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- POLITICS
Business leaders will this week join politicians and senior trade association officials to agree the key impacts of Covid-19 on the furniture and furnishings sector in the hope of bolstering Government support for the industry.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
Bed makers Hypnos and The Natural Mat Company were among at least eight industry concerns to receive Queen's Awards for Enterprise 2020, which recognises business achievement across various criteria.
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Organisers of the Manchester Furniture Show have postponed this summer's exhibition as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, with the next edition now to take place July 2021.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
Applications for the Government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme opened yesterday (April 20) and companies will have to be organised and prompt if they wish to secure cash in time for April's payday runs.
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Organisers of the twice-yearly High Point Market in the U.S. have cancelled the spring edition, having earlier rescheduled the furniture exhibition from its original April dateline to June.
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- COMMUNITY
The Furniture Makers' Company, the industry's dedicated charity, has issued a new clarion call highlighting financial support it can provide to hard-hit furnishing industry workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
An estimated 100,000 jobs across the furniture and furnishings sector have either been furloughed or eliminated since the coronavirus crisis began, with the future of many now dependent on Government funds.
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- IMPORTS & EXPORTS
The release of January furniture and flooring trade data offers insight into inventory levels ahead of feared supply chain disruption out of China and subsequent demand concerns with enforced store closures.
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Organisers of the U.K.'s leading summer trade furniture exhibition says they "fully support the need to prioritise the greater good" as the event venue was named a temporary NHS field hospital. Preparations for the July furniture event continue.
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Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has been urged not to forget furniture manufacturers when evaluating state support for U.K. industry amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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The organiser of the China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) has rescheduled the dates of its postponed spring exhibitions.
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Organisers of the Milan furniture fair (Salone del Mobile) have cancelled the rescheduled exhibition. It will now not take place at all in 2020.
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BFM, the association for British Furniture Manufacturers, wants members to make contact to highlight the biggest issues they face because of the coronavirus pandemic after a Government call to arms.
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Hard hit employees whose welfare is affected by the spread of coronavirus should contact The Furniture Makers’ Company for support, the City of London livery company and industry charity says.
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The Italian Government took further steps to try and slow the spread of coronavirus on Saturday night, ordering the closure of all non-essential factories.
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The South West Beds Show, organised by the South West Furniture Manufacturers' Agents and Representatives Federation, has been cancelled.
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The Long Eaton Guild of Furniture Manufacturers has cancelled the spring edition of its Long Point event, citing the coronavirus pandemic.
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Grand Designs Live, the consumer home show run by exhibition organiser Media 10, has been postponed until the summer because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Clerkenwell Design Week, originally slated for a May 19–21, 2020 dateline, has been postponed until later in the year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The spring edition of U.S. furniture trade fair High Point Market has been postponed, the latest world exhibition to fall foul of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The Italian Government last night announced that all bar the most essential services would shut down as the country tries to stem the spread of coronavirus.
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Parts of northern Italy are in lockdown after the Government initiated extreme isolation measures to try and limit the rapid spread of coronavirus.
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Furniture shows that were originally slated to open their doors within the next week before being cancelled because of the coronavirus have begun to release revised exhibition datelines.
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BFM, the trade association representing U.K,. furniture manufacturers, says business optimism in January reached its highest level since the financial crash.
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Mike Wood, MP for Dudley South since 2015, is the new chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the furniture and furnishings industry.
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Organisers of High Point Market, the global furniture exhibition held twice-annually in the U.S., see no reason to revise the dates of its spring event because of coronavirus concerns, saying it will open as scheduled.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
A second Closing the Gap conference promoting how companies in the furniture and furnishings sector can access funded training for upskilling staff and apprenticeship programmes is to take place next month.
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The Vietnam International Furniture & Home Accessories Fair has become the latest to postpone its spring event because of concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.
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The Salone del Mobile furniture exhibition in Milan has been postponed until the early summer after parts of northern Italy were hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
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The managing director of trade association BFM says he is delighted with the outcome of the BFM Fabric Show London with plans already progressing for the 2021 edition.
