In February 2015 – as part of the ‘2015 See You in Valencia’ initiative – the Feria Valencia will host a business meeting on the subject of the contract channel. This meeting will gather fifty international prescribers that will make contact with the exhibiting companies from Cevisama, Feria Hábitat Valencia and Maderalia Selección fair.
The International Contract Forum will allow recognised architects, interior designers, and international hotel chain prescribers to take part in ‘B2B’ meetings with exhibiting companies. At these meetings the exhibitors can get to know and exchange information with these international prescribers, which have been selected for the high level of the contract projects on which they are working, and also for their limited knowledge of the Spanish offerings present in these competitions.
These professionals come from markets that have been specifically selected by sectoral associations of furniture, lighting, ceramics, and bathroom products that stand out for their potential in the residential ‘hospitality’ contract field. The countries that have already been contacted are as follows: Angola, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Russia, ex Soviet republics, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
In total more than ten markets will be represented in this International Contract Forum, an initiative that is supported and coordinated by the Valencia Institute for Business Competitiveness and managed by the international prescribers of the Spanish National Association of Furniture Industrialists and Exporters, the Spanish Federation of Exporters of Decorative Lighting Elements, the Spanish Association of Glazed Tile and Ceramic Floor Manufacturers and bath association ASEBAN.
With these meetings, the ‘2015 See You in Valencia’ initiative strengthens its position in the contract segment, the marketing channel for products and services for groups and public equipment. The confluence of competitions such as Cevisama (glazed tiles, the bathroom, and natural stone), Habitat (furniture, lighting, decoration, and textiles) and Maderalia Selección (materials, finishes, and technology) sets the scene for a very complete showcase so that the architect, decorator, or interior designer can totally complete his/her project. In its previous edition ‘See You in Valencia’ brought together some 120,000 professional visitors, a quarter of whom were related to the contract sector.
The contract channel in the Valencia Region
According to data from IVACE Internacional, the Region of Valencia is the first Spanish region to export products from the habitat and contract sectors. To be precise, in the first nine months of this year Valencia’s foreign sales in these sectors represent 43% of the national total. Moreover, the total exports from January to September increased their value by 2% compared with the same period of 2013, reaching a value of 2,709 million euros which means 15% of the Region’s exports during that time.
Ceramic products are the most popular and constitute some 66% of these exports with a year-on-year growth rate of 3.6%. Next in importance are furniture and lamps with exports that increased their value by 7%. Carpets and textiles for the home were the most dynamic, with growth rates of +20% and 13% respectively.
As for markets, France is the main destination with 12% of Contract Channel exports and growth of 1.5% compared with last year. France, Saudi Arabia and Russia are the destinations of 24% of the exports of these products. Moreover, the dynamism of other markets such as that of Algeria should also be emphasized.
Data on the sector
The Region of Valencia contains 76% of Spanish glazed tile companies, 23% of Spanish textile manufacturing companies, 20% of lamp manufacturers, and 12% of furniture manufacturing companies. Moreover, the furniture sector is the second in Spain in production and exports, with an increase of 26% over the last four years. The Valencia textile sector is also the second most important for production in Spain with some 11% of the industrial companies of the region and 9% of the employment. Moreover, the Region of Valencia accounts for 26% of Spanish lighting exports.
On the other hand, the Region is one of the main extractors and producers of marble in Spain; it is also the area exporting most materials from the building sector with 55% of the national total.
The ‘2015 See You in Valencia’ Agenda
The International Contract Forum will be one of the events making up the ‘2015 See You in Valencia’ initiative, which together with the joint holding of Cevisama, Feria Hábitat Valencia, and Maderalia Selección will put on a series of exhibitions, showrooms, and cultural initiatives related to architecture, interior design, design, and decoration.
It has now been confirmed that the next Salón nude, the catalyst for new habitat design, will take place in February. Other activities include those which are part of the Cevisama Lab initiative, such as the International Ceramics Design Competition, the Alfa de Oro Prizes, the Trans/hitos trade fair, and the Forum of Architecture and Design.
Moreover, the ‘2015 See You in Valencia’ agenda will be joined in February by three guided tours of the architectural treasures of the city of Valencia. This is an interesting initiative in which the Professional Association of Architects of Valencia is taking part. It will also allow reputed professionals of Cevisama, Habitat, and/or Maderalia Selección to go on guided tours such as that of the historical city centre, the architectural landmarks of the Turia gardens, or the Valencia seafront.
