IN THIS
ISSUE
- The International
Furniture Fair Singapore 2005 Claims 'Best in Asia'
- American Hardwood Export Council
(AHEC)
- 3rd Furniture Design Forum 2005
- FLIP! Challenge : Creating innovative
works of art out of furniture
- Furniture Design Award (FDA)
2005 : Showcasing modern yet ethnic pieces of New Asia
- Furniture Design Award (FDA)
2005 : Works of Creative Minds
- An Insight into the UK furniture
industry
- Why is it important to possess
a clear business strategy
- Furniture Learning Institute
: Programme Offerings Training that Works!
- Me and my Hole-in-One
- Honouring Industry Achievers
and Excellence
- World Furniture Outlook 2005
- Store Opening
- New Singapore Furniture Directory
- Calendar of Events
The International
Furniture Fair Singapore 2005 Claims 'Best in Asia'
Minister for trade and Industry, Mr Lim Hng Kiang SFIC Executive
Committee members marking the launch of the Fair with a
“bang”.
The International Furniture Fair Singapore
2005, held in conjunction with the 22nd ASEAN Furniture
Show (IFFS/AFS 2005) from 1 to 5 March, opened to great
aplomb. The presence of a record 17,535 visitors from 112
countries and 475 exhibitors representing 34 different countries
(82% of whom were repeat exhibitors) reaffirmed the global
furniture industry’s recognition of the fair’s
status as the ‘Best Show in Asia’.
Said Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Lim
Hng Kiang, who officiated the Opening Ceremony, “IFFS/AFS
is the ‘Oscar’ of furniture fairs from this
part of the world. The success story of the IFFS/AFS demonstrates
that when a group of determined and united trade leaders
get together to steer the restructuring effort, the industry
is transformed and its competitiveness strengthened.”
Leading the countries with the highest number
of participating exhibitors was China including Hong Kong,
with 90 companies, followed by Singapore with 72 companies
and Indonesia with 70 companies. Other prominent exhibitors
hailed from all over the world such as Australia, Belgium,
British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany,
India, South Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, the Philippines,
Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, United States and Vietnam.
“We are heartened by the continued growing
support from the global furniture trade fraternity for the
IFFS/AFS. Their presence here is testament of Singapore’s
reputation as an effective one-stop business gateway between
the East and West.” said Mr Jerry Tan, Chairman of
the IFFS/AFS’05 Organising Committee.
To ensure participants at the show obtain
maximum business mileage in terms of networking opportunities,
complimentary fringe programmes such as the Business Matching
Service (BMS) were set up by the SFIC to encourage trade
link-ups between exhibitors and buyers. A first among international
furniture trade shows, this value-added service facilitated
more than 7,000 business deals prior to the show.
Exhibitors Breakdown by Region
International Visitors Breakdown
by Region
During the 5-day event, exhibitors generated
a record of US$230 million of spot orders. An additional
US$2 billion of follow-on sales is estimated for 2005. Through
IFFS/AFS 2005, an estimated S$45 million in revenue was
generated for the Singapore MICE industry.
“We are very proud of the undeniable
fact that this home-grown annual show is growing from strength
to strength. With the growth of IFFS/AFS, Singapore’s
leadership position as the region’s furniture hub
is strengthened. Going forward, our aim is to effectively
take advantage of Singapore as the region’s furniture
hub, so that the Singapore furniture industry and indeed
the region’s respective furniture industries, can
achieve even stronger growth” said Mr James Koh, President,
Singapore Furniture Industries Council.
Internationally recognized as a design-led
show, IFFS/AFS’05 also featured trend-setting furniture
designs at the Furniture Design Award Showcase, Design Gallery,
the inaugural Furniture. Lifestyle. Innovation. Perspectives
(FLIP!) Challenge as well as an impressive line-up prominent
industry players and design gurus to give insight into the
industry and share upcoming trends at the 3rd Furniture
Design Forum.
With renewed business confidence after the
close of IFFS/AFS 2005, some 20,000 sqm of exhibition space
was snapped up by exhibitors in preparation for the 2005
show.
For more information, visit www.iffs.com.sg.
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American
Hardwood Export Council
From Left: Mr Philip Koomen (UK),
Mr John Chan (AHEC's Regional Director, Hong Kong) and Mr
John Kelly (USA)
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC)
has always been a strong supporter of the initiatives organized
by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC). To
complement, the Furniture Design Award (FDA) has initiated
several design related activities leading up to FDA 2005.
