Yes, it was the warm, relaxed, partner-networking, moderately businesslike, moderately relaxing atmosphere that prevailed at the February corporate meeting of UAFM members at Meblevyk Party. The party, the location of which this time was chosen “UBI Conference Hall” on Dorogozhytska, 8, despite some weather inconveniences, seemed, as always, crowded, representative, as always, with meaningful program content. 

Any corporate event held at the end or beginning of the year is usually aimed, among other things, at summarizing what has been done and outlining plans for what needs to be done. This is the business of the head of the organization. So the business part of the meeting was started by UAFM President Volodymyr Patis, who, using pleasant eloquent statistics, reported to UAFM members what has already been achieved by the industry and the Association, and announced the vectors of the organization’s development this year.

Speech of the UAFM’s President Volodymyr Patis. Industry achievements and vectors of UAFM development

If we talk about industry indicators, now Ukrainian furniture is exported to 119 countries. The volume of furniture exports is growing annually – by an average of 13 percent (the best performance except for IT professionals). We mostly export to Poland and Germany, but so far these are re-export sales, so the task of Ukrainian exporters is to strive and learn to sell their products directly, and not through foreign intermediaries while losing part of the profits. The largest share of exported Ukrainian furniture is cabinet furniture, but, as Volodymyr Patis pointed out, the demand for upholstered furniture is starting to grow rapidly, and it is a sin not to take full advantage of this situation. In general, foreign analysts and forecasters say that world sales of furniture are growing every year, and this trend will continue.

The export-import ratio is also significant: Ukraine exports more furniture than it buys abroad.

Last but not least, the export successes of UAFM members were achieved in close cooperation with such partners as the State Institution “Ukrainian Export Promotion Office” (its representatives were among the honorary guests of the February meeting of the furniture community, told what and how they can be useful to furniture makers). USAID “Competitive Economy of Ukraine” and a number of others. The first significant, breakthrough export achievement of UAFM, which has been mentioned many times, was the participation in the government trade mission to Israel, which opened a favorable Israeli market for Ukrainian furniture, which successfully used it: in a couple of years furniture exports to this country increased by seven (!) times. 

Not forgetting the importance of domestic market development, the Ukrainian Association of Furniture Manufacturers pays special attention to export strategies, realizing that furniture companies that reach export potential will a priori be successful in the domestic market: export achievements improve and the domestic market is such a relationship.

Speech by Oksana Donskaya, Member of the Board of UAFM. Announcement of the exhibition FUBE – 2021

If we talk about this year, its main event for UAFM and the entire domestic furniture industry should be the long-awaited and long-awaited April exhibition “Furniture of Ukraine Business Expo”, which will be the first international B2B furniture exhibition in Ukraine. The less time before its premiere (and a month and a half left), the more interest in it in the furniture environment. Of course, the organizers of “Meblevik Party” could not bypass the program of the event, which, incidentally, fully fits into the context of export strategies, which were so much talked about this evening, because its main goal – the international approval of the brand “FURNITURE OF UKRAINE” and bringing the export of Ukrainian furniture to a new qualitative and quantitative level. In fact, her vocation is to take on the role of manager of all Ukrainian furniture.

Oksana Donska, who is its UAFM curator, provided detailed insider information about such a powerful event for the industry as the FUBE-2021 exhibition, and about the state of its preparation, as the Furniture Association is a co-founder and co-organizer of the exhibition.

The troublesome work of attracting foreign and domestic buyers to the exhibition (almost one and a half thousand buyers from fifty countries, most of them from India, mostly furniture retailers and designers and architects) has reached the final phase. For the first time in the practice of the Ukrainian exhibition business, the participation of foreign buyers in the FUBE-2021 exhibition will be free for them: the organizers of the exhibition pay for their travel and accommodation in Ukraine. The international training group, headed by Oksana Donska, with the support of the USIAD Program, also involves foreign consultants in the exhibition.

75 percent of the exhibition space has already been sold. One of these days the online platform of the exhibition will start working. Each participant will receive a “cabinet” there, which will be able to fill with promotional materials necessary for detailed acquaintance with its products and for their effective promotion on the market. On this platform, exhibitors and those interested in their products will be able to contact in advance and specifically agree on future negotiations during the exhibition. Two weeks after the exhibition, it will still be possible to use this platform for the necessary communications for both parties.

