As the curtain closes on the Irish Furniture and Homewares Show, which concluded on August 27th, we sat down with Mark Gannon, CEO of Sofa Source International and organiser of the fair, to reflect on the fair's success. 'It was a very successful fair. The numbers were up and the sales were higher,' Mark says.
This is the first part of the interview with Mark Gannon. Next week we'll dive into Sofa Source's future plans and the current challenges for the furniture industry.
The 10th anniversary of IFHS
The Irish Furniture and Homewares Show (IFHS), held from August 25-27 this year, was a celebratory edition, marking the event's 10th anniversary. 'Over the years, IFHS has grown into the leading tradeshow for the Irish furniture industry, offering buyers, manufacturers and wholesalers a unique chance to discover new trends, build connections, and source quality products. This year's event was particularly special. We celebrated a decade of supporting the industry, with highlights including the return of the Irish Furniture and Homewares Awards, led by Amanda Bone, shining a spotlight on excellence in the sector,' Mark explains. 'As the sole event of its kind in the Irish market, IFHS is an important platform for the industry to come together.'
A great success
This year's edition was a major success, with a significant increase in attendance and sales. The fair saw a 25-35% increase in attendance across the three days, with a noticeable improvement in customer mindset and purchasing activity. 'After COVID, we were able to secure a much better venue. However, for the past few years, we had to shift the event to June/July, which is a bit early for the Irish market.'
'This year, we were pleased to return to our original late-August date, which proved to be much more effective. Sales were significantly higher, and customers were in a more favourable mindset. This period is particularly busy in the furniture industry, so buyers are more inclined to make purchases compared to the middle of summer. Overall, we're very happy with the outcome.'
'There were a lot of new products around all the exhibitor's stands. Buyers traveled to Asia in March and a lot of that product now landed in August to launch at the end of the year. You could see it was a better time.'
Sofa Source International
'We had a strong presence at the fair with two stands: one for our Irish wholesale business, Image Furnishings, and another for the design and manufacturing business, Sofa Source, which serves Ireland as well as the UK and Europe. Both stands performed exceptionally well, with sales dramatically higher compared to the previous year,' Mark says.
Next week we'll dive into Sofa Source's future plans and the current challenges for the furniture industry, so stay tuned for part 2 of the interview.
Sofa Source is looking for new agents. Take a look at the job offer here!
More information:
IFSH
+353 (0) 83 8576 794
[email protected]
www.ifhs-tradeshow.ie
Sofa Source International
+353(0)90 6628 844
[email protected]
www.sofasource.com
Ireland
Image Furnishings
+353 90 662 88 44
[email protected]
www.imagefurnishings.com
Ireland