ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) on Monday announced to hold three-day mega ninth Interiors Pakistan Expo-2017 to promote local furniture industry worldwide as well as enhancing the exports of the sector.
The expo would be held on December 15 at Expo Center in Islamabad where as many as 100 brands will exhibit their products.
The expo aimed at promoting and introducing Pakistani interiors, furniture and accessories in and outside Pakistan, said PFC Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq.
In past, PFC had successfully organized eight mega exhibitions and got amazing response from the public and private sector alike, he added.
China, Italy, United Kingdom, Turkey, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Denmark, Thailand and, Bangkok have been invited for participation while delegations from other countries are too be expected, he added.
Members from diplomatic corps, leading businessmen, stakeholders of the furniture industry and foreign delegation would also attend the event, he maintained.
While more than 70 leading local companies and interior designers will display their products and as per previous trend nearly 250,000 to 300,000 people are likely to visit this mega exhibition.
‘This exhibition has now opened new vistas and venues to the amazing potential and caliber of Pakistani furniture, fixtures and respective furnishing goods that we produce with high quality,” he said.
The essence of this mega furniture exhibition is to promote the furniture and associated Pak made products at local and international level.
Visitors on the lookout for buying furniture will be able to enjoy special discount of up to 20 per cent on different items at the exhibition which will also provide the younger designers and architects to study the market trends and display their own work alongside that of more established professionals.
Mian Kashif urged the government to establish exclusive expo centres for furniture industry one each in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Peshawar and Quetta, especially for Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. Only 25 percent industrialists and traders of the country visit Karachi fairs and after the establishment of new expo centres with greater facilities more people would come to these cities to increase their trade with foreigners and local investors,” he hoped.
PFC Secretary Hamid Mahmood on this occasion said the objective of Interiors Pakistan was to give exposure to local entrepreneurs to the major markets in Pakistan. “This activity aims at uplifting socio-economic condition of the community and connect the entrepreneurs with direct buyers”, he added.
He said with a little innovation, investment and government support, furniture industry can generate even more employment and income from sustainable economy.
He said textiles and rice were currently the largest exports of Pakistan bringing in $14 billion and $2 billion of foreign exchange, respectively. Furniture exports on the other hand stand at a meager $51 million.
