Singapore Furniture Industries Council was established in 1981 as the official representative body of Singapore’s furniture industry. It currently represents 95% of established furniture manufacturers in Singapore, of whom 65% have subsidiary manufacturing plants in the region including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Its primary role is to promote the interests of its members and the Singapore furniture industry. Many of its initiatives aim to facilitate members’ exposure to the world market, develop local talent and encourage entrepreneurship.
Through SFIC Institute, its training and education arm, the SFIC offers development courses to ensure its graduates remain competitive and relevant to the latest industry developments. It also manages the International Furniture Centre and organises the annual Furniture Design Award as well as International Furniture Fair Singapore/ASEAN Furniture Show, Deco Asia and The Hospitality Show. To ensure the industry’s growth and viability, SFIC continues to forge close partnerships with the government and trade-related agencies to harness technology, knowledge and information for effective strategic planning.
For the past 30 years, SFIC has always been in the
forefront to pave the way for its members and help
them adapt to changes in the business environment.
Major initiatives introduced by SFIC include:
International
Trade Development Programmes
a. International Furniture Fair Singapore / ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS), Deco Asia and The Hospitality Show
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Organises
the annual IFFS/AFS, Deco Asia and The Hospitality Show, an international event
that is well regarded by industry experts
as Asia’s most prestigious trade show. |
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IFFS/AFS, Deco Asia and The Hospitality Show
provides an effective marketing platform
for SFIC members and global industry players
to find new markets and alliances. |
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It is
endorsed by the Singapore government as
an “Approved International Fair”
since 1992. |
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It is
also the first Asian-based international
furniture fair to be accepted as a member
of the elite "Union des Foires Internationales"
(UFI), a Paris-based international authority
on trade fairs, since 1998. |
b. Participation in Overseas
Programmes
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Helps
members develop and expand their export
business at international trade fairs. |
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Organises
business missions to established and emerging
markets in search of new market potentials
and to leverage business opportunities abroad. |
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Helps
members to look for overseas business partners
through inbound and outbound business-matching
activities. |
c. International Furniture
Centre (IFC)
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Manages
the IFC, a one-stop solution shop, catering
to the global furniture market and facilitating
businesses multilaterally. |
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IFC will
comprise of export showrooms, a design village,
training facilities, office space and warehousing
support for the furniture industry. |
Collective Initiatives
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Focuses
on three collective initiatives: the consumer,
raising standards of furniture retailing
and enhancing manufacturing quality. |
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Successful
collective initiatives include the management
of IFC, the administration of the Good Furniture
Retailers Scheme and the development of
overseas industry clusters such as the Singapore
Furniture Industry Park – Kunshan
in China. |
Talent Development
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Accords
top priority to human resource and talent
development to ensure the industry’s
long-term viability and sustainability.
Hence, the initiation of the Furniture Learning
Institute in 2004 to address the industry’s
needs in areas of design, professional and
skills development; and in the long term,
develop a knowledge-driven furniture industry
for Singapore. |
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Spearheads
design-led business paradigm with design
exchanges, work collaborations and learning
programmes between local/international design
institutions to nurture design talents.
Annual activities include the Furniture
Design Award, Furniture Design Forum as
well as the provision of facilities for
designers to gather and network with industry
players. |
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Actively
recruits second-generation leaders and young
furniture managerial talents into the Youth
Furniture Committee to groom new talents
for the industry and to facilitate a smoother
transition of business from the earlier
generation to the next. |
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Organises
regular CEO Learning Circles and industry
networking events to create added opportunities
for members and their business associates
to establish closer rapport and business
relations. |
Adopting E-commerce
as another channel to trade
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Actively
encourages industry players to harness infocomm
technologies, adapt and adopt a new economy
mindset and innovative business channels
to find new growth opportunities beyond
our geographical boundaries. |
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Formation of strategic
partnerships
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Assumes
a major role as providers of business information,
training and consultancy to benefit the
industry. |
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On the
national level, the SFIC has been an effective
bridge between the government, statutory
boards and trade bodies to ensure that the
industry’s views were heard when new
legislations were being formed. |
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SFIC is represented in the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, DesignS, Enterprise Development Advisory Council, Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Singapore Manufacturers’ Federation, Specialists Trade Alliance of Singapore. On the regional level, SFIC continues to represent Singapore in the ASEAN Furniture Industries Council.
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