Capital’s first ever Furniture Expo to be held tomorrow

Islamabad
Federal capital’s first ever grand national level Furniture Expo Interior Pakistan will commence here on Friday at a local hotel while Federal Minister of Commerce Mian Khurram Dastagir along with Dean of Diplomatic Corp & Argentina’s Ambassador to Pakistan Rodolfo Martin Saravia will inaugurate three day Expo.
Mian Muhammad Kashif Ashfaq, CEO of the Pakistan Furniture Council and ChenOne announced that PFC is organising the 3rd Interiors Pakistan exhibition in Islamabad. The mega annual event will be held on November 6 to 8, at a local hotel.
Interiors Pakistan is an opportunity for the largest furniture companies and interior designers in Pakistan to display their products. The exhibition promotes the furniture and associated products made in Pakistan. The Council expects that there will 100,000 to 150,000 visitors at the Expo based on the success of the previous two years.
Mian Muhammad Kashif Ashfaq said, “The vision behind Interiors Pakistan is to create a space for furniture display and promotion across the country. The national exhibitions groom local producers to access the international markets and increase their potential markets.”
The Pakistan furniture industry has a great future and we predict that the increased exposure through Interiors Pakistan will highlight the skill and talent in the country. This exhibition will also provide the younger designers and architects to see the market trends and display their own work alongside that of more established professionals.
The furniture industry in Pakistan is still in its nascence in terms of scale in the international markets. Exports exist but are comparatively very small given the capacity and skill of producers – from the handmade, bespoke products made by the cottage industry and the high end luxury designers to the large scale players providing structure to the industry.
Pakistan’s wood industry is well developed and captures 95% of the country’s total market for furniture. The country has more than 700 units of wooden furniture with Chiniot, Gujrat, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi being important centres. The market is divided into home use and contract markets, constituting supplies to hotels, restaurants, offices and public facilities.
Chiniot in Pakistan is well known for its beautiful wood carved furniture and brass inlays. It is no surprise, therefore, that the city alone meets 80% of furniture demand in the country. With several medium/ large scale industrial units operative, the wooden furniture industry in Gujrat also produces world class furniture with immaculate finish.
The potential, however, is largely untapped. There is room for diversification and the market beyond Pakistani borders is substantially larger than the local market. The Pakistan Furniture Council exhibition, Interiors Pakistan, is a stepping stone to achieving this potential.