In October 2004, a total of 92 local
designers attended a SFIC seminar on American hardwoods
in Singapore. Participants of the seminar were provided
with comprehensive information and tips on how best to design
and leverage the properties of American hardwood to their
advantage.
AHEC also presented another seminar in collaboration
with the Interior Design Confederation (IDC). Entitled “Lifestyle
and US Hardwood Interiors”, the seminar was graced
by Mr Peter King, Vice Chairman of AHEC and Mr John Chan,
Regional Director of AHEC. The seminar commenced with a
presentation by renowned designer, Mr Patrick Fong.
Mr Fong boasts over 25 years of design experience
and was also a nominee for “The 2000 Most Influential
Interior Architects of the 20th Century”. He shared
with seminar participants his experiences and insights on
designing large shopping arcades such as the Pacific Place
and the Times Square in Hong Kong. These commercial buildings
are widely touted as case studies for successful designs
using US hardwoods. Participants were also treated to a
rare preview of his current project in Beijing, at which
AHEC will be holding its annual convention in 2005 upon
the project’s completion.
Mr Fong’s presentation also provided
a comprehensive discussion on how American hardwoods can
be used to enhance interior designs and add warmth to living
environments. He emphasized that designers should learn
to appreciate and incorporate the beauty of woods’
natural characteristics into their work.
The American Hardwood Export Council also
participated in the 3rd Furniture Design Forum (FDF) during
the International Furniture Fair Singapore 2005/22nd ASEAN
Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS’05) in Singapore. AHEC brought
in one of its keynote speakers, renowned furniture designer,
Mr John Kelly from New York, whose furniture designs in
American hardwood have won him numerous international awards.
Mr Kelly, who recently participated in a number of seminars
throughout the region, works closely with both Councils
by sharing his design and manufacturing knowledge and expertise.
At FDA 2005, the SFIC engaged Mr Philip Koomen
(who was introduced by AHEC in 2004), as one of the international
judges. Mr Koomen is one of Europe’s leading furniture
designer/maker and has a long history of using American
hardwood in his works.
“Interior design and joinery will become
increasingly important as economic development continues
in Southeast Asia. Designers appreciate the choices which
American hardwood species can offer,” said Mr Chan,
who is currently based in Hong Kong.
Indeed, recent statistics indicate strong
growth in the import of American hardwood lumber and veneer
(up 41% and 26% in value from 2003 respectively) into the
Asian markets. Species previously unknown to Asian designers
and manufacturers, such as white and red oak, black cherry,
hard maple, walnut and tulipwood, have become increasingly
popular in recent years, providing access to product markets
around the globe, by virtue of their popularity. The recent
fashion of American black walnut as a design trend shows
no signs of diminishing, providing another opportunity for
manufacturers to offer new design choices to their international
buyers.
One factor contributing to the popularity
of American species is the sustainability of the hardwood
resources in the USA. The natural resilience of American
hardwood forests to regenerate, and hence, the abundant
availability of hardwood species, are important to designers
and architects who are working with these resources. Visit
for more information.
AHEC publishes a number of technical publications,
which are available free of charge at the following website:
www.ahecseasia.org.
To find out more about AHEC, please contact:
American Hardwood Export Council
Room 528, West Wing
New World Centre
20 Salisbury Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
HONG KONG
Tel (852) 2724 0228
Fax (852) 2366 8931
Email: info@ahec-china.org
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3rd
Furniture Design Forum 2005 : Design gurus give insights
on the design trends of tomorrow
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“Be inspired – think about
what inspires you and try to incorporate that into
your work.” Advised Mr John Kelly, Founder and
Director of John Kelly Furniture & Accessories
from the USA.
Mr Kelly was addressing some 275 participants
on the topic of “Adding Perceived Value through
the Design Process” at the 3rd Furniture Design
Forum (FDF), a staple highlight at the annual IFFS/AFS.
The half-day forum recorded a 10 percent increase
in attendance compared to 2004.
|
Organised by the SFIC, FDF 2005 is supported
by DesignSingapore Council, the Singapore Economic Development
Board, International Enterprise Singapore, SPRING Singapore,
American Hardwood Export Council, Designers Association
of Singapore, Interior Design Confederation Singapore and
the Singapore Institute of Architects.
Mr Kelly and Mrs Edith Keller, Chief Executive
Officer of Carlin International from France, were the eminent
speakers invited to share their insights and expertise on
design based on the theme, “New Asia”, at the
forum.
According to Mr Simon Ong, Chairman of the
Design Development Committee for the SFIC, FDF 2005 was
organised to further complement the industry’s pursuit
of design excellence. More importantly, the forum aims to
empower the furniture industry to better leverage design
as a strategic business tool in the world furniture market.
