Movelsul Brasil 2018: the fair for the resumption of growth

The furniture fair, the Movelsul Brasil

The Brazilian furniture industry is prepared for an economic recovery starting this year at Movelsul Brasil 2018, the largest furniture show for the retail trade and importers, held from March 12 – 15 in the heart of Serra Gaúcha. The show is expected to receive shopkeepers, specifiers and distributors of 50 nationalities at Parque de Eventos in Bento Gonçalves, where 246 exhibitors will take part in the four-day event 5% more than in the last show in 2016.

The 21st Movelsul Brasil, organized by the Furniture Industry Association of Bento Gonçalves (Sindmóveis), features new products for the season, including furniture for offices, kitchens, bedrooms, laundry rooms, bathrooms, gardens, dining and living rooms, in addition to household appliances, rugs, upholstery and mattresses. Approximately 30,000 professionals are expected to attend the show.

To further boost the generation of business, Movelsul Brasil holds concurrent events, namely the Buyer’s Project, holding meetings aimed at exports, and the Retail Project, which challenged the furniture industry to develop products that meet the demands made by Brazilian shopkeepers. The show considers the integration with the international market essential for business sustainability in the domestic market, increasing global competitiveness, in addition to the development of the woodworking industry as a whole. At the same time, the generation of knowledge for the woodworking industry will be highlighted during the first Movelsul Brazil Forum.

The three-day morning event of guest lectures will take place on March 13 to 15 addressing the theme “Reinventing the retail trade: All line consumption”. With different approaches, the speakers propose a connection between the physical point of sale and the online consumption platforms, the so-called “on and off”. Attendance is free of charge but there are currently no vacancies available. Yet, design as a competitive edge strategy for the industry is traditionally present in the fair showcasing the finalists and winners of the Salão Design Award, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2018. The president of Sindmóveis Bento Gonçalves, Edson Pelicioli, points out that a fair with the size of Movelsul Brasil is more than a four-day event for the furniture industry. Each show is based on permanent work of the association for the construction of a positive perception of the Brazilian furniture competitiveness.

During the four-day exhibition, Sindmóveis reinforces this work by putting furniture manufacturers face-to-face with customers – including shopkeepers, specifiers or furniture importers. “The difference between previous scenarios and recent shows is that it has become a place for market positioning, strategy communication and an attraction for the public,” he points out. Sponsored by Sayerlack and Banrisul, Movelsul Brasil is a professional fair open to retailers, sales representatives, architects, designers, interior decorators, importers, building professionals and the press. Concurrent initiatives of the fair Buyer’s Project The Buyer’s Project of Movelsul Brasil 2018 will have the participation of 70 guest importers, 145 furniture companies and Brazilian designers, a record number in the history of the fair. The pre-scheduled business meetings with importers will be held both in the booths of the exhibiting companies and in the International Lounge, which will be the base of the project. In addition to the companies exhibiting at Movelsul Brasil 2018, the companies supported by the Raiz, Brazilian Furniture and Lux Brasil projects are taking part in the meetings these are sector-based projects to encourage exports supported by Apex-Brasil.

Buyer’ s Project

The Buyer’ s Project, held since 2000, has this year twice as many importers as in the last fair. The guests come from the main target markets of the Brazilian furniture industry: countries from;

Africa
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
United Arab Emirates
United States
Guatemala
Mexico
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
the United Kingdom (expanding to the other countries in Europe)

Retail Project A new feature of Movelsul Brasil 2018 is the Retail Project, an important initiative that challenged exhibitors to develop products signed by designers that meet the specific demands of the domestic retail trade.

Tying together the fair, the industry, the designers and the shopkeepers, the project increases the synergy between the furniture industry and the main current national players in the retail trade. This initiative resulted in 50 new pieces made by almost 20 exhibitors who chose to invest in innovation. In order to list these demands for innovation, product type and sales appeal, the Sindmóveis team conducted a qualitative research last year surveying some of the main store chains that buy from the furniture companies that exhibit at Movelsul Brasil.

The Salão Design

The compilation of this information resulted in the development of new pieces that will be exhibited during the fair. The pieces of furniture are signed by in-company designers or hired studios. Salão Design Award 30th anniversary The Salão Design Award organizers are proud to show at Movelsul Brasil 2018 its finalists and award winners celebrating its 30th anniversary organized by Sindmóveis Bento Gonçalves.

