The biggest in its four straight years of participation since 2016, The Philippines is once again set to conquer the international stage as it seeks to generate export sales in Ambiente, a leading international fair held in Germany. 24 Philippine exhibitors from various sectors such as Furniture and Lighting, Home Décor and Houseware, and Gifts and Seasonal decors will exhibit alongside the world’s top manufacturers in Messe Frankfurt in Germany on February 8-12, 2019.
The trend now is gearing towards natural with soft but colorful hues and we are proud to say that we have already started that direction in the Manila FAME October 2018 editon,” said Tony Gonzales, designer and over-all curator of the Philippine participation in Ambiente.
After a 15-year hiatus from curating the Philippine delegation in the largest B2B trade show in the world, Gonzales returned last year and is intent on leading the Philippines once again with a successful participation. The 2018 Philippine participation in Ambiente exceeded targets as it generated $2.3Millon export sales.
“We are already ahead of the game as we have been developing products since last year for Manila FAME. We used this time to really refine the products that we will bring in Germany. The Filipinos are already known for their design sensibilities, but we want to bring products that are not just design-centric but also saleable,” Gonzales noted as he delved deeper on the business of design.
“At the end of the day we are doing business and we are looking forward to generate sales because the Frankfurt fair is where you verify your niche since people really go there to buy,” Gonzales added.
With a theme “Sustainability Through Design” LifestylePhilippines will champion ecological sustainability by harnessing the different natural resources abundant in the Philippines such as mother of pearl, abaca (Manila hemp), raffia, rattan, buri and other plant fibers. These renewable resources are transformed into unique, functional products that reflect the exquisite Filipino design sustainability.
The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan, is confident that LifestylePhilippines will conclude another successful Ambiente participation this year.
“Through the exemplary skills of Tony Gonzales, one of the country’s design luminaries, the craftsmanship of our manufacturers and exporters, and our advantage as a member of the European Union’s (EU) preferential trade arrangements through the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+), I am sure that we will be able to take centerstage in one of the most prestigious selling platforms in the world,” Suaco-Juan said.
Ambiente is the leading international trade fair and the world’s number one in products associated with dining, cooking, household items, furnishings and ornaments, interior design, gifts, jewelry and fashion accessories. Ambiente 2018 featured 4,376 exhibitors and attracted 133,582 trade visitors from 168 countries, presenting classic and innovative products over five days.
The 24 manufacturers set to join the Philippine pavilion in Ambiente are Arte Cebuana, Enpekei, Finali, Pradora, South Sea Veneer and Tadeco for the furniture and lighting sector.
The home décor and houseware, gifts and seasonal décor industry on the other hand, will be represented by Arden, Bon Ace, Celestial Arts, Chanalli, Elms Accesoria de Casa, GSG by Flora Creatives, Klassy Collections, Larone Crafts, Marketex (formerly Markalex), Masaeco, Natural Craft, Nature’s Legacy, Oricon, Red Slab Pottery, SAFFY Inc., Starlight Homessences, Tuy Arts and Designs and Twenty-Nine Eleven.
The Philippine participation in Ambiente is organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through its export promotion arm, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) in partnership with the office of Sen. Loren Legarda and Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) – Berlin.
Sen Loren Legarda, one of the avid supporters of the Philippines’ bid to capture the lucrative German market helped in securing funding for Germany trade participations such as Electronica and Automechanica in 2018, and Ambiente for home and furnishings this 2019.
For a more extensive presentation of the Philippine product design sectors, join or visit the Manila FAME, one of the longest-running trade shows in the Asia-Pacific region. Also organized by DTI-CITEM, Manila FAME is the only trade event in the Philippines approved by the Union des Foires Internationales (UFI), the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. It is held bi-annually every April and October. The next show is slated on April 25-27, 2019 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City, Philippines.