From left: Mrs Edith Keller (Carlin
International, France), Mr Lars Engman (IKEA Sweden), Mr
Andrew Pang (X-tra Contract, Singapore), Mr Philip Koomen
(Philip Koomen Furniture, UK) and Mr John Kelly (John Kelly
Furniture & Accessories, USA).
“Many of you may already know that capturing
the hearts and imagination of the consumers can be a more
powerful tool in garnering purchase and brand loyalty than
appealing to them rationally.” Said Mr Ong in his
welcome address.
Speaking the topic of “Summer 2006 trends
for Interior”, Mrs Keller specified the importance
of anticipating new trends in the global market.
“If you don’t present consumers
with the designs they can’t imagine how to use them,”
said Mrs Keller. To her, “Harmony” is the core
of all successful designs. Wihtout it, any concept, no matter
how brilliant it is, would fail in achieving the objective
of a conducive living space.
This year’s forum is very well organised.
The high-profile speakers with their business and educational
backgrounds and practical advice certainly appealed to the
students and inspired them,” said Ms Sabrina Long,
Head of Interior Design of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.
A lively panel discussion and question and
answer session on “Innovation, Creativity and Design:
Generating Breakthrough Ideas” brought the interactive
forum to a close. Hosted by Mr Andrew Pang, Product Developer
of X-tra Contract, the discussion saw the audience engaging
in creative exchanges with the panelists that included Mr
Lars Engman, Chief Designer of IKEA Sweden, Mr Philip Koomen,
Founder of Philip Koomen from UK, Mr Pang, Mr Kelly and
Mrs Keller.
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FLIP!
Challenge : Creating innovative works of art out of furniture
To encourage arts and design students to perceive
and fashion furniture from a novel and unconventional perspective,
the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) organised
the inaugural “Furniture, Lifestyle, Innovation, Perspectives”
(FLIP) Challenge.
Rolled out in October 2004, students
from various arts and design-related institutions in Singapore
were challenged to create or transform unfurnished cupboards
into interesting works of art while retaining their basic
storage function. Kenas Pacific Pte Ltd, a Hong Kong-based
furniture company and stalwart supporter of the annual IFFS/AFS,
sponsored the 35 cupboards for the initiative.
Mr Simon Ong, Chairman of the Design Development
Committee for SFIC, said: “With the FLIP! Challenge,
students were made to exercise their creativity within the
given limitations of a cupboard. We wanted students to see
cupboards not just simply as functional storage devices
but as alternative lifestyle furniture, which is why we
named the Challenge, FLIP!. For the competition, we needed
the students to think out-of-the-box, harness the creative
energy and ingenuity within them and come out with design
gems. We are heartened by the quality of the entries and
are glad that the participants have lived up to the challenge.
We hope that these students will continue to build on their
potential and contribute towards raising the design standards
of our local furniture industry.
A panel of eight judges, comprising both
local and foreign representatives from the furniture and
interior design industries, conducted the final round of
judging.
Two teams from the Inspiration Design School
bagged the top and third prizes for the entries, “I-Revolution”
and “Cow”, respectively. The first runner-up
went to Temasek Design School for the entry, “Vibrant
Glory”.
Minister of State for Education, Mr Chan
Soo Sen Officiated at the FLIP! Challenge award presentation
ceremony, which was held in conjunction with the SFIC Lunar
New Year celebrations at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront
Hotel on 16 February 2005.
The FIC would like to show appreciation to
Kenas Pacific for their generosity and to Trans-link Exhibition
Forwarding Pte Ltd for sponsoring the in-land logistics
arrangements.
The finalists’ entries were showcased
and auctioned during IFFS/AFS 2005 which took place from
1-5 March. The proceeds were donated to Touch Community
Services.
Cabinet Works
of Art - The Winning Entries
1st Prize
Entry Name: I-Revolution
Institution: Inspiration Design School
Designed by: Lee Wei Ping Bernard, Chen Xiang De, Kwang
Chai Ching Kelly, Chen Guo
2nd
Prize
Entry Name: Vibrant Glory
Institution: Temasek Design School
Designed by: Wong Wei Qi Sam |
|
3rd Prize
Entry Name: Cow
Institution: Inspiration Design School
Designed by: Tiong Kek Ding, Chai Sook Hui, Chen Deliang,
Zhao Jia Qi
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Furniture
Design Award (FDA) 2005 : Showcasing modern yet ethnic pieces
for New Asia
 |
An annual
award organized by the Singapore Furniture Industries
Council (SFIC) since 1993, the FDA has earned the
reputation of being a showcase of innovative furniture
and an effective networking platform for Asia’s
fledgling designers.