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Emerging designers have until this Friday (Feb. 28) to get their entries in for the inaugural 2020 Vision Design competition — the new contest organised by The Furniture Industry Research Association in partnership with Clerkenwell Design Week.
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Howdens Joinery, Britain's largest kitchens manufacturer, has been awarded the Manufacturing Guild Mark by The Furniture Makers' Company.
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Bust furniture, furnishings and flooring companies left creditors facing an average shortfall of £3.25 million per week through 2019 as the number of businesses falling insolvent spiked year-on-year.
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The impact of the coronavirus on Far East trade shows has spread beyond China with the organiser of the Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) postponing its spring event until the summer.
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As British furniture retailers and wholesalers brace for production delays because of the coronavirus outbreak, investors in major Chinese furniture equities are already feeling the pinch: in their pockets.
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BFM says it will make the case for Britain's furniture industry as the sector digests new proposals from the independent body advising the Government on post-Brexit migration.
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Organisers of the 45th China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) at Guangzhou have become the latest to postpone their March event as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
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The Shenzhen International Furniture Fair, due to take place this spring, has been postponed following the spread of Coronavirus across China, organisers have announced.
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- COMMUNITY
The Furniture Makers’ Company, the industry's dedicated charity, has surpassed its target of 100 companies signing up to its One Step at a Time campaign three months early.
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Organisers have announced details of the 14th edition of the Scottish Interiors Showcase, whose 2020 event takes place next month.
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Market consolidation means an increasing share of the market for furniture in Western Europe is in the hands of relatively few businesses, according to a new report.
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Heavyweight brands Collins & Hayes and Silentnight headlined the winners of The Furniture Awards 2020, announced yesterday at the January Furniture Show.
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The Furniture Makers’ Company, the industry charity, is encouraging visitors and exhibitors at the January Furniture Show to visit its Hall 1 stand and sign up to its One Step at a Time campaign.
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National floorcoverings contractor Designer Contracts has for the second time sponsored Childline, the counselling service provided by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
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Harrison Spinks' Ruairi Giles is to raise money for industry charity The Furniture Makers’ Company by taking part in the 2020 London Marathon.
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Charles Vernon, chairman of the Furniture Industry Research Association, is to step down from the role in September, prompting a search for a successor.
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The dates of BFM Fabric Show London 2020 have been moved for a second time because of a rescheduled Premier League fixture for Chelsea FC, whose Stamford Bridge stadium hosts the exhibition.
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Political uncertainty has stymied demand for furniture but its impact has also been felt further back in the supply chain, according to new research by the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM).
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Eight level 2 manufacturing apprenticeship pathways are to be renewed in 2020, after campaigning by The Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA) paid dividends.
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The Advertising Standards Authority has told the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) to stop claiming to be the "U.K.'s leading professional organisation for interior designers" after the suggestion irked one of its rival trade associations.
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The January Furniture Show will include a feature showcasing a selection of the winning designs from the Young Furniture Makers' Awards. It follows the show sponsoring the awards ceremony this October.
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Visitors to the January Furniture Show (JFS) will be able to take advantage of smart technology to improve the buying experience and avoid getting weighed down by heavy literature.
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David Ashton, the head of Scandinavian furniture chain JYSK's U.K. retail operation, is to climb Kilimanjaro early next year to raise money for charity.
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Organisers of the BFM Fabric Show London have opened the registration process for upholstery and bed fabric buyers to attend the 2020 edition.
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The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) has unveiled a new brand identity which it says has been designed to take the trade association forward and ensure it remains at the heart of the British furniture industry in the long term.
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Organisers of The Furniture Awards have opened the entry process for the 2020 edition and confirmed who will be the judges. Winners will be named at the January Furniture Show.
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U.K. bed retailer Time4Sleep donated over 650 blankets to Barnardo’s as part of a world-record attempt by the children's charity to construct a gigantic blanket fort.
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Business confidence among U.K. furniture makers has improved in the past four months according to the latest survey from trade association BFM, British Furniture Manufacturers.
