The January Furniture Show closed its doors on 25th January, after welcoming a 25% increase in buyers year-on-year. After years of disruption, the success of the event is testament to the resilience of the industry and huge appetite for face-to-face interactions. The launch of the new Home Interiors Show was met with enthusiasm from exhibitors and visitors, also evidencing the demand for creating those tradeshow connections.
Highlights of this year’s show included:
- Over 1,000 VIP buyers in attendance with £1m+ buying budget
- Senior buyers in attendance from companies including; DFS, Furniture Village, John Lewis, Wayfair, Next, M&S, Sainsburys, Furniture Direct, Very Group, and Dunelm
- 84% increase in international buyers such as; Steptoes Home Furniture and AA Home from Cyprus, Benjamin Furniture from the Netherlands, Aqatha from Nigeria and Jesper Pedersen and Tradepoint Buying from Denmark
- 33% increase in attendees with decision making power
- Focus on sustainability through a partnership with The Centre for Excellence in Creative Making (CECM), with many brands taking key learnings back to their business
- Inspiring advice from The Better Trends Company on what to watch in 2023 and 2024 – including ‘permacrisis’ and ‘psychedelia’ aesthetics
- Practical advice and strategy planning for digital growth in 2023, from experts in marketing, social media and SEO
- The launch of a new show for the interiors industry, Home Interiors Show
- Exhibitors creating on-stand buzz with appearances from ambassadors such as former NFL player and ITV pundit, Jason Bell, being hosted on the La-Z-Boy stand for photographs and Q&A
- New Vietnamese Pavilion signalling the welcome return of international exhibitors to the January Furniture Show
As the only dedicated European furniture show taking place in the first quarter of the year, – the key time for buyers to select new stock and suppliers – the January Furniture Show 2023 did not disappoint. Speaking on the success of this year’s show, Michelle Downs, Buyer from Dunelm said: “January Furniture Show is a great place to visit if you would like to see everyone, catch up with suppliers and see new trends.”
Fabb Furniture Senior Buyer, James Hollas, added: “JFS 2023 was a really good show, we spent two full days seeing all the suppliers, there were some great new designs, great new fabrics, and great new dining sets, we’re really excited to get these products into the store for spring time.“
Exhibiting brands also found the four-day event a great success, shown in a significantly higher rebook compared to previous years of 74%, all confirming participation in next year’s show. Brands already signed up for the 2024 show include the likes of; Bluebone, Tetrad, Westbridge, Buoyant Upholstery, Pacific Lifestyle, Bontempi and Kettle Interiors, to name a few, as well as returning brands such as; At the Helm, Ashley Manor, LPD and Paulus & Brown,
Zoe Bonser, Clarion Retail Portfolio Director, said: “To see such positive numbers and rebooking commitment for next year tells us that the industry is ready to return to live events, and we’re delighted to have delivered a successful show for the furniture and interiors industries.”
A highlight at the show was a partnership with The Centre for Excellence in Creative Making (CECM), featuring an experiential live workshop. Aiming to shine a spotlight on fresh new talent and raise awareness of ways brands can become more sustainable, Craft The Future, in Hall 5, saw major footfall and engagement from guests. Renowned British designer Bill Amberg featured on the Craft the Future stand on day three and also gave a talk on the Furniture Talks stage about using leather in interiors and architecture.
JFS also showcased the latest trends for the first time this year. In partnership with The Better Trends Company, providing expert, tangible and adaptable advice. Onsite installations displayed 2023 and 2024 tends including ‘Permacrisis’ – a defiant design response embracing joyful, nostalgic and creative outlets through bright colour and bold pattern; and ‘Psychedelia’ – surreal expression and dreamlike movements, with layers of colour and morphing shapes which create a hypnotic and surreal aesthetic.
Zoe Bonser continued: “We set out to revitalise our offering this year, building on 32 years of successfully bringing together businesses and buyers to make key purchasing decisions while also inspiring and surprising our audience with new and exciting content, takeaway advice and practical information.”
Tristan Lynch, CEO of Roseland Furniture stated: “It’s good to be back! The show was filled with optimism and visibly had a stronger attendance. It’s been a tough year for our sector but the team at Roseland held very positive and productive conversations with all suppliers and manufacturers.”
The four-day event also saw the inaugural launch of a new offering from Clarion Retail, Home Interiors Show. Custom created for the interiors, accessories and lighting industry, the show has been produced in collaboration with key brands including; Gallery Direct, Pacific Lifestyle, Riva Home, där Lighting Limited, CIMC home, Hill Interiors and Libra.
Home Interiors Show will take place bi-annually at the January Furniture Show in Birmingham, to serve the retail buying community, and co-located Top Drawer in London in September, to target premium buyers who may not travel to events outside of the Capital as well as new international VIP delegations.
Home Interiors Show will be back for its Autumn edition at Olympia London, 10-12 September, 2023.
The next January Furniture Show takes place 21-24 January 2024 at Birmingham’s NEC. Register interest at: https://thefurnitureshows.com/january/register-your-interest
Author: Adam Parry
Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.