Based on the theme “New Asia”,
a total of 396 submissions in the Students, Young
Designers and Open Categories were received this year,
a 19% increase in participation from 2004. The entries
hailed from Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey
and the USA.
Mr Simon Ong, Chairman of the Design
Development Committee for SFIC, said: “It is
most heartening to see the strong increase in interest
and pariticipation from young budding and professional
designers all over the world. This reinforces the
international furniture fraternity’s recognition
of the FDA as an effective platform for uncovering
new design talents in Asia and encourage an environment
where we can be proud of the ‘Design & Made
in or Asia’ brand.”
|
The 10-member judging panel for
FDA 2005 included illustrious international and local design
personalities who assessed the entries for their conformity
to the theme, creativity and innovation, form, functionality,
choice of material, marketability and environmental friendliness.
Maintaining the FDA’s high standards and prestige
as a truly world class furniture design platform, the judges
exercised stringent assessment of the entries and gave recognition
only to truly deserving submissions.
From left: Mr Nicholas Merrow Smith,
Honorary Secretary Interior Design Confederation Singapore,
Mr Andrew Pang, Product Developer X-Tra Contract, Ms Rita
Soh , President, Singapore Insitute of Architects, Mr Philip
Koomen, Founder, Philip Koomen Furniture, Mr Tan Kwang Kai,
Vice Chairman of SFIC Design Development Committee (Group
General Manager, Futuristic image Builder Ltd), Mr Carsten
Ovesen, Managing Director, Carsten Ovesen Design, Mr Simon
Ong, Chairman of SFIC Design Development Committee (Group
Executive Director, Kingsmen Creative Ltd), Mr Lars Engman,
Chief Designer, IKEA, Mrs Edith Keller, CEO, Carlin International,
Mr John Kelly, Founder, John Kelly Furniture & Accessories,
Mr Peer M. Sathikh, President, Designers Association of
Singapore.
Over the years, the FDA has given the industry
the opportunity to uncover talented designers at an early
stage in their careers. Many past winners have gone on to
head design consultancies and in-house design teams.
FDA 2005 is supported by DesignSingapore Council,
the Singapore Economic Development Board, International
Enterprise Singapore, SPRING Singapore, the Interior Design
Confederation Singapore and the Singapore Institute of Architects.
For more information on the designers and
their winning entries, please visit www.singaporefurniture.com.
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Furniture
Design Award (FDA) 2005 : Works of Creative Minds
Students'
Category Results
Young
Designers' Category Results
 |
|
GOLD
Bamboo Chaise by Hans Tan |
|
 |
 |
 |
MERIT
Dual by Lui Hon Fay |
MERIT
Mutual Lit by Li TianQi |
MERIT
The Maiden's Hairpin by Li TianQi |
| |
|
|
 |
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MERIT
Oneline Chair by Edwin Cheong |
|
|
Open
Category Results
 |
BRONZE
iSH Lamp by The LifeShop Pte Ltd
Designer - Susie Tay |
FINALIST
Mulan
Dining Set by Furn-Line Pte Ltd
Designer
- Steven Seah |
|
 |
FINALIST
Singapore Easy Chair by Leslie Jones Design
Designer - Leslie Jones |
FINALIST
Love
Sofa by FY Mobiya Dekorasyon Ltd
Designer
- Yanki Goktepe |
|
 |
FINALIST
Baluga Floor Lamp by Bokdesindo Mandiri
Designer - Marcel Opstal |
FINALIST
Be
Happy Shelf by Air Division Pte Ltd
Designer
- Bacus Boo |
|
From Left (back) : Marcel Opstal, Onur Yesilyurt
(middle) : Leslie Jones, Bacus Boo, Li TianQi, Liu Ping,
Joan Soon, Lui Honfay, Gregory Tan, Tan Bee Hock, Teo Linyou
(front) : Hans Tan, Edwin Cheong, Matthew Tan, Phuah Hong
Thye
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An
Insight into the UK furniture industry
The UK furniture is a large
mature sector of the economy, which makes a significant
contribution to the UK’s GDP.
Over the last six years, home furniture consumption
in the UK registered a steady growing trend, boasting about
Euro 263 per capita consumption of home furniture.
