Canadian Wood: Back into the groove with Vietnam furniture trade shows
To showcase B.C.’s sustainable wood species for use in Vietnam’s furniture manufacturing sector, FII Vietnam recently attended two prominent furniture exhibitions—Vietnam International Furniture and Home Accessories Fair (VIFA) and VietnamWood. These were the first major in-person trade events held in Vietnam since 2019.
Under the Canadian Wood brand, the FII Vietnam booth at both shows featured a bold contemporary design comprised of hemlock upright boards evoking the feel of a forest, supplemented by sample racks showing hemlock, Douglas-fir, western red cedar, spruce-pine-fir (SPF) and yellow cedar.
The Canadian Wood booth also featured solid Hemlock furniture created by acclaimed designers John Kelly and Malene Lillelund. Both designers attended to discuss with international buyers and local manufacturers the versatility of hemlock, and have expressed their intention to incorporate hemlock in future furniture designs.
VIFA attracted 175 different exhibitors and over 11,000 visitors, making it one of the biggest trade events for furniture and wooden products in Vietnam.
VietnamWood, another of South-East Asia’s leading trade fairs for the furniture industry, attracted 233 different exhibitors and close to 9,000 international visitors from 53 countries. The Canadian Wood booth was one of the most popular at the show, attracting about 500 visitors over four days and resulting in nearly 150 qualified leads.
In advance of the VietnamWood show, FII Vietnam hosted a program for Canadian delegates to visit local furniture manufacturers. FII also hosted a business and networking event connecting local manufacturers with B.C. suppliers.
Both trade shows attracted a significant number of attendees and inquiries, and suggests a rising interest in Canadian wood products for the growing furniture sector in Vietnam. The world’s fifteenth-most populous country now exports furniture to more than 100 countries, making it the second largest global furniture exporter after China.