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Ian Peers of Ercol and Paul James of One-Call Furniture have been elected board members of trade association British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM).
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Events and administration specialist Niki Rodhouse has joined British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) to support the trade association's expanding calendar of activities across the sector.
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The British Furniture Manufacturers' (BFM) association has updated its legal advice service, which offers members access to support geared to the specific needs of the sector.
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Wincanton, one of the leading providers of warehousing and delivery services to the U.K. furniture industry, has renewed two major contracts with companies in the sector.
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Organisers of the January Furniture Show have opened pre-registration ahead of the next iteration of the U.K. furniture industry's largest trade-only event.
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The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) has expanded the scope of its commodity price tracker, a tool used by its members to support their buying negotiations with suppliers.
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Furniture makers from across Ireland will descend on Dublin next month to discuss and plan ways industry participants can collaborate to rebuild the sector.
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Now and in the future: How the office block might look and (inset) FIRA's familiar entrance.
The FIRA building in Stevenage — one of the furniture industry's most recognisable landmarks — will be demolished if redevelopment plans put forward by the property owner go ahead.
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The 42nd edition of premium interior design show Decorex International takes place in just over a month's time in London with 50 new exhibitors among the lineup.
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Manufacturing tech group Biesse is to host an Open Day this autumn pushing the benefits of the Manufacturing Guild Mark, the mark of excellence awarded by The Furniture Makers' Company.
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Wellwishers and mourners have raised the equivalent of more than £72,000 for the Danish Cancer Society following the death of JYSK founder Lars Larsen earlier this month.
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- ECONOMY
Shop prices fell at their fastest rate in more than a year this month on the back of retailers discounting non-food goods and clearing stock earlier than was the case this time last year.
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Michael Boyle is presented with the Housing Units green jacket.
North West home department store retailer Housing Units raised more cash for Kidscan at its annual golf day, taking the total raised for the children's cancer charity to £50,000 in the past four years.
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Andrew Mitchell (left) of the Long Eaton Guild and Artistic Upholstery alongside Orbital's Rob Walker.
The Long Eaton Guild of Furniture Manufacturers has a new website and the fee for the project has been donated to St. Michael's Hospice, in memory of longtime Guild chairman Matt O'Flynn.
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The Young Furniture Makers exhibition returns to the City of London this October, offering the industry opportunities to connect with a new generation of designer-makers looking to make an impact on the sector.
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The Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA) is urgently appealing to U.K. furniture makers to financially support work needed to renew the level 2 Furniture Manufacturer Apprenticeship Standard.
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Organisers of the International Furniture Fair Singapore (IFFS) have canned the 2020 edition of the event, saying they will take a break to "rethink, recharge and revitalise" the exhibition.
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Decosit, the one-time dominant European trade fair for upholstery fabrics, will return this autumn after the show that succeeded it was cancelled.
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16 industry companies filed for insolvency in the week to July 19.
The insolvencies of well over a dozen furniture, furnishings and floorcoverings companies were announced last week in one of the worst periods for the sector since records began.
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Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will host the event again in 2020.
The 2020 edition of BFM London Fabric, the upholstery and soft furnishings fabrics exhibition formerly called London Fabric, will take place February 25–26, 2020.
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Visitor numbers were in line with last year's edition.
Organisers of the Manchester Furniture Show say they will build on the event's decades of heritage, with planning for the 2020 edition next summer already underway.
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The Government has issued its long-anticipated response to a 2016 consultation on U.K. furniture fire regulations, promising new procedures “consistent with those taken for other consumer products.” But change may be some time away.
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BFM drills down into the issues affecting furniture manufacturers.
One in four furniture manufacturers have made redundancies and nearly one sixth introduced short-term working as producers grapple with some of the most challenging trading conditions in years, according to a survey by BFM.
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Industry fundraisers in Yorkshire generated over £3,000 for The Furniture Makers’ Company at the fourth annual curry night, which took place June 13.
