Organisers have confirmed that following the resounding success of the all-new 2015 January Furniture Show, the 2016 exhibition will move to a four-day format with a traditional Sunday opening.
With a near 100% rebooking of stand space, the show will also return to its late January timeslot - from Sunday 24th January to Wednesday 27th January 2016 - at Birmingham's NEC and will include the reintroduction of Halls 4 and 5.
The announcement follows a survey of exhibitors at this year's show. More than 70% said they wanted a four-day exhibition and even more - nearly 80% - voted in favour of a Sunday start.
January Furniture Show co-director Laraine Janes says: "Listening to what our exhibitors and the trade wants has always been important to us which is why we gave everyone taking part in this year's show an opportunity to tell us when and for how long they would like the 2016 show to run. The overwhelming majority told us they wanted it to run for four days and they wanted it to start on a Sunday. We have also managed to secure the more traditional, later January slot to accommodate the month's busy international exhibition calendar."
Fellow director Steve Richards says: "We were delighted that so many exhibitors and visitors chose to support us this year. By doing so they have secured the future of the show and re-established it as the number one platform for doing business in the UK furnishings sector.
"While there was significant support for the three-day midweek slot, which proved to work well, a four-day show with Sunday opening will help support the carefully planned growth which will see the event take up Hall 4 and part of Hall 5 in 2016. The extra day will give buyers more choice and more time to get round the show.
"Many exhibitors were keen to return to a Sunday start as that was always a popular day for smaller independent businesses to visit the show. Extending it to four days also allows us, to some extent, to guard against the possible loss of a day of bad weather."
Rif Lalani, MD of Bentley Designs, is among those who felt that a return to four days also offered an opportunity to spend more quality time with retailers visiting their stand. He says: "We're delighted that the show next year will go back to the later January timing and that it will start on a Sunday. For us, it's also good news that the show is going back to being a four-day event as the last day gives us the opportunity to spend quality time with retailers."
As co-directors of Furniture and Gift Fairs Ltd, Theresa Raymond and Laraine Janes have collectively worked in the furniture industry for over 60 years, delivering furniture shows in all major UK venues.
