The home of the UK’s largest furniture association and leading furniture technology centre will be opening its doors in October for an open day.

The headquarters of FIRA International and the Furniture Industry Research Association will be welcoming visitors on Thursday 16th October 2014. The event will include a brief update on the highly-topical proposed changes to the flammability regulations and delegates will provide the opportunity to get involved in an interactive furniture repair demonstration.

From concept and design to manufacture, retail and after-sales care and repair, FIRA works with the whole furniture supply chain offering a range of services to provide support where it is needed and raise standards across the whole industry.

Visitors can take a tour of the testing laboratories, which includes a flammability testing demonstration, and find out how the association supports the industry with a variety of projects, such as national furniture specifications, export hub, Furniture Design Toolkit and the ongoing research into flammability testing. FIRA’s experts will be available to answer questions throughout the day.

Phil Reynolds, COO for FIRA International, says: “Whether you are a member of the Furniture Industry Research Association, a customer of FIRA, or simply curious to find out more about how we support the furniture industry, we find visitors are always surprised by the wide range expertise and services we offer. There isn’t much we don’t know about furniture or the furniture industry and we have many years’ experience of writing and interpreting British and European Standards. Our Open Day is a great opportunity to talk to our experts and ask questions while getting a taste of how we can support businesses of all sizes.”

The day includes a demonstration from FIRA’s acclaimed ergonomists and informative presentations from experts on topics such as sustainability in the furniture industry, which looks at information about the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme, how to comply with the EU Timber Regulation and carbon footprinting. A networking break in the morning will provide an opportunity where experts in furniture testing will aim to answer questions.

The open day will begin at 9.45am, with coffee and registration, and concludes at around 2:30pm. Lunch is provided and there will be opportunities to meet with experts to discuss specific enquiries, as well as other staff, such as a marketing service for members.

To book a place or for further information, contact Chrissie Winsor, email cwinsor@fira.co.uk or call 01438 777 700.