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From left: Charlie Harrison, director of multichannel at Big Shots supporter Furniture Village, former England rugby player Victor Ubogu, Dids Macdonald OBE and Jonny Westbrooke, master and CEO respectively of The Furniture Makers’ Company.
44 teams and nearly 200 people from across the furniture trade participated in the 25th edition of Big Shots, historically the biggest fundraiser in the annual calendar of The Furniture Makers' Company, the industry's dedicated charity.
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Whitemeadow made the list for the fourth time.
Well over a dozen furniture and flooring industry businesses have been featured in the 1,000 Companies To Inspire Britain 2019 report, including sofa maker Whitemeadow and guest bed producer Jay-Be.
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BFM, the trade association representing U.K. furniture manufacturers, says it can support British companies wanting to access funding to exhibit at next year's Milan furniture fair.
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Industry concerns ranging from beds retailer Land of Beds to sofa maker Westbridge are among seven companies featured in the latest sector-specific Parliamentary Review documents.
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The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) is relocating from Long Eaton to Oxfordshire as part of a project to modernise the members' trade association.
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Sherborne's Virginia three-seat sofa and standard recliner.
Motion furniture maker Sherborne Upholstery is among a slew of first-time companies to have signed to exhibit at the Manchester Furniture Show later this summer.
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The chairman of the Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA) says large furniture companies "need to wake up" or face a looming skills crisis.
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Dids Macdonald
Dids Macdonald OBE, co-founder and CEO of Anti Copying In Design (ACID), has been installed as Master of The Furniture Makers' Company, the city livery company and industry charity.
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Mike Ashley becomes one of U.K. furnishings sector's richest after buying into the industry via House of Fraser and Sofa.com.
The combined wealth of the U.K.'s wealthiest people and families with an interest past and present in the furnishings sector increased 9 percent in 2019.
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Attendance spiked at last week's globally-significant Salone del Mobile exhibition in Milan in a sign of healthy spend intention among trade buyers in world furniture markets.
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Phil Reynolds has been appointed to the newly-created post of chief operating officer at the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA).
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The Closing the Gap conference takes place Friday, April 26, 2019 at Furniture Makers' Hall, London.
A new solution to help the furniture industry close the skills gap is to be presented by The Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (Fiesta) next month.
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Optimism among UK furniture makers is scarce despite a welcome reduction in cost pressures, according to new research by trade body BFM, the association for British Furniture Manufacturers.
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BFM, the trade association for UK furniture makers, says it has an open line into Government to air manufacturers' concerns regarding a potential No-Deal Brexit.
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Big Shots is again sponsored by Furniture Village
Big Shots, the biggest fundraiser in The Furniture Makers’ Company’s calendar, will mark 25 years of raising money for the furnishing industry charity in 2019.
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Additional tariffs were due to come into effect March 1, 2019.
President Donald Trump says the United States will delay the implementation of additional tariffs on Chinese-made goods, including finished furniture, after the two countries made "substantial progress" on trade talks.
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Organisers says attendance climbed and exhibitors booked more business at the January Furniture Show, which took place at the NEC last month.
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London Fabric takes place March 4–5, 2019 at Stamford Bridge
OAL (Occupation Awards) and LTS (Lancashire Testing Services) are among the new sponsors of this year's edition of London Fabric, which takes place later this spring.
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Parliamentarians lauded the contribution of Britain's furniture manufacturing industry on the economy and debated issues impacting the sector in a Westminster Hall debate last week.
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Parker Knoll's Collection 150 range won the upholstery section
Judges named the winners of The Furniture Awards at the NEC today (Jan. 20) with Parker Knoll — celebrating its 150th year in 2019 — among the winners.
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Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa at Polmont will host the February 19–20, 2019 event, which takes in products spanning fabrics, wallcoverings, furniture, lighting, flooring and accessories.
The 12th edition of the Scottish Interiors Showcase, which brings together 80 suppliers representing 150 leading interior design brands, is scheduled to take place next month.
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Furniture makers that are concerned about the potential impact of a disorderly departure from the European Union should be taking preparatory action now, according to the lead trade association representing UK manufacturers.
