The global furniture industry further boosts its presence at SICAM show in Pordenone

Satisfaction with the positive results of the fifth edition of SICAM: summed up, this was the assessment of most of the participating exhibitors upon the conclusion of the event. Despite the enduring critical condition of the international furniture market during this period, once more the trade fair held at Pordenone confirmed its reliability and value in generating business relations.

The statistics once more confirm the success of the event, both in relation to visitor attendance - with numbers exceeding sixteen thousand - and the presence of exhibitors - confirmed again at 500 companies. The overall satisfaction of attending exhibitors is evident from the fact that the organisers have already received registration requests for next year's edition, scheduled for 14th to 17th October 2014.

“The reconfirmation of the international scale of the trade fair is an irrefutable fact, with operators arriving from 95 different countries from all over the world again this year,” the SICAM organiser, Carlo Giobbi, revealed. “This year, foreign operators counted for roughly 35% of admittances. This is an extremely high percentage, which clearly demonstrates SICAM's standing in the global trade fair market. It can be said without doubt that the world of the furniture industry was present at Pordenone, at an even higher rate this year with respect to the past”.

Carlo Giobbi

Germany and Russia recorded the highest number of registrations. The former country - traditionally boasting great attendance at SICAM - counted for 9% of foreign visitors, while the Russians amounted to 8%. This is a very significant result as it shows how SICAM's promotional initiatives in emerging markets, including in the BRICS area, is materialising into actual business relations for businesses exhibiting at SICAM.

A more in-depth analysis of the countries of origin of attendees shows an additional interesting aspect. Approximately 70% of foreign visitors came from European countries (EU and non-EU), as was certainly predictable. However, the more unexpected, and particularly significant, factor is the 21% of visitors registered from Asian countries. This presence is fruit of the ongoing promotional work SICAM has carried out in that area over recent years.

“Another affirmation we received by talking to various exhibitors,” Carlo Giobbi added, “is that SICAM is always attended by operators with high decision-making powers within their companies. This is a vitally important element for those present, as SICAM's unique format is structured around its great ability to generate personal relationships. Having a high number of decision makers at the trade fair thus becomes the factor that generates added value in the quantity of contacts made”.

While foreign markets represented approximately 35% of attendees, we must not overlook the fact that SICAM continues to corroborate its status as the top event for the Italian furniture industry. All leading names of the furniture industry visited the trade fair, which was thus reaffirmed as the fundamental trade show used by operators to oversee the national market, one of the most important for the international furnishings sector. “It is still essential for the Italian furniture industry,” Carlo Giobbi reiterated, “that it can avail of a trade event in Italy every year that can be used as a carrier of the innovation and design our enterprises are capable of expressing. This is because these are the strong points they need to use to stimulate their competitiveness on international markets, and only a shop window with a high international factor can guarantee the necessary visibility and resulting business relations. This shop window is called SICAM. It is held every October in Pordenone and now, more than ever, it is at the disposal of the “Made in Italy” industry to help it reach the level it deserves throughout the world”.

SICAM has consolidated its position over the years, basing a large part of its success on a format characterised by its strict specialisation. Again this year, nothing was left to chance at the trade fair. Attention to detail and research into function aspects, aimed at placing visitors and operators in the best condition to work, were the main ingredients of that astute mix that SICAM generates every year. For this edition, the trade show presented some new elements to the benefit of its guests; for example, in the catering section, pizza and vegetarian dishes were added to the menu and were very much appreciated, and, in relation to logistics, the increased frequency of the free shuttle buses from the two international airports of Venice and Treviso to the Pordenone trade fair area was spot-on.

The other new element characterizing this 2013 edition of SICAM was the brand new app for iPhone and Android. It proved to be an excellent tool to smooth the progress of visiting the trade fair, enabling operators from all over the world to use their smartphones to access all the information available on the event, the trade fair area, and how to get there. Visitors from Islamic countries also appreciated SICAM's idea to provide a room to those who wished to celebrate the Sacrifice Feast on Tuesday 15th October.

As always, SICAM proved its ability to second guess and anticipate the needs of its public of international operators. Even the change in the exposition days was pertinent; the same Tuesday to Friday calendar will be proposed again for the next edition, when SICAM will be underway at Pordenone from Tuesday 14th to Friday 17th October 20.

Source: SICAM

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