Following a rush of orders, the sharing of important industry information, and the presentation of inspirational furniture designs, the first phase of the 39th China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) came to an end in the southeastern city of Guangzhou on March 21.

The leading industry fair is divided into two distinct events with the now concluded fair displaying home furniture and the second, due to take place between March 28 to 31, showcasing office and commercial space furniture.

The first phase of the 39th China International Furniture Fair (Guangzhou) features home furniture, home decoration, and home textiles. [Photo/ciff-gz.com]

The separate events cater to the specific wants and tastes of a diverse clientele and the home design event presented indoor and outdoor home furniture, home decoration, and home textiles. It also included a number of other attractions such as the staging of the Pinnacle Award Asia Pacific, China Interior & Decorations Conference, Design in China, and a global garden lifestyle festival.

The second phase will focus on furniture designed for offices, hotels, and other commercial spaces. The event will also showcase machines used to make furniture and furniture-related raw materials.

This year represents another impressive display for CIFF with one expo organizer, Li Jinqi the chairman of China Foreign Trade Center (Group), stating that the furniture fair boasts 3,900 exhibitors, 4,000 brands from over 30 countries and regions, and more than 170,000 international professional buyers. Furthermore, an estimated 200 exhibitors will unveil brand new products during the course of the fair.

"CIFF is more than simply a large scale event, it connects upstream and downstream industries and we are committed to creating and increasing value for both exhibitors and visitors," said Li.

One positive development is an agreement with Tmall, a thriving B2C platform that belongs to Alibaba Group, which will showcase products available in the expo online.

"CIFF has witnessed rapid expansion in recent years and it has played an active role in boosting technological advancement, business development, industrial exchange, and growth in the export of China's furniture industry," said Zhu Changling, chairman of China National Furniture Association.

The well-established fair aims to further Guangdong's already dominant position in China's furniture market with the southeastern province hoping to have a 30 share of national shares by 2020. [Photo/ciff-gz.com]

Analysts believe that Guangdong's status as the nation's leading player in the furniture industry has helped CIFF (Guangzhou) gain in appeal. Additionally, the fair helps the region's furniture industry diversify its products, improve quality, and develop brands as part of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020).

Guangdong province aims to strengthen its already formidable reputation in China's furniture industry. Through the years 2016 to 2020, the province hopes to comprise 30 percent of the nation's total furniture sales volume, 40 percent of total exports, and 25 percent of domestic sales.

In 2016, Guangdong produced 14.59 billion pieces of furniture, a decrease of 11 percent from 2015. However, the province raked in 401 billion yuan ($58.07 billion) from the furniture sector in 2016, a 5 percent increase from 2015 and the future of furniture in the region appears to be stable and positive.