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The companies shortlisted for The Furniture Awards 2019, the winners of which will be announced at the January Furniture Show later this month, have been named.
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The Government's Resources and Waste Strategy highlights plans to extend existing producer responsibility schemes
UK furniture and floorcoverings manufacturers could face a new cost headwind under Government proposals designed to increase recycling and limit the amount of furniture and flooring sent to landfill.
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Exhibitors known for supplying the retail sector also serve contract customers. Image: Whitemeadow
The January Furniture Show will — for the first time — feature a Contract Trail as organisers look to make it easier for specifiers to pinpoint the exhibitors with both the capability and interest in supplying them.
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FIRA International, the furniture test house and industry services provider, has revealed its new brand identity as it continues its integration with its new owner.
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Harrison Spinks is to hold a black tie Northern Winter Ball next year in aid of The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and furnishings industry charity.
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More than 90 pieces of furniture and lighting from GCSE and A Level students through to BA and MA graduates packed out the Dutch Church and Furniture Makers’ Hall in Austin Friars, London, for the Young Furniture Makers exhibition, 2018.
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Pre-registration to attend the next edition of the January Furniture Show has climbed sharply in a sign buyers are eager to replenish their product offer, organisers have said.
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Ben Burbidge, (left) Manufacturing Guild Mark chairman, presenting Nick Booth, marketing director at Silentnight Group, and Rob Livingstone, operations director at Silentnight Brands, with the 2018 Sustainability Award
Silentnight, Britain's biggest beds manufacturer, has won The Furniture Makers' Company's Sustainability Award for the second straight year.
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Furniture testing company FIRA International torched all past records on its way to its highest ever top and bottom lines in 2017, as commercial revenues escalated.
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Hayden Davies, second right, organised the charity cycling challenge
Eight members of The Furniture Makers’ Company, the industry charity and livery company, have raised nearly £14,000 after between them cycling all three routes of Mont Ventoux, Provence in a single day.
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Almost 100 people from across the trade helped raise £8,500 for The Furniture Makers' Company, the furnishing industry's dedicated charity, at its National Golf Day last month.
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The next January Furniture Show takes place January 20–23, 2019
Over 85 percent of exhibitor space has been sold with more than three and a half months remaining before the January Furniture Show opens the doors to its 2019 event at the NEC.
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Bed industry trade association The National Bed Federation (NBF) and The Sleep Council, its consumer promotion arm, are official partners to Somnex — The Sleep Show, the UK's inaugural event dedicated to sleep health.
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Nick Garratt joins as BFM md in November
Nick Garratt, whose planned departure as md at furniture maker Ercol was announced this spring, has been appointed to the same post at BFM, the association of British Furniture Manufacturers.
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The Hongqiao National Exhibition and Convention Center
The 42nd edition of the China International Furniture Fair in Shanghai (CIFF Shanghai) attracted record attendance across the four-day event, organisers have said.
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Decorex International, the interior design event taking place in London this week, has announced a new autumn dateline and a change of venue for next year's edition.
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The new-look identity features a contemporary interpretation of a D that subconsciously references innovation while retaining historic signature features such as the gold colourway.
The Design Guild Mark has relaunched its brand identity as part of a move it hopes will lead to higher consumer recognition and greater resonance among new and established designers.
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London Fabric takes place at Chelsea FC's Stamford Bridge stadium
London Fabric, the trade event aimed at buyers of fabrics for upholstery, beds and soft furnishings, has moved its show dates to avoid a potential fixture clash for venue host, Chelsea FC.
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The Furniture Makers’ Company (FMC) has launched a free human resources toolkit as it looks to support the hiring and development of industry talent among smaller furniture companies.
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The British Furniture Confederation (BFC) has backed Government plans to increase exports but says its words need to be backed up with action, saying industry concerns are yet to be addressed.
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TRADE association BFM is to host a seminar looking at the trade implications of Britain's decision to leave the European Union.
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THE WEALTH of the 37 richest people and families in the furniture industry increased by £3.0 billion in the past year
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