After a successful debut last year, Expo Centre Sharjah has announced that it will host the second edition of the ‘HIVE Furniture’ Show, the region’s first dedicated event focusing on big box retailers and wholesale traders, from June 13 to 16, 2022.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of a signing ceremony between Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, and Gautam Mulani and Manish Bhatia, Co-Founders of HIVE Furniture Show, as well as officials from both sides.

The new exhibition is part of the Expo Centre’s strategic plans to support the furniture industry, create new investment opportunities in the emirate, meet market demands, and provide a platform for leading international and local furniture companies to forge business relationships and penetrate new markets.

According to the agreement, both parties will collaborate to implement best practices in order to ensure the success of the “Hive Furniture” show.

In his comments, Saif Mohammed Al Midfa expressed his pleasure with the agreement, which is part of the Centre’s efforts to strengthen ties with experienced organizers of specialized trade fairs, owing to the impact of such events on economic growth.

“The furniture industry is one of the major sectors in the UAE, with capital investment totalling Dhs1 billion, representing 1.20 per cent of total manufacturing investment in the country. According to Goldstein Market Intelligence, the furniture industry accounts for 3.6 per cent of the local manufacturing sector,” he added.

CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah further maintained, “These figures motivate us to support this industry by hosting the ‘Hive Furniture’ show, which will be a valuable addition to the Centre’s annual ‘Furniture 360’ exhibition.” Al Midfa emphasized that such events would help to revitalize the furniture and furnishings market by providing a platform for international and local businesses to showcase their products, interact with visitors, exchange experiences, and thus advance this industry.

Gautam Mulani, Co-Founder of HIVE Furniture Show said, “We were pleased with the great response we received during last year’s event, and we can see the huge potential that the furniture sector has in the region in the coming years. The UAE has demonstrated its resilience and recovery from the pandemic’s ramifications, and exhibitors are looking forward to launching new collections to big box retailers through this year’s event.” “We are delighted to host this year’s event at Expo Centre Sharjah, who are assisting us with all logistics and operational requirements, and we are confident that this event will grow further in the years ahead as demand for quality furniture across the region increases.” Manish Bhatia, Co-Founder of HIVE Furniture Show, added.

The Expo Centre Sharjah has announced recently its 2022 events calendar, packed with 17 diverse exhibitions beginning on 12th April, with five specialised and innovative events organised in the first quarter of the year, attracting thousands of visitors and exhibitors from all over the world.

The Centre’s calendar includes major local and regional exhibitions and events, most notably the “Ramadan Nights” exhibition, Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show (WJMES), National Career Exhibition, International Education Show, International Government Communication Forum, Acres Real Estate Exhibition, Jewels of Emirates Show, and other trade fairs.

“The diversity in our event calendar is part of our strategic plan 2022, through which we seek to enhance the contribution of the exhibition sector to the economic momentum and comprehensive development process the emirate is witnessing at all levels,” said Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.

He added, “The exhibitions and conferences sector is a major contributor to the economic growth of nations and is an important source of national income.”

He further maintained, “The UAE’s success in various areas, the capacity of our economy to overcome challenges imposed by the pandemic, and the rebound of travel and tourism sector have spurred us to step up our efforts to take the exhibition sector into a more dynamic and diverse stage, through numerous innovative events and activities.”

“Since the beginning of the year, Expo Sharjah has hosted five successful events, including the “SteelFab 2022” exhibition, which attracted over 150 local and international exhibitors and over 6,000 visitors, and the WJMES, which attracted over 300 international and local companies from 20 countries and over 60,000 visitors,” Al Midfa noted.

The 3rd edition of the ‘Jewels of Emirates’ show, as well as the 50th Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show, will be eagerly anticipated by gold and jewellery enthusiasts, with the Expo Centre aiming to make it special to elevate the exhibition’s status as one of the major gold and jewelry exhibitions in the Middle East and Africa.