The UK remains one of Europe’s major
furniture importers with an average 20% growth in residential
furniture imports between 1997 and 2002. In total, UK imported
Euro 4.159 million worth of residential furniture. A percentage
breakdown by import products is as follows.
Almost 50% of the residential
furniture imports originated primarily from Western Europe,
28.6% from Asia, 14.3% from Eastern Europe and 3% from North
America. Italy was UK's major trading partner, supplying
almost 20% of UK's home furniture imports worth Euro 823.8
million in 2002. China ranked second, exporting Euro 520.8
million worth of home furniture to the UK (12.5% market
share) in 2002 and Germany comes in third, accounting for
8.4% of the market worth Euro 348.2 million.
Since the end of the 80s, the distribution
trend in the UK has shifted from the heart of the city to
the outskirts, with the majority of furniture chains and
large-scale distribution centres channeling their focus
to out-of-town locations.
Large-scale specialist distribution accounts
for 67% of the market and includes small independent sales
outlets (28%), furniture chains (30%), buying associations
and franchisees (9%).
Non specialist chains account for about
30% of the market and they include department stores, multi-stored,
hypermarkets and mail order.
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Why
is it important to possess a clear business strategy
Imagine this: You’re on a flight to
Frankfurt and minutes after the pilot switched off the “fasten
your seat belt” sign, the person seated next to you
strikes up a conversation with you. Being a fellow businessman,
he asks you a few fundamental questions about your profession:
“What business are you in?” “How long
have you been in business?” “What’s your
business model?” and more importantly, “What
aspect of your business gives you an edge over your competitors?”
Are you able to crystallise and clearly articulate
your company’s strategy and direction in say, five
minutes or less? Successful entrepreneurs and CEOs who abide
by a distinct concept and profile of their business would
have no difficulties expressing their thoughts on this issue.
This is because one of the keys to success in doing business
is to possess a distinct business strategy that sets you
apart from your fellow competitors. Here’s why a clear
business plan is important.
1. ENHANCE ABILITY TO ATTRACT &
RETAIN TALENTS
Good human resources are the basic ingredients
that are needed to operate and grow a business. It is essential
to attract talents and to retain existing ones by putting
in place adequate training programmes to groom and develop
valuable staff.
In addition, great talents are attracted to
companies with a clear vision and a corresponding business
concept and strategy that challenge their abilities and
passion to excel. They are not attracted to just “another
job.”
2. EASE OF OBTAINING FUNDING
Most, if not all businesses in its nascent
stages would require some form of capital or funding to
kick-start the venture. Even establishes businesses would
need to solicit investments from business angels, venture
capitalists and the like to grow and expand the company.
It is well-known fact that less than 10% of
business plans are funded by venture capitalists. This is
because venture capitalists, like banks and business angels
are more likely to be interested in businesses with sound
business strategies and which possess distinct market advantage
or a sustainable edge.
3.ALLOW FOR ABILITY TO MAKE SOUNDS
DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS DECISIONS
All businesses are faced with the need to
make decisions daily. There are essentially two types of
decisions which are made that would, over time subtly determine
the course of the business.
The first type of decision largely revolves
around the allocation of finite resources available for
disposal. Without a clear demarcation of areas of emphasis
that hold importance in the company’s strategic plan,
one would end up making ad hoc decisions, based on current
circumstances, which may not take into account the business
goals nor contribute towards the overall objective of growing
the business.
The second type of decision concerns the opportunities
we decide to exploit and the ones we decide to let pass.
The dynamic global business environment, which we operate
in constantly presents potential opportunities. Emerging
new markets like China and India and the rapid convergence
of technologies are just some of the avenues that are waiting
to be tapped. However, without a clear vision of the path
which the business should adopt, the company may be at risk
of being seduced by the wrong opportunities!
4.HELP ATTRACT NEW CUSTOMERS WITHOUT
LOSING EXISTING ONES
All customers prefer to do business with successful
companies or those with a proven track record. A quick check
would reveal that such companies are only successful because
they possess clear business plans which they use as a guide
to steer the business.
It is essential that any business person takes
a step backwards and review the current business model.
Do you have a strategic business plan?
Article contributed by Mr Andrew Sng,
Senior Partner (Asia) of Decision Processes International
(DPI). DPI is an international firm that specializes in
empowering top management teams to think more critically
and be more innovative and decisive in transforming their
businesses.
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Furniture
Learning Institute : Programme Offerings Training that Works!
Since its launch last January, the Furniture
Learning Institute (FLI) has trained more than 500 employees
from 43 companies.
