Struggling hard to survive at expos<\/p>\n
I. Christianto, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Most people want to find their dream home complete with all
\nthe amenities they have always wanted, including furniture.
\nThat's why the furniture sector always has good prospects,
\ndespite various challenges from domestic and international
\ncrises.<\/p>\n
Check various places favored for exhibitions like the Jakarta
\nConvention Center (JCC), Kemayoran, shopping malls and other
\nlocations. They have a full list of events, including frequent
\nfurniture expos held by different event organizers.<\/p>\n
Homes can be charming, but need to be revitalized every now
\nand then to maintain their beauty - furniture significantly
\ncontributes to this revitalization and is a proven solution for
\nmost homeowners. Therefore, there is always a market for
\nfurniture, according to Dwi Karsono of PT Debindo Multi
\nAdhiswasti, a private events organizer.<\/p>\n
He said many people preferred to visit furniture expos rather
\nthan coming to showrooms. \"That's why many furniture makers join
\nexpos to introduce their latest products and
\nmodels,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Joining exhibitions has become common practice for most local
\nfurniture retailers, wholesalers and even producers seeking new
\nbuyers either from home or overseas.<\/p>\n
According to him, selling through an exhibition has become a
\nmore effective way of finding new customers nowadays due to the
\navailability of more exhibition sites that meet international
\nstandards.<\/p>\n
\"As most exhibitions are held during weekends, many people
\nhave much more time to spend at the expo,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Debindo, set up in 1987, has organized furniture expos in
\nJakarta every year since its establishment. The company mostly
\norganizes exhibitions for the real estate and furniture
\nindustries. But in 1993, it focused most of its activities on
\nfurniture exhibitions.<\/p>\n
\"We hold furniture exhibitions three times a year,\" Dwi said.
\n\"The only challenge we face is that we can't have the same fixed
\nschedules every year as the JCC is the only popular and
\nappropriate venue in Jakarta for holding exhibitions,\" he added.<\/p>\n
At least three major furniture exhibitions will be held at the
\nJCC before the end of this year. Another nine similar events will
\nbe held at the same building next year.<\/p>\n
Furniture models displayed at the expos mostly include
\nantique, classical, contemporary, modern and futuristic styles.
\nFurniture can also be categorized by its raw materials including
\nwood, rattan, bamboo, plastic and iron.<\/p>\n
Some furniture retailers and producers display particular
\nfurniture products during the expo. With the wide range of
\nproducts and models displayed, buyers have many choices to suit
\ntheir taste and preference.<\/p>\n
\"A homeowner sometimes wants to combine different styles of
\nfurniture, just to make the home more interesting or colorful.
\nSay the living room has modern style furniture, and a country-
\nstyle touch for the dining room and so on,\" Dwi said.<\/p>\n
The buyers' selections are quite varied and therefore it is
\ndifficult to determine what styles of furniture are likely to be
\nmost popular. But people from the high income bracket usually
\nprefer to buy furniture items that conform to the latest
\nfashions.<\/p>\n
\"Most buyers tend to choose mass-produced items,\" he said in a
\nreference to common furniture products, which are produced by
\nfactories in large volumes.<\/p>\n
In addition to Jakarta, Debindo also holds similar events in
\nBandung and Surabaya, three times annually in each city. In
\nJakarta, each event attracts around 100 participants.<\/p>\n
Dwi said that at the end of this month, Debindo would open a
\nfurniture expo at the JCC, the third and possibly the last to be
\nheld by the company this year.<\/p>\n
There are usually some 80,000 visitors who attend the event in
\nJakarta. Average sales may reach between Rp 30 billion and Rp 60
\nbillion (about $6.3 million) at each expo.<\/p>\n
The majority of expo participants display locally-made
\nproducts, and they mostly use the exhibition as a venue to meet
\nprospective buyers from overseas.<\/p>\n
\"By joining the expo, local producers can reach foreign
\nbuyers. So in this sense, the exhibition has an important role in
\npromoting the country's furniture exports,\" Dwi said.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Furniture Club is confident the country's
\nfurniture exports will reach US$1.8 billion this year from $1.6
\nbillion in 2000, despite a low growth of between 2 percent and 3
\npercent in the first half of the year.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the club Yos S. Theosabrata said furniture exports
\nwould continue to grow as long as the government could provide
\nstability, and keep the volatile rupiah more stable against
\nforeign currencies.<\/p>\n
Without political stability, it would be difficult to increase
\nexports from last year's level, he said, adding that the
\npolitical uncertainty in recent months had been a major blow to
\nthe country's exports. The instability has also had an impact on
\nproduction and shipment activities.<\/p>\n
Many buyers had postponed their orders for Indonesian
\nfurniture because they feared they would not receive them.
\nEuropean nations including the Netherlands, Germany, Britain and
\nBelgium, are Indonesia's major markets for furniture. The other
\nimportant markets for Indonesian furniture exports are the U.S.,
\nJapan and Singapore.<\/p>\n
The slump in the furniture market in the U.S, one of the main
\nbuyers of Indonesia's exports, could also affect the Indonesian
\nfurniture industry, he said.<\/p>\n
According to media reports, the manufacturers' association in
\nthe U.S. has projected that wholesale shipments of residential
\nfurniture will fall 6.7 percent to $23.862 billion this year from
\n$25.579 billion in 2000. It forecasts shipments will rise to
\n$24.727 billion next year -- leaving them still below their 1999
\nlevel of $24.972 billion.<\/p>",
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