SPAIN - Feria Hábitat Valencia, to be held from September 17 to 20 in Valencia, Spain, has designated France as the guest market in this edition. France is the leading destination for Spanish furniture exports, with 595 million euros exported last year and growth of close to 12% over previous years.

Thus, to strengthen and enhance the commercial exchange between both countries in the habitat segment, the fair has confirmed the visit of the main buying and distribution groups that operate in the French market.

Among those who have already confirmed their participation include groups such as Geant du Meuble, Gram, Maison de la Literie, Maxiam, Mobilier de France, XXL or the French division of the German giant Musterring. Also confirmed are representatives of firms such as Story, Ucem, Mon Lit et Moi, Olyrveve, Grand Litier-Centrale d'Achat, SAS Comfort Decor, SARL Anywhere Concept or the well-known chain Roche Bobois.

In addition, the fair has reached a collaboration agreement with the 'Union Francophone des Décorateurs d'Intérieur - UFDI', the main professional association of architects, interior decorators and prescribers of the contract channel in France, through which a good number of representatives of this group will visit the next edition of Feria Hábitat Valencia.

Moreover, taking advantage of the interest of these French operators in the Spanish market, Habitat has also extended the visit to the fair to different buying groups of markets connected to France such as Belgium or the Netherlands. The response has been excellent and, in this way, the arrival of representatives of the buying groups Quorum Group Belgium, Ucem Crozatier, O.Key Belgium, IMG Internationale Meubel Groep or Mobica-Belgium has also been confirmed. The purchase groups M Line DBC Nederland, M Line DBC International and Garant Netherlands have also been added by the Netherlands.

Following this line of promoting the most priority market for the habitat ‘made in Spain’, pavilion 4 of level 2 of Feria Valencia will host an exclusive exhibition and commercial exchange area dedicated to the European market. Exhibiting firms from Central Europe and those Spanish companies with a special interest in exporting to these markets will be located at this area.

“Of the top 10 markets destination of Spanish furniture exports, seven of them currently belong to the European Union and are key markets such as France, Portugal, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium. Only these seven markets last year bought Spanish furniture worth 1,345 million euros, practically 65% of all the furniture 'made in Spain' that was exported to the world last year,” explains the director of the fair Daniel Marco.