This is what many have to say about the FLI
courses that are tailored to the furniture industry’s
specific requirements:
• Experienced trainers
• Bilingual discussions help to put some of us at
ease
• Communicative, interactive, work focused training
sessions
• No boring lectures!
Training programmes offered by FLI are supported
SPRING Singapore and Singapore Workforce Development Agency
(WDA) under the “Industry Capability Upgrading Programme”
(ICAP). This entitles participating companies to apply for
the Enhanced Skill Development Fund (SDF) by WDA, thus allowing
companies to minimize their training costs to a further
extent.
Here is a preview
on the certifiable courses currently offered by the FLI:
EC1: Communications Works! For Staff
in the Furniture Industry
helps staff in the furniture industry to increase their
proficiency levels in listening and oral communication for
customer service and workplace effectiveness
Fee: $230 (16 hours)
Enhanced SDF: $207 (40 years & above with A levels and
below)
Your Investment: $23 (40 years & above with A levels
and below)
EC2: Advanced Communication Works!
For Supervisors/Managers in the Furniture Industry
helps supervisors and managers in the furniture industry
to increase their proficiency levels in listening and oral
communication for customer service and supervisory effectiveness.
Fee: $230 (16 hours)
Enhanced SDF: $207 (40 years & above with A levels and
below)
Your Investment: $23 (40 years & above with A levels
and below)
EC3: Adaptive Strategies for Sales
Effectiveness for Staff in the Furniture Industry
helps supervisors, managers and staff in the furniture industry
to develop the following competencies related to enhancing
customer intimacy and loyalty for sales results.
• Interpersonal and motivational skills
• Teamwork skills including cross-cultural awareness
• Goal-setting
• Negotiation skills
• Conflict management skills
Fee: $230 (16 hours)
Enhanced SDF: $207 (40 years & above with A levels and
below)
Your Investment: $23 (40 years & above with A levels
and below)
CWM: Certificate of Performance in
Warehouse Management
equips warehouse supervisors with the essential knowledge
and skills for managing a warehouse operation.
Fee: $260 (16 hours)
Enhanced SDF: $234 (40 years & above with A levels and
below)
Your Investment: $26 (40 years & above with A levels
and below)
CWO: Certificate of Performance in
Warehouse Operations
equips warehouse operators with the essential knowledge
and skills for handling processes and activities within
a warehouse.
Fee: $260 (16 hours)
Enhanced SDF: $234 (40 years & above with A levels and
below)
Your Investment: $26 (40 years & above with A levels
and below)
CDO: Certificate of Performance in
Delivery Operations
equips delivery operators with the essential knowledge and
skills for handling key delivery processes and activities.
Fee: $190 (12 hours)
Enhanced SDF: $171 (40 years & above with A levels and
below)
Your Investment: $19 (40 years & above with A levels
and below)
The FLI’s efforts to develop and maintain
an internationally competitive highly skilled workforce
can only succeed with the support of employers.
Email or give us a buzz if you are keen
to invest in your workforce and read handsome benefits!
Call SFIC @ 6569 6988 or email
learning@singaporefurniture.com
www.singaporefurniture.com/training-overview.htm
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Me
and my Hole-in-One
When my gold handicap was reduced from a very
comfortable 22 to zero, the golfers in the Singapore Furniture
Industries Council (SFIC) Executive Committee showed no
mercy in going after my blood. Simply make a check with
the likes of James Koh, Andre Ng, Simon Ong, Bert Choong,
Choo Yong Fee and the rest of the pack and they will be
eager to fill you in on the details.
But why should I complain?
After all, in the 10th SFIC Golf Tournament
in August 2003, I bagged a Hole-in-One and as the icing
on the cake – I won a car!
For those who do not play golf, the Singapore
Golf Association rules that as long as one wins more than
$5,000 in any tournament, he/she is considered a professional
with a zero handicap for the next two years.
Since then, I have been enjoying admiring
looks whenever I declare (always as nonchalantly as possible)
my official handicap. But do not expect me to crank 300
meters into the fairway with my Shanghai Yard driver and
make a wimp out of Simon Ong. Anti-climax is made of stuff
like this.
The Hole-in-One was achieved by hitting a
5-wood over a distance of 156 meters whereas Tiger Woods
would have done that using a sand wedge. As they say in
golf, what nmattered most was getting the ball in the hole!
The rest, so to speak, went into the annals
of SFIC history. (In a good way, I hope.)
After many days of celebration, I finally
made my trip down to the Cycle & Carriage showroom in
Leng Kee Road to view my precious prize.
