Copenhagen draws more
Brian Carroll -- Furniture Today, May 19, 2003
Copenhagen, Denmark — Despite SARS and Europe's economic woes, this month's Scandinavian Furniture Fair drew 12% more buyers than in 2002.
"The vast majority of the 425 exhibitors were well satisfied" with the final total of 18,727 professionals attending the five-day fair, organizers said.
Beautiful spring weather dented attendance by the public. Only 1,437 Danish consumers visited on Open Day, the fair's last day, 30% less than last year.
Visitors from abroad, who represented 57 countries, totalled 3,640, or 8% more than in 2002. Fewer American and German buyers attended, however, but those Americans who did come displayed "a healthy appetite for buying," said Niels Buhl, the fair's press officer.
The total number of U.S. buyers was 187, or 18% less than in 2002. German buyers numbered 259, 16% off 2002's 308 total.
The number of Japanese visitors almost doubled, even though several Japanese furniture buyers were subject to a corporate travel ban for fear of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The number of visitors from Norway and Sweden also increased.
