China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) Guangzhou

The China International Furniture Fair has been held in Guangzhou since 1998 and is organised by the China Foreign Trade Centre group. It occupies the Canton Fair Complex and the Poly World Trade Center for two consecutive weeks in March: the first for home furniture, sofas and bedding, outdoor and children's furniture, home décor and textiles; the second for office and commercial furniture, hotel furniture, and the materials, components and machinery of the industry.

Guangdong province around Guangzhou, Foshan and Dongguan is the largest furniture-producing region in the world, and CIFF is the fair at which its factories present the season's collections. Exhibitors are mostly Chinese manufacturers, with international brands in a design-led hall; visitors are retailers, importers, contract buyers, architects and designers.

A September edition in Shanghai (CIFF Shanghai) serves the domestic market and the Yangtze River Delta industry. The Guangzhou edition is the one for export buyers.

The fair has invested in design content — designer collaborations, the CMF (colour, material, finish) trend halls and award programmes — to move up from commodity sourcing; buyers still come principally for price and capacity.

Admission is by professional pre-registration; overseas buyers receive badges and invitation letters through the organiser.