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| Leaner furniture show set next year; Euro buyers eyed |
| Sunday, 13 July 2008 22:27 | |||
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Ruby Salutan, executive director of Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc. (CFIF), said the amount will be spread out to improve the website, conduct electronic mail blasts, upgrade the database, participate in trade fair promotions and invite international journalists to cover the event. Salutan said the budget for product development and design is already lumped with the P12 million promotions amount. “We are doing this because this is exactly how we can get buyers to come,” she told . Salutan said even with a P20 million budget, Cebu X 2008 last March was a toned-down show due to the slow growth of the industry brought about by the weak performance of the dollar to the peso. US buyers comprise 60 percent of Cebu's clients. “This year we are very optimistic as we have infused support from government as we pursued product development and design programs.” Recently, CFIF was granted a P4 million export development fund from the Export Development Council. “We pour this into product design and development, and with this we hope to bring renewed vigor, fresh and new innovations from these programs,” Salutan said. The CFIF is also involved in material innovation and manipulation programs in partnership with the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines. “We will also expand our student internship and mentoring program to get more interaction,” she said. The University of the Philippines-Cebu is already a CFIF partner while talks are underway to get the University of San Carlos and De La Salle University-College of St. Benilde as academic partners. Salutan expressed optimism that this year's show will sustain the brand positioning of Cebu as a top-billed design destination. Asked if they expect growth in the number of exhibitors next year, she said: “Noting the difficulties we are facing, we will be happy to maintain the numbers this year but we are hoping for at a 10 percent increase next year.” The annual furniture show will be held on March 2009 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. In an official statement, CFIF noted that Cebu X 2009 will carry the long-standing moniker of Cebu as the “design destination of Asia” in its main theme. More European buyers are expected to visit the furniture show with the aggressive promotions of CFIF to European countries such as Vienna, Slovenia and Croatia among others. Cebu companies make up 20 percent of the Philippine furniture industry with over 300 furniture manufacturers and exporters. The CFIF noted that these companies directly employ 80, 000 workers and indirectly employs 140,000 workers through subcontracting.
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