues of the Russian furniture industry.

The forum’s opening events was the meeting on furnished flats with representatives of construction companies. 

Russian Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities Nikita Stasishin moderated the meeting. Other participants included President at the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia Aleksandr Shestakov, Director General at the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia Timur Irtuganov, member of the Supervisory Council of Angstrem Group Sergey Radchenko, and other leading experts. 

Aleksandr Shestakov, President at the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia

“Today, many construction companies, market leaders, rent out flats with finishings. Furniture will also be included in this programme. Therefore, a person taking out a single mortgage loan will be buying a finished home together with the furniture.”

Proposals from the meeting included the availability of furniture when entering into an agreement in shared construction, recognition of furniture as collateral and subject to mortgages, and reducing the chain of intermediaries between developers and furniture manufacturers in order to reduce costs.

Watch the broadcast

Another event was the meeting on the problems in the Russian board and plywood market. Export development ñ ó÷àñòèåì Director at the Department of Light Industry and Forestry Complex of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade Vera Khmyrova, CEO at Kastamonu Integrated Wood Industry Ali Kylych, top executives of Kronospan, Tomlesdrev, Swiss Krono, and EGGER Drevproduct Shuya. 

RusMebel Forum 2022 was continued with the panel on import substitution, organised by the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia and EXPOCENTRE AO. It was moderated by Director General at the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia Timur Irtuganov, who paid special attention to the critical issue of fittings for furniture production. According to him, 95-97% of the metal fittings used by Russian manufacturers are imported.

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The Conference on Secondary Vocational Education focused on what opportunities companies can offer young professionals. Speakers covered the topic of employment for young professionals, what jobs they could expect to find at furniture companies and what career prospects were open to them.

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RusMebel Forum 2022 concluded with the event devoted to the furniture market 2022-2023 through the eyes of consumers, which talked about what was changing in consumer behaviour and how furniture companies should respond to it. Participants discussed the customer journey from product need to company interaction.

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The panel discussion of risks and opportunities of the furniture business in the current environment. Anti-crisis solutions to reduce the cost of declaration (certification), effective tools for sourcing products, materials and components attracted the attention of those involved in the certification and declaration of furniture products and components. The experts talked about the risks any business faces and the opportunities Russian manufacturers should consider when planning activities, advised on the best way to proceed with product declaration and certification, shared some best practices and gave practical advice. 

The participants in a conference organised by the International Furniture Consultancy Centre and EXPOCENTRE talked about how to retain and motivate staff in difficult times.

Watch the broadcast

The exclusive furniture designs, new furniture fabrics and fittings exhibited at Mebel 2022 were complemented by workshops and masterclasses from renowned interior designers as part of the Design Hour project.

The audience was interested in a vivid presentation by Elena Teplitskaya, a designer, architect, artist, TV presenter of the Bottomless Mezzanine and the Colourful Revolution programmes, on how does colour affect a person's sense of space. Diana Balashova, an interior designer, founder of the design bureau for private and public interiors, and a regular participant in the Apartment Question TV show, talked about Choosing Partners, Technology 2022. Sergey Tregubov, an interior designer, founder of the Iroom Design studio, TV presenter of his personal blog on the School of Renovation project, presented WOW effects in design.

Julia Sharapova, Zhenya Zhdanova, Zoya Ti, Natalia Solo, Nina Vanchugova, Natalia Vlasenko, Stanislav Orekhov, Ekaterina Dyatlova, Mikhail Grachev, Ivan Khodyrev and other interior designers, TV presenters and bloggers, and studio managers shared their experience. Topics of their presentations were egronomics of flats and studio flats, a designer's work in the sanctions environment, psychology of colour perception in interiors, new laws and best practices in layout, home-staging: how to prepare a flat for sale or lease, finishing flats: decorative methods of working with space, uniqueness of designer, influence of colour on perception of space, etc.

Design House included the discussion of Russian furniture design: identity and product. Its participants discussed the future of the Russian furniture industry. Design Lounge hosted panels called Made in Russia. How Young Product Designers are Conquering Russian Retail, and Designer – Builder – Furniture Maker. Who's to Blame and What to Do.

The Design Hour workshop programme concluded with a presentation by Lina Knyazeva, an interior designer, studio manager and participant in design internships in Italy, Germany and Macedonia, who talked about interior trends at international fairs in 2022.

Interesting workshops called Meeting Point. Furniture+Design was prepared by the Association of Designers and Architects. The guest speakers talked about vastu methods for the furniture business, materials in furniture production for a demanding client, developing a company's brand and entering the premium segment, where and how to look for a client in a crisis, how to attract new partners, and what furniture companies can offer design studios in today's realities.

Watch the broadcast

The furniture retail festival Furniture Retail Fest 2022 was co-organised by FCProject.