In case you are wondering … it was not
a Mercedes SLK. And everybody knew how my knees would tremble
at the sight of one (just ask Quah Soon Chow). There must
be some mistake that a Hole-in-One prize from Cycle &
Carriage was NOT a Mercedes!
Still, I could settle for the black Mitsubishi
Galant that came equipped with spoilers. It matched my expensive
looking Made-in-Vietnam black Nike golf shirt and Made-in-China
Armani sunshade. (A’la James Bond – oops! I
mean James Koh). Beef up the sound system with a bass meant
for the Indoor Stadium, the Ah Beng in me knew I would be
the “King of the Road” in Joo Chiat.
Luckily, good sense prevailed and I sold my
beloved prize for $52,000 excluding COE, much to be relief
of my wife. As the Chinese saying goes, “Hao Shi Chen
Shuang” (i.e good things come in pairs). In 2004,
when I became the co-organiser fot the SFIC Golf Tournament,
the Hold-In-One prize had to be a cool Jaguar in case I
won it again.
You see, all golfers have one common virtue called “Optimism”
- for that illusive One-Shot at par-3s, game after game
after game … Yes, even for one who has already won
it. Golf windows would rather call it “vice”.
I confirmed my “celebrity status”
in the furniture industry when during the recent Lunar New
Year lunch thrown by SFIC in February; members still approached
me (short of asking for my autograph, much to my disappointment)
to ask how it was really like. How should I describe it?
For that heavenly feeling on the unforgettable
day on 1 August 2003, when my team mates (Martin Goh, Tony
Sum and Daniel Soo) and I actually saw the ball disappearing
into the hole, the shouts of “Hole-in-One! Hole-in-One!”
and the burst of elation as four middle-aged men spontaneously
danced and hugged each other on the tee box of the 14th
hole, Lake Course of Raffles Country Club, I would say the
feeling was priceless.
From left: Mr James (SFIC President)
and Mr Sim Kah Choon.
Article contributed by Mr Sim Kah Choon,
Managing Director of Abitex Design and the Vice President
of SFIC. He has been playing uninspired golf for 10 years
and enjoys it most when his opponents go OB.
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Honouring
Industry Achievers and Excellence
The
Enterprise 50 Awards 2004
Congratulations to Sitra Holdings (International)
for clinching one of The Enterprise 50 Awards (E50) 2004,
the results of which were unveiled in November 2004.
The E50, is a joint initiative by Accenture
Singapore and the BusinessTimes, that ranks 50 of Singapore’s
top-performing privately held companies annually - the Singapore
equivalent of Forbes’ Fortune 500.
By being an “E50” company, it
signals the achievement of a set benchmark for excellence
in corporate governance and market performance. For many
companies, the E50 is regarded as a strategic platform to
being publicly listed. Past E50-award winning furniture
companies that are now public-listed include Nobel design,
Chuan Soon Huat, Novena Holdings, Design Studio, Futuristic
Furniture, OSIM International and KLW Wood Products.
HTL Achieves
Singapore International 100 Ranking
HTL International Holdings Limited was ranked
34th in the Singapore International 100 Ranking. It was
also recognized as one of the top 10 revenue contributions
from Europe and North Asia.
This prestigious recognition places HTL among
the leading Singapore companies that have made internationalization
and international business an integral part of their corporate
strategy.
This inaugural initiative is organized by
IE Singapore with DP Information as the Ranking Organization
and in collaboration with the Singapore Business Federation
and The Business Times. It recognizes Singapore’s
Top 100 companies ranked by the highest overseas-generated
revenue. The awards were presented by Senior Minister Goh
Chok Tong at the International Enterprise Forum Gala Dinner
on 2 February 2005.
We extend our heartiest congratulations to
HTL for their vision and success in charting new frontiers
and their role in developing Singapore’s external
economy!
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World
Furniture Outlook 2005
Total global furniture production
is estimated to be worth around US$220 billion in 2004.
Furniture Times highlights some of the major import and
export figures, their impact on the furniture trade and
focus on some aspects that the industry will take note in
the furtherance of their businesses.
The United States, Italy, Germany, Japan,
Canada, United Kingdom and France together produce 59 %
in value of the world total. The furniture production of
all developed countries combined covers 77% of the world
total, whereas furniture production in emerging countries
amounts to 23% of the world total in value (of which 9%
is from China).
