BE2017en

Brussels Furniture Fair is the oldest furniture trade fair in Europe. And after all this time, the fair is
stronger than ever! An 80th anniversary is always a momentous milestone, and it’s the ideal moment
to take a look back. But the Furniture Fair has no desire to tell some dusty tale about past
glories. We prefer to talk about NOW – and are even more excited to look to the FUTURE together.
Different times demand changes, and more and more manufacturers are daring to take up this
challenge. Some do it step by step, whilst others make a quantum leap. We live in a highly exciting,
revolutionary era. On the one hand, the new consumer is living in ever-smaller spaces. On the
other hand, he is living in a vast world of social media. These two developments present a historic
challenge and offer some phenomenal opportunities for our industry.
The new consumer increasingly lives in (big) cities or alone. Belgian manufacturers are coming
up with ever more ingenious solutions for compact and single living. This is a market that they no
longer want to concede entirely to a single Swedish furniture giant.
The new consumer knows what is on the market. Anything he doesn’t know, he will immediately search
for. Sorted! He wants to know the ins and outs of a piece of furniture in detail. Has it been produced
fairly and sustainably? How…? Why…? What is it made of? He wants to hear the true story behind
each piece. That’s why more and more manufacturers are paying serious attention to storytelling.
The new consumer knows exactly what he wants. He will not be satisfied with ‘more or less’: he
wants the maximum. Each and every piece must fit him like a glove. That’s why customisation
is being perfected across all segments. That’s why manufacturers are offering more sizes and
finishes, as well as alternative and/or innovative materials. That’s why our exhibitors are launching
commercial collections for these new consumers that are better than ever.
Brussels Furniture Fair
MOVING FORWARDS FOR 80 YEARS
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The new consumer is highly trend and design aware. That’s why each year, we highlight Trend
Styles in our corridors. For our 80th birthday, the design|industry platform in Hall 3 will be an additional
extra.
You can read about all of this in BE Magazine, and will soon be able to see, feel and hear it first hand
at the Furniture Fair. Take your time to appreciate the stories behind the pieces: about the design, the
materials, the concepts, etc. All of them are inspiring stories that you can share with your customers.
Together with our exhibitors, we look forward to welcoming you to this anniversary edition!
Lieven Van den Heede
BRUSSELS FURNITURE FAIR
5-8 November 2017
Brussels Expo