São Paulo – A group of 18 Brazilian furniture companies attended Index, the fair of the sector that took place in Dubai last week, and has deals worth US$ 5.7 million in line. This amount is from sales that should happen in the next 12 months due to the contacts done in the fair. During the event, held from Tuesday (19th) to Thursday (21th), US$ 698,000 worth of exports were dealt.
The data was passed on to ANBA by Cândida Cervieri, executive director of the Brazilian Furniture Industries Association (Abimóvel). Abimóvel is responsible for the Brazilian Furniture project, along with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, which markets Brazilian furniture globally. The participation of companies at Index Dubai happened through the project.
The Brazilian companies made 1,649 contacts with importers from countries such as United Arab Emirates, India, England, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Lebanon, Pakistan, Germany, Kuwait and Bahrain. Cervieri says that the businessmen were expecting for a stronger presence of Africans and felt that this year’s edition had fewer visitors that last year. “However, they thought that there were highly qualified visitors”, says the executive director.
Cervieri believes that the decline in the number of visitors reflects the world’s current economic environment, in a downturn. “The world retraction is affecting the companies that attend the fair”, she said. The estimation done by Abimóvel for businesses at Index was higher, with US$ 1.5 million of immediate deals to be closed at the fair, and US$ 6.5 million in the next 12 months, according to information released before the event.
Even so, the companies showed great interest in Index. So much so that the number of companies attending was higher than in the 2014 edition, when 14 companies participated. “The Arab market is an entrance to other markets”, says Cervieri. Around 30% of the Brazilian companies that went to Index Dubai were there for the first time.
In the group that attended the fair were the brands Artesanato, BRV Móveis, Butzke, By Poli, Carraro, Cristais São Marcos, Multimóveis, MZ Artes, Politorno Móveis, Móveis Kappesberg, Rotta Móveis, Saccaro, Santo Andirá, Telasul, Tora Brasil, Unicasa, Valéria Totti and Vamol. According to Abimóvel’s executive director, companies from all the segments attended, from popular products and mid-market to the luxury products. The mid-market companies were on demand by projects of large sustainable condominiums.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
