The 2015 Sicam event, a trade fair dedicated to supplies for furntiure and joinery production in Pordenone, Italy, looks set to be another good event. It will be held from Tuesday 13th to Friday 16th October this year.
According to the organiser, this year's event is set to be larger and more dynamic than last year's very good show. This is seen not only in the numbers of exhibitors which have already confirmed their presence, but, above all, in the names and brands who have already registered with the catalogue. Many of the top players of the international components and accessories industry will be at Pordenone.
Sicam has always had a strong international leaning. Last year’s edition consolidated its already impressive standing with around 500 exhibitors – 33% from abroad – and over 17,000 professional visitors registered, 35% of which from 95 countries from all over the world.
The exhibition outline is already well defined. After the Italian operators, Germany will have the highest level of representation at the trade fair in October, followed by the key names from Austria, Spain, and Switzerland.
Sicam 2015 will be held in a period that will certainly be interesting and will give an outlook on the future. This particular Italian industrial sector is aiming to regain an important position on the international field. From a recent analysis carried out by the Symbola Foundation for Federlegno Arredo, from 2008 to 2013 Italy increased its industrial exports by 16.5%, doing better than Germany (11,6%) and France (5.9%), and it is one of only five countries in the world that can boast a manufacturing trade surplus of over $100 billion. Against this macro-economic framework, one of the driver sectors (with a surplus of over $10 billion) is the Italian wood and furniture industry, which is second only to China in the global standings measuring the balance of commercial financial results. Despite a deficit of raw materials, thanks to its manufacturing expertise, Italy generates added value in the furniture industry – valued at €4.9 billion.
The Italian wood and furniture industry looks to the future while simultaneously maintaining and passing down the mastery of generations of artisan workers through time. Indeed, the Italian enterprises of the furniture industry are European leaders in research and development investments (with 56.4 million euro invested), beating England (at 44.6 million), Germany (at 39.9 million), and France (at 17.5 million) in this spending which lies at the origin of competiveness in innovation and design. Therefore, it is no coincidence that all the most important designers come to Italy in the search for passion for innovative ideas and the ability to transform projects into exceptional products, unique on a worldwide scale.
And it is no coincidence either that Sicam has built its success over the years by keeping its location at the small to the medium-sized trade fair area of Pordenone. It is at the centre of the main industrial district of Italian furniture, and one of leading districts in the world in furniture and components production, the District of Livenza. This area contains an active integrated system of approximately 1200 enterprises that produce an overall annual turnover of over €1.5 billion, with more than 85% represented by the core business of finished furniture. The excellent Italian production of wood and furniture in actual fact shows a strong territorial matrix. Two of the three main regions that produce furniture in the European Union are Italian: Veneto and Lombardy; and as many as five of the top 15 European regions in terms of furniture production are Italian – in addition to Veneto and Lombardy, we also have Marche, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Tuscany.
So, it does appear that the right ingredients are in place there for Sicam 2015 edition to be another great success, so that this unique trade fair can continue its status as an exemplar in the global trade fair scene.
