Trade show organizers have formed a partnership with one of China’s leading furniture malls to operate two major furniture and building industry shows in Shanghai.

The China Foreign Trade Guangzhou Exhibition General Corporation — organizer of the China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) and the China (Guangzhou) International Building Decoration Fair (CBD) — and mall operator Red Star Macalline Group signed a strategic partnership agreement to operate the China International Furniture Fair in Shanghai this September. They will also operate the CBD-IBCTF (Shanghai) fair starting in 2019.

 The CIFF shows in Guangzhou and Shanghai cover more than 11 million square feet of show space, while the CBD fair in Guangzhou covers about 5 million square feet. As of June 2017, Red Star Macalline Group operated 214 malls across China with a total space of more than 133 million square feet. These malls serve China’s growing middle class population, many of which are just starting to purchase and furnish homes.

“The partnership is an open, equal, win-win with strong cooperation between two flagship exhibitions and the leading mall in China’s home furnishings industry,” CFTE said in a statement. “It’s not only a win-win for CFTE and Red Star Macalline, but also an all-win to unite and benefit the industry. Both parties will integrate their advantages and pool efforts so that exhibitors and visitors can be more focused in event participation and sharing.”

While specific details about the partnership were not immediately available, officials said that both CFTE and Red Star Macalline will share their resources to build CIFF Shanghai and CBD Shanghai “into world-class home furnishings exhibitions committed to the industrial restructuring and resources re-allocation.

Sparing no effort to promote the high quality development of the industry in the new era, CFTE and Red Star Macalline will strive to drive China’s consumption upgrade and satisfy people’s needs for a better life.”

The organizers said in preparation for the changes, Red Star has canceled its home furnishings exhibition scheduled for June 2018 in Hongqiao, Shanghai, and instead will focus on the CIFF event set for September 2018. By being involved in this event, organizers said that Red Star will bring a host of new resources to CIFF, including domestic and overseas high end brands and designers and dealers covering 28 provinces and 150 cities across China.

“Red Star Macalline will also infuse more fashion, design and crossover elements that reflect consumer demand and market trends,” the organizers said in a statement. “This will greatly enrich the exhibition and significantly improve exhibitors’ and visitors’ sense of gain.”

The CIFF Shanghai show will take place from Sept. 10-13 at the National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai.

(Source:furnituretoday.com)