CebuX to go on despite 38% drop in exhibitors

Faced with what the players' described as the "worst" year for furniture trade in history, the Cebu International Furniture & Furnishings Exhibition or CebuX-2009 will push through despite the alarming drop of participation performance.

The show, which has earned its recognition in the world for cutting edge designs, aggressive material innovation and fine craftsmanship, is slated on March 5-9 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, with and initial 56 exhibitors, the lowest in 10 years, said Angela Paulin, Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc. (CFIF) vice president for internal affairs.

"We are not giving up. The industry is fighting back to survive. In fact, we are strengthening our edge in design," Paulin said in a press conference announcing the CebuX 2009 development.

This year's exhibitor participation is expectedly down, with 56 exhibitors occupying 1,740 square meters compared to last year's 85 exhibitors occupying 2,784 square meters, a 34 percent and 38 percent decline in participation and space occupied respectively.

Paulin, who also sits as the chairperson for exhibitor campaign and resource mobilization for CebuX 2009, said that the effect of the crunch was felt when about 95 furniture factories in Cebu had to lay off an estimated 11,800 workers within a span of one and a half years starting from 2007 to December 2008, an unprecedented move in the history of the furniture industry in Cebu.

From July of last year to date, about 26 CFIF member companies closed shop, making the total number of shutdowns to about 67 companies.

"The Cebu furniture industry and Cebu X buckles up to take the challenge and face the storm bravely. Armed with hope, passion for excellence, and trust in the Filipinos' resilient spirit the industry is fighting back to survive," Paulin said.

Despite the low participation rate this year, furniture makers, especially the organizing committee of Cebu X, still hopes that buyers will flock to Cebu, just to keep themselves updated of the new trends in furniture, preparing for the rebound, which is seen to take off in 2010.

Basing its experience during the CebuX 2008, which record showed that there was a five percent increase in buyers' attendance, amid the onset of housing slump in the US, Paulin said CebuX this year hopes to generate increased number of buyers' attendance.

The CebuX 2008 also generated the highest number of buyers' attendance per country, totaling to 77 countries represented, the highest in 10 years.

Although, there is a deep slowdown of furniture demand worldwide, especially in the United States, and Europe, Paulin said there are also other countries, which player's deem as "emerging" markets, that have took notice of Cebu's sophisticated furniture craftsmanship.

During the furniture exports heydays, from 2002 to 2005 the four-day CebuX generated an average sale of US$27.4 million. From 2006 to 2008 the performance had been on steady downtrend, she reported.

In the middle of last year, furniture stakeholders debated whether to pursue the 2009 Cebu X or not, as participation is expected to shrink and most players' feared that small show will not create a good impression to the foreign buyers.

But Paulin said "the show must go on" and the industry, as well as buyers will see the "survivors" of the battered furniture industry this coming March 5-9, 2009.