Topics discussed included new anti-crisis measures, substitution strategy, working with demand, practical experience on marketplaces, adapted technologies for furniture retail, cases on managing a furniture company, presentation of new furniture franchises, and introduction of omnichannels.

The first day brought together representatives of the furniture e-commerce industry. During the plenary discussion, the participants discussed the main issue, which was how furniture companies were building their presence on the internet and taking shares away from the traditional furniture retailer. The discussion was moderated by Vlad Shirobokov (New Retail Forum). Representatives of SberMegaMarket spoke about their strategy for the development of furniture and household goods categories. The centre of attention was the master class on how to make money on Avito. Representatives of this largest internet website presented up-to-date analytics on sales of the furniture category on Avito, shared the secrets of a selling furniture shop, took apart the accounts of existing sellers, and suggested current anti-crisis scenarios.

On 22 November, the festival continued with Dealer Day, dedicated to franchising, new formats and business models. It opened with a panel discussion entitled Supplier vs Dealer: Red Lines. Valeria Zelinskaya, co-founder of FCProject, moderated the event. Specialists of leading furniture supplier companies – Svetlana Obraztsova (Askona), Maria Mamysh (Era), Liliya Kats (Maria), Mikhail Tuzhilin (Ormatek), Sergey Igudin (Apriori) and others – as well as dealers and experts of the furniture market took part in the discussion. There was also an expert session called When Ikea Went Away on the fundamental restructuring of the Russian furniture market. Representatives of the Russian furniture market, online retailers, and Ikea suppliers answered the questions: how the effect of Ikea's departure is now manifesting itself, what we have lost and what we have gained with the departure of the global player.

The central theme on 23 November was new niches and new brands. The participants discussed commercial interaction programmes with designers, new discoveries in the imported furniture market, and also talked about what was happening in the integrated interior sales market. The furniture marketing agency Rekana organised a case study session on branding and merchandising.

On 24 November, Boris Agatov, an independent expert in retail innovation, held two panels on changing consumer behaviour and digital technology for new retailers on tight budgets, and the D2C strategy for manufacturers and retailers: going directly to the customer, what's the difference between strategies. They were part of the Furniture Store 4.0 session at FRF.

Preparation for the Purchasing Centre for Retail Chains™: Furniture, Accessories, Furnishings was the Conference RESTART: How is the Russian Furniture Market Adapting to the New Reality? The conference was organised by KVK Imperia and EXPOCENTRE. The participants discussed the relevant issues of today's furniture industry, analysed the modern furniture market and got answers to a number of questions. Oleg Retanov, Director General of KVEIK, trading under the Medved brand, Sergey Polyakov, Head of Hoff Marketplace Business Development Unit, and Eduard Romanovsky, Director of Business Development at Mebelik, told how large companies coped with the problems.

At the Purchasing Centre for Retail Chains™: Furniture, Accessories, Furnishings, manufacturers held direct supply talks with 24 buyers from furniture retailers and businesses.

The Conference on Furniture Business the Russian Way. Unconventional Sales Growth Opportunities in the New Crisis 2023 aroused great interest among visitors and exhibitors.

The speakers provided the professional audience with up-to-date summaries and forecasts of the furniture market, shared new business techniques for expanding clientele in times of economic turbulence, effectively managing sales on falling traffic in furniture retail, and achieving higher sales.

Watch the broadcast

The session on the practice of preparing documents for expert examination to confirm the production of industrial products in the Russian Federation in accordance with Russian Government Decree No. 719 of 17.07.2015 was held by Soyuzexpertiza ANO of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and EXPOCENTRE.

Watch the broadcast 

The show also featured WoodworkingSkills 2022 – the 3rd championship for young professionals of the furniture and woodworking industries. It was organised at the initiative of the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia jointly with the Skills and Profession Development Agency using the WorldSkills methodology.

The competition’s participants were students from vocational schools and employees of woodworking companies, furniture companies and restoration workshops. The participants demonstrated the results of their work and showed visitors that a finished piece of furniture was an indicator of the craftsman's professionalism. 

Traditionally, Mebel hosted an award ceremony for the winners of the 17th Golden Cabriole National Award for Industrial Furniture Design. It is Russia's only national award in the field of industrial furniture design. The competition was organized by the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Enterprises of Russia and EXPOCENTRE.

Watch the award ceremony broadcast

The conference programme of Mebel 2022 concluded with an award ceremony for the winners of the 17th International Competitions for the Best Consumer Properties and the Successful Promotion of Quality Goods. The competitions were organised by Soyuzexpertiza ANO of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and EXPOCENTRE.

Watch the award ceremony broadcast

Mebel 2022 was an important event for industry professionals. They got acquainted with new trends in the furniture industry and found the right solutions to adapt their businesses to modern conditions.

We are looking forward to seeing you at Mebel 2023 at EXPOCENTRE Fairgrounds, Moscow, Russia, on 20–24 November 2023.

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Press Service, EXPOCENTRE AO