The January Furniture Show organiser has abandoned its efforts to hold the show in April, instead reverting to its traditional January date next year.
Clarion Events had hoped to hold the event at the NEC from 25-28 April, renaming it Furniture Show Birmingham. Now this will not happen, with JFS scheduled for 23-26 January 2022.
‘While this has of course been a difficult decision, the safety and success of our exhibitors, visitors and suppliers remains our number one priority. The uncertainty surrounding live events that comes with the current national lockdown, combined with the expected timeline of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, means that postponing the show to its traditional January slot in 2022 is the best decision at this stage,’ says Zoë Bonser, Clarion Events portfolio director.
Bonser says after a year of discussions it is in the early stages of launching a ‘market-leading offering, set to innovate the way furniture and interiors brands do business.’
‘Whilst we are all missing physical shows, opportunities to do great business are still abundant. We are thrilled to be in the testing stages of a new offering that will meet the needs of our audience in the absence of live events and continue to complement them once they return.
‘We know that both life and business have changed significantly in the past 12 months, and that is reflected in our research and feedback. Our customers are now more engaged with online solutions than ever before, with 92% of visitors discovering trends and inspiration online, and 89% sourcing new products online. They are also buying more frequently, with 44% buying new products 10plus times per year. We are excited to be working on creating opportunities that will enable our customers to do business in a new way, and continuing to play our part in helping them meet their objectives.
‘Having been busy researching and listening to the needs of our customers, JFS will continue to be the place for the furniture industry. We plan to connect with all our customers to discuss these exciting new opportunities in the coming weeks, and we are really looking forward to announcing more detail around our new offering very soon.’