Overall, the international furniture trade
has been on an upward growth in real terms in 2005 includes
-Western Europe (Ireland)
-the new EU members (Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Czech Republic and Slovakia)
-Central and Eastern Europe (Croatia, Russia and Ukraine)
-Asia (China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore,
Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam)
-Africa (South Africa)
-the Western US and Canada
• 2% in Germany, UK, France and Italy
• 1% in Japan
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Store
Opening
Eurosa
Furniture opens new showroom
Eurosa Furniture has opened a new showroom
in Millenia Walk this February. The 3,500-sq ft showroom
carries a broad selection of offers bedroom, children, dining,
living, occasional as well as office furniture, offering
consumers a new Home Living Concept shopping experience.
Eurosa Furniture showrooms are also
located at IMM Building and Paragon.
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New
Singapore Furniture Directory
 |
The SFIC
recently launched its 9th edition of the “Singapore
Furniture Directory 2005/06’.
This export-oriented directory carries
a comprehensive information on the capabilities of
the Singapore furniture industry and is a useful reference
source for business collaboration between Singapore
furniture companies and potential business partners
worldwide.
|
As a part of the SFIC’s free Business
Connect Service, buyers can specify their requirements using
the ‘Business Connect Form’ that is found on
the last page of the directory. The SFIC will match them
with companies from its extensive list of quality members
to meet the buyers’ needs to specific products or
services.
Trade players can now order the “Singapore
Furniture Directory 2005/06” from the SFIC website:
www.singaporefurniture.com.
The SFIC also welcomes email feedback
(sfic@singaporefurniture.com)
at its recently revamped website to ensure the continuous
provision of quality services.
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Calendar
of Events
| Date |
Exhibition |
Country |
| |
|
|
| 13 - 18 April 2005 |
Milan International Furniture Show |
Milan, Italy |
| |
|
|
| 14 - 20 April 2005 |
International Home Furnishing Market |
High Point, USA |
| |
|
|
| 18 - 21 April 2005 |
Manila F.A.M.E. International |
Manila, The Philippines |
| |
|
|
| 21 - 23 April 2005 |
DesignEx |
Melbourne, Australia |
| |
|
|
| 26 - 30 April 2005 |
Madrid International Furniture Exhibition |
Madrid, Spain |
| |
|
|
| 02 - 06 May 2005 |
LIGNA + Hannover
World Trade Fair for the Forestry and Wood Industries |
Hannover, Germany |
| |
|
|
| 14 - 17 May 2005 |
International Contemporary Furniture Fair |
New York, USA |
| |
|
|
| 19 - 22 May 2005 |
Scandinavian Furniture Fair |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
| |
|
|
| 31 May - 03 June 2005 |
MEBLE. Fair of Furniture and Furnishing |
Poznan, Poland |
| |
|
|
| 13 - 15 Jun 2005 |
NeoCon. World's Trade Fair for interior design and
facilities management |
Chicago, USA |
| |
|
|
| 28 Jun - 01 Jul 2005 |
Shenzhen International Furniture Expo |
Shenzhen, China |
| |
|
|
| 14 - 17 Jul 2005 |
FURNITEX |
Melbourne, Australia
|
| |
|
|
| 26 - 28 Jul 2005 |
Las Vegas Furniture Show |
Las Vegas, USA |
| |
|
|
| 03 - 06 Aug 2005 |
San Francisco Summer Home Furnishings Market |
San Francisco, USA |
| |
|
|
| 17 - 21 Aug 2005 |
International Famous Furniture Exhibition |
Dongguan, China |
| |
|
|
| 18 - 21 Aug 2005 |
China International Furniture Fair |
Guangzhou, China |
| |
|
|
| 02 - 06 Sep 2005 |
Maison & Objet |
Paris, France |
| |
|
|
04 - 06 Sep 2005
|
Spoga |
Koln, Germany |
| |
|
|
| 08 -11 Sep 2005 |
Promosedia International Chair Exhibition |
Udine, Italy |
| |
|
|
| 10 -13 Sep 2005 |
DecoSit. International trade fair for upholstery fabrics
|
Brussels, Belgium |
| |
|
|
14 -17 Sep 2005
|
China International Furniture Show |
Shanghai, China |
| |
|
|
| 18 - 23 Sep 2005 |
MOW |
Ostwestfalen, Germany
|
| |
|
|
19 - 24 Sep 2005
|
FIM Feria Internacional del Mueble. International
Furniture Fair |
Valencia, Spain |
| |
|
|
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Top
DISCLAIMER
Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy of the information
on this newsletter, SFIC accepts no liability for damages
caused by misinterpretation of information, expressed or
implied, within this newsletter. No part of this newsletter
may be reproduced in any form or by any means, without prior
permission in writing from SFIC.