In addition to exhibiting the products in Pavilion F during the fair, the award ceremony will be held on March 14, consisting of 12 cash prizes given to Students, Professionals and Industry/Retail, besides three honorable mentions, one Alternative Woods Award and a Master Teacher trophy. This is the first time in the competition that traditional categories furniture for bedrooms, kitchens, etc. – have been replaced with awards in the first, second and third places for each class – Student, Professional and Industry/Retail.

Three super-awards will also be given to the best products of this event regardless of their category. The place of each winner will only be announced during the ceremony, just like the Oscar. The winning entries are from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Sponsored by Berneck and Interprint, the Salão Design Award is the most representative product design award in Latin America, having received 14,213 entries along its history. The judging panel this year consisted of designers Brunno Jahara, Bruno Faucz, Letícia Grisa, Nicole Tomazi and Salvatore Figliuzzi from Germany.

Movelsul Brasil Forum

All line retail The Movelsul Brasil forum will be held on March 13, 14 and 15 in the morning at the auditorium of Sindmóveis new headquarters located at Parque de Eventos in Bento Gonçalves (RS). With the theme “Reinventing the retail trade: All line consumption”, speakers from different areas talk about issues that establish the connection between the physical point of sale and online consumption platforms, the so-called “on and off”, showing in depth which guidelines and skills need to be adapted to this new highly connected business model.

Themes associated with the needs of the furniture industry, such as design, trends and human resources are also part of the program. Participants include Ricardo Martinez Finger, CEO of the Netshoes Group in Mexico, specializes in electronic commerce; Alberto Serrentino, founding partner of Varese Retail Strategy and vice-president of SBVC decision-making body; Salvatore Figliuzzi, Director of Marketing and Design at Interprint, a German multinational leading company in the decorative paper market; Felipe Pojo, representative of IBM Watson, artificial intelligence technology for the retail trade; Francisco Lumertz, specialist in motivational lectures focused on medium and large institutions throughout the country; and Fabio Jacques de Freitas, developer of the Management Model Through Creative Ideas (Ideias Atratoras).

Aimed at shopkeepers, sales representatives and businessmen, registration for the forum is free of charge. Bento Gonçalves, home to furniture and wine Held since 1977 by the Furniture Industry Association of Bento Gonçalves (Sindmóveis), Movelsul Brasil has consolidated the local furniture producing area as the main in Brazil and has been leveraging the performance of companies in the domestic and international markets for more than 40 years. The 21st Movelsul Brasil enhances the tourist attractions of Serra Gaúcha and the tradition of its furniture industry by using the design motto. The communication campaign provokes the exhibitor and visitor: “Design is in our nature”.

Design is in Movelsul Brasil’s DNA

The fair on a daily basis, in the environment of Bento Gonçalves, in the landscape, in everything that surrounds this great furniture and wine producing region. This terroir that exists in the furniture industry based in Bento Gonçalves is the great competitive edge of the region, playing an outstanding role in the marketing campaign of the event. No other furniture fair is set in the main wine tourism destination in Brazil.

When shopkeepers and importers come to Serra Gaúcha to do good business with the exhibiting companies, Sindmóveis wants and encourages them to also get to know good wines, to enjoy beautiful landscapes and our excellent tourist attractions. More about Movelsul Brasil At the end of the 1960s, the furniture industry based in Bento Gonçalves started to thrive. In a few years, it became the main economic activity in the city, surpassing the traditional and centenary wine industry.

With the development of the sector, the Furniture Industry Association of Bento Gonçalves was established in April 1977 (Sindmóveis), and at the same time the fair was organized. The furniture fair of Bento Gonçalves came in a favorable period, boosted by the optimism of the local businessmen with the growth of the furniture industry. The first show was held as a concurrent event of Fenavinho, the year when the furniture industry was consolidated as a leading economic activity in the city, bringing together 24 exhibitors.

In 1988, the fair was named Movelsul bringing together more than 100 exhibitors. That date also marked the first Salão Design Award, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary promoting design as a competitive edge for the furniture industry. The internationalization of the fair was consolidated in 2000, when the first Buyer’s Project took place Considered the largest furniture fair in Latin America, the show has been promoting the development of the national furniture industry, strengthening the commercial relations between the industry and its customers and encouraging exports through initiatives aimed at the international market, which is a consumer of Brazilian furniture.