Visitors at the VIFA-EXPO 2014 in HCM City. The eighth edition of the event will open here next week. — VNS File Photo

HCM CITY  (Biz Hub) — The Viet Nam International Furniture and Home Accessories Fair will return to HCM city next week, offering industry professionals opportunities to network and compare notes.

VIFA-EXPO 2015, the eighth edition of the event, will feature more than 900 booths of 177 domestic and foreign exhibitors, an increase of 42 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively, over the preceding expo, said Huynh Van Hanh, deputy chairman of the Handicrafts and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (HAWA).

The increase in exhibitors reflects the strong interest of furniture firms for new export opportunities, Hanh said at a press conference held in HCM City yesterday.

The fair will display a wide range of indoor and outdoor furniture, handicrafts, interior furnishing and accessories, machinery and support services.

Seminars to be held at the fair will feature topics on improving the quality of human-resource training in the wood-processing industry, and opportunities and challenges in exporting wood products to the US.

Hanh said 686 customers from 66 countries and territories as of March 3 had registered to visit the fair, which will be held at the Sai Gon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7 from March 11 to 14 by the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade and HAWA.

Last year, Viet Nam earned US$6.23 billion from exports of wood and wood products, up 11.5 per cent over the previous year, Hanh said, adding that exports to key markets such as the US, Japan and EU rose strongly in the period. — VNS