The solemn entry of new companies into the ranks of UAFM

The success and authority of the Ukrainian Association of Furniture Manufacturers are convincingly evidenced by the regular growth of its new members. And each time the number of newly hired companies is calculated not in units but in dozens. Meetings such as Meblevik Party are a good opportunity to demonstrate this and add solemnity to the UAFM membership process. Of course, this time to this significant part of the evening was quite long, which testified: UAFM was replenished with 32 new members at once (now there are 257 of us). It is noteworthy that among the “newcomers” were the veterans of the market, in particular, such “heavyweights” of the industry as “Marketlis” and “Svit mebliv“, who eventually realized that, as they say, the group is better to beat his father. Volodymyr Patis confirmed this: “The more of us, the more opportunities there are in UAFM and the more opportunities each of us has to use these opportunities.”

Speed – dating designers with furniture makers

It is already usual for such corporate meetings to be arranged by the organizers of acquaintance and communication of designers with furniture manufacturers, who are listed in the evening program as Speed – dating. The goal is the same: to promote the collaboration of designers and furniture makers to create joint creative projects that will lead Ukrainian furniture to a wide path of world recognition. This time, as many as twenty designers were involved in the event, many of whom are young graduates of the European School of Design. This confirms that the Memorandum of Cooperation between UAFM and ESD is already filled with real content. As part of this event, B2B meetings were held with the buyer of the French company Alsapan.

Announcement of the results of the contest “FURNISHMAN OF THE YEAR” and awarding the winners

The “FURNISHMAN OF THE YEAR” competition announced last year by the

summed up and determined the winners in January, so this party was a logical opportunity to announce the results of the competition and award the winners and prize-winners.

• In the nomination “Company of the Year” the best companies are LLC Factory “BASSA” (small business), ” Marketlis” and “TERMOPAL” (medium business), “ViYar” (big business).   
• In the nomination “Reliable Partner of the Year” the following companies are in the top three: “ISTO Architecture” – 1st place, “ViYar” – 2nd place, “AGT Plus” – 3rd place.
• In the nomination “Furniture masterpiece of the year” the 1st place was won by the company “VERDI” (sofa “Кamny”), the 2nd place was won by LLC  Factory “BASSA”(kitchen MAZANKA), the 3rd place went to it (kitchen Blue Terracotta).
• In the nomination “Serial furniture masterpiece of the year” the places were distributed as follows: 1st place – the author’s collection of Leonid Spivakov and Yuri Rintovt ORGANiC collection, Oregano desktop; 2nd place was chosen by Basil table from the same collection; 3rd place in “Atelier LILU” – a collection of children’s furniture Elephant.
• In the nomination “Project of the Year” 1st place in the company “VERDI” – the project ZMIST BAR, 2nd place in the company “Neocon” – the project Hey! Joy Toy store, 3rd place in the company “Vema Kids” – an inclusive children’s center.

We would just like to add that the organizers of the competition and members of the authoritative jury, congratulating the participants and winners, expressed hope that the next competition will be no less important in terms of the level of presented domestic furniture products, but also larger in the number of participating companies.

The strength of the Association and its effectiveness in the proactivity of its members

 

In particular, it concerns partner support for corporate events. There is already a “team” of companies that are regularly in such partners. Among them is Adler Lacke Ukraine (headed by Nadiya Rodionova), which became the main partner of the UAFM February party and this time sweetened the tea party of the participants of the furniture gathering with a set of delicious cakes. Serhiy Stakhovsky’s wine company Stakhovsky Wines, which served the furniture for the first time in such a sponsorship way, treated them to good-quality intoxicating drinks. Both sponsors added drive and intrigue to the informal part of the party with their contests, drawing valuable prizes. This time the partner team together with Nadiya Rodionova and Serhiy Stakhovsky included Kleiberit, Vector, Luxeform, Neocon, ViYar, Krayna, media partners: Pragmatika media and “Dom i Interier”.

It would not be a party of furniture makers if its completion was not crowned – again, the traditional – a huge holiday cake, decorated with logos of new participants. Of course, those who waited for this final confectionery action know what it tasted like this time.