Market insiders expect the 12th China International Furniture Fair (Guangzhou) to greatly help China's furniture industry regain development momentum.

The bi-annual fair, which is held in March and August, opens today, running until Thursday.

It is one of China's most important post-SARS international fairs as well as one of the nation's largest furniture fairs.

"The event presents a golden opportunity for the nation's furniture exports to get out of the doldrums created by the SARS epidemic," said Dai Xinguo, general manager of the China Foreign Trade Guangzhou Exhibition Corp.

In excess of 600 exhibitors from more than 20 provinces and regions at home and 13 countries and regions overseas - including Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong - will compete for a share of the limelight at the event. They'll be showcasing the latest home and office furniture and accessories, home textiles and decorative and interior furnishings.

The exhibition space totals 70,000 square metres, up 10 per cent from the 10th session a year ago, according to Dai.

Home and office furniture dominate the exhibition halls, he said. More than 160 renowned domestic furniture enterprises are represented at the fair, showing off primarily wooden and metal bedroom furniture and living room furniture.

Some 100 office furniture enterprises are showcasing a wide range of products for office use. Dai said that the organizer of the fair has made great efforts to invite professional buyers to the fair by focusing commercials on North America, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea and the Middle East. At the same time, promotional campaigns have been launched targeting globally renowned furniture fairs abroad.

Said Dai: "The efforts have paid off. The large number of professional buyers present will fortify the position of the fair as one of the most important export-orientated furniture fairs."

Some 1,000 overseas buyers, including those from the United States, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan had preregistered for a slot at the fair by late July.

The organizer has also invited renowned experts to elaborate on a series of related topics at supplementary seminars during the four-day event, boosting exchanges and co-operation between the furniture industry at home and abroad.

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