FIMMA + Maderalia, the International Biennale of Materials, Technology and Components for Furniture, Interior Design and Contract Projects, closes its doors this afternoon with figures that exceed even the best expectations. The international call for the wood sector and supplier industry of Feria Valencia reached at noon today the 35,000 professional buyers, a figure that exceeded by 10% the influx recorded in the last appointment of 2018, held before the pandemic.
This ratifies the good feelings recorded throughout the fair, with the halls of the pavilions filled especially on Wednesday and Thursday, when the fair received its peak of visitors. In addition, the fair has registered a notable increase in the registration of foreign buyers since up to the 16% of the trade visitors registered this year came from 60 Countries Different, with a special impact of the markets of the European Union (Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium or Germany as main markets), countries of the Maghreb (with Morocco and Algeria leading the way) and Latin American countries.
In addition, from the first analysis of the figures is extracted the wide call of FIMMA + Maderalia among buyers from all over the state territory. For example, the 62% of visitors have been from outside the Valencian Community, which shows the remarkable impact that the biennale has throughout the state territory with the impact on overnight stays in the surroundings of the fair.
Wide satisfaction among exhibitors
Satisfaction with the results obtained by the fair has been a constant among exhibitors of FIMMA + Maderalia. They admit that the commercial results exceed their best expectations. For example, in the field of furniture hardware and components, Eduardo Urquijo from Grass recognized that “the influx has been massive, from the carpenter to the great industrialist. The largest furniture manufacturers have visited us. We are happy to have presented in Maderalia our great novelties”.
In the same segment, Alejandro Chivite from Blum told that “customers who have had to come have come. The fair has improved a lot with the new pavilions”.
In the field of boards, surfaces and new materials the balance is also very positive. For example, Eduardo de Palacio from Krion Grupo Porcelanosa admitted that “we are optimistic and excited about the results of the fair. It has been a great edition of Maderalia and we have realized that we are in the sector where we had to be. It’s the right channel and fair for it”.
From their part, Sofia Lopes from Sonae Arauco was also satisfied with a fair, in which “we have succeeded in our strategy of maintaining our relationship with the customer through the provision of a conference room to our distributors to publicize in depth our novelties. We have covered our business objectives”.
From the machinery and technology sector, participants pointed out the success that FIMMA has meant to show the novelties of the sector to meet the market demand. “It has been a great success to concentrate the offer in a pavilion since all visitors have had the opportunity to know first-hand our offer. We are very satisfied”, explained Jaime de Cecilio from Comercial Cecilio.
Lluís Biosca from Felder Group recognized that “Felder has made a great commitment to this fair and I must say that the market has responded. We are satisfied. The market has seen what Felder is and what we can offer”.
Valencia, business platform between Europe and America
One of the most striking aspects of this edition of FIMMA + Maderalia highlighted by the exhibitors has been the very important presence of professionals from the other side of the Atlantic.
For instance, a large group of North American exporters of hardwood, united under the association American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) have used FIMMA + Maderalia to twist the business with European wood importers, which currently are so much in need of raw material and that they had not been able to contact in person with their North American suppliers during two years of pandemic. In fact, Mike Snow, Executive Director of AEHC, acknowledged that “purchase orders have come out at Maderalia”.
On the contrary, there have been many wood professionals from Latin America who have crossed the pond these days to attend FIMMA + Maderalia and buy machinery to renovate their workshops and carpentry. Those are professionals from Colombia, Argentina or Dominican Republic accustomed to buying in Europe and that this year have chosen the appointment of Feria Valencia to stock up as it is the first European call to be held after the pandemic.
