As the past trade mission to London showed, Ukrainian manufacturers of custom-made furniture have great potential in the UK market. The negotiations confirmed that the price of Ukrainian products and the time of order fulfillment are a unique offer among local companies. The participants of the trade mission have already received requests for projects in Great Britain, and some have even received their first orders. Although these orders are not major contracts at the moment, they are the first step in conquering the UK furniture market.

 

That is why, with the strong support of the USAID Program “Competitive Economy of Ukraine”, we are organizing a repeat mission to Great Britain in September 2023 as part of the London Design Fair exhibition. We will combine B2B meeting formats with a stand demonstration, where participants will be able to display items from their collections that are most suitable for the UK market.

 

Speaking about the importance of this mission, we remind you: London Design Fair is a four-day event that takes place during the traditional London Design Festival. During the event, manufacturers from almost 30 countries demonstrate modern furniture, industrial design, lighting, textiles and new materials. Participants are not only representatives of well-known brands, but also novice designers. Every year, the festival in London is visited by more than 27 thousand guests, which makes it one of the most important events in the world of design.

 

Becoming a participant of the London Design Fair is a real opportunity to make a name for yourself and assert yourself in the professional design environment and create relationships that will lead to collaborations and contracts.

 

The joint brand of Ukrainian furniture and doors FURNITURE OF UKRAINE has already become a real discovery for the London public during the April mission to London. Quality, availability, service, excellent design solutions. We have repeatedly heard favorable reviews within the walls of the Embassy of Ukraine in Great Britain. Including from the founder of the London Design Fair exhibition, Jimmy Macdonald, who commented on what he saw as follows: “I was very impressed by the content policy of some of the brands I saw here today, and I believe that these brands have a very large potential to work in the international market in the UK, and I hope that this will create a bridge between Ukraine and the British interior design industry.”

 

We are also hoping and preparing hard!

 

After the completion of the last mission, we received more than a thousand contacts of potential customers for Ukrainian manufacturers. These contacts will form the basis for preparations for the re-mission in September. Participants will independently work with these contacts and organize meetings in addition to exhibition activities.

 

The main objectives of the mission:

• find new buyers of Ukrainian furniture;
• to demonstrate Ukrainian furniture products as part of the London Design Fair 2023 exhibition – the main design exhibition in London, which takes place during the London Design Festival;
• establish B2B contacts in the business sector;
• research market trends and global design trends;
• to present the possibilities of Ukrainian furniture production and design;
• improve the brand of Ukrainian furniture companies;
• to popularize Ukraine as a promising partner in the field of furnishing various facilities;
• increase awareness of Ukrainian business and Ukraine as a whole;
• to demonstrate a positive image of Ukraine as a trade partner.

 

Trade mission dates: September 21 – 24, 2023

Your company can participate in the selection if it meets the following criteria:

• Active member of UAFM.
• A representative of a small/medium-sized business that works in the segment of manufacturing furniture to order.
• Has experience in furnishing projects to order in Ukraine (hotels, restaurants, public places, apartments, etc.).
• Delegates an English-speaking employee of the company to participate in the trade mission and conduct all communication before and after it (or will provide the work of a translator during the trade mission).
• The company has export experience  or has export capacity
• The company has production facilities in Ukraine for the implementation of projects.
• The company has a price list/catalogue/presentation/website in English.
• The company has/or is in the process of obtaining the appropriate certification for exporting furniture to Great Britain.
• The company has an understanding of building logistics and installation of its products to Great Britain and can assure the buyer of the ability to fulfill the order.
• The company independently, after training on a special course, looks for three potential customers for its product and invites them to B2B as part of a trade mission.
• ! Preference will be given to participants who participated in the trade mission in April 2023, but we predict that there may be up to 5 new companies.

20 participants will take part in the mission, who will be offered two options for participation:

• The first option is participation in the national stand with your piece of furniture + B2B zone for negotiations;
• The second option is participation in the national stand only in the B2B zone for negotiations.

To participate in the selection, please fill out the application form by August 14, 2023

Participant questionnaire

The announcement of the selection results and the composition of the group will be published on the pages of UAFM on August 16, 2023.

We look forward to hearing from you and wish you success!

The UAFM trade mission to Great Britain and the organization of the FURNITURE OF UKRAINE national stand at the London Design Fair are implemented with the support of the USAID Program “Competitive Economy of Ukraine”.