The incorporation of Artefacta, the new B2B exhibition dedicated to furniture, mattresses, design and equipment for the home, was one of the main novelties of the sixth edition of Electronics & Home Argentina and contributed to a call of more than 12,000 professional visitors during three days in La Rural.

The integration of both formats allowed us to expand the profile of the attendees and generate new commercial opportunities by bringing together in the same area manufacturers, distributors, retailers, architects, designers, buyers and references from industries that today are part of the same home ecosystem.. The coexistence between both sectors favored networking, business meetings and exchange between companies that until now participated in different events.

Con esta incorporación, Artefacta cubrió un espacio que el sector venía reclamando desde hacía años. Por primera vez, Buenos Aires contó con una exposición especializada para la industria del mueble, el descanso y el diseño integrated into the country's main business platform for the technology and appliance sectors, generating a meeting point for the entire value chain.

The response from exhibitors reflected the potential of the new format. Franco Musitano, Sales Manager at Color Living, assured that the company's participation greatly exceeded expectations. “Estamos muy contentos con esta participación. Está muy por encima de nuestras expectativas. Para nosotros este evento es importante porque es un espacio de encuentro donde se juntan muchos clientes; es un espacio de visibilidad y de relaciones, es lo que nos une”, he stated.

Musitano also highlighted that Color Living, a company from Villa del Rosario, Córdoba, celebrates its 50 years this year, while Deseo, its mattress brand, celebrates 15 years of sustained growth. “This type of meeting allows us to get closer to clients from all over the country and continue strengthening our brands,” he added.

The exhibition also allowed us to learn about some of the trends that are beginning to consolidate in the market. Ricchezze presented a line of furniture for living rooms, desks and different environments designed to be sold in boxes weighing less than 30 kilos, facilitating the transfer, assembly and reorganization of spaces.

"We are presenting a trend that aims for the product to arrive in a box, to be easy to carry in the car, to assemble and also to disassemble. We continue to bet on growth and innovation because the consumer is always eager for new proposals," he explained. Eugenia Terrades, Regional Sales Manager at Ricchezze.

In addition to commercial activity, Artefacta incorporated the Artefacta Forum, a content space that brought together businessmen, chamber leaders, specialists and officials to discuss the main challenges of the industry. The program included conferences and panels dedicated to competitiveness, financing, the transformation of consumption, the growth of e-commerce, training and new market trends.

The panel “Panorama of the sector” meeting a Mariela Bembi, Undersecretary of Industry and SMEs of the Province of Buenos Aires; Ricardo Sorrentino, president of CAFYDMA and president of Tegnomuebles; Pedro Reyna, vice president of FAIMA and director of Mobel Art; Hugo Ricciuti, president of CEMA, managing partner and CEO of Indelama S.R.L. and vice president of the Robles Foundation; and Tabita Gimenez, head of the Department of the Furniture and Wood Chain of the Ministry of Industry of Misiones.

During the exchange, the panelists agreed on the need to generate better conditions to compete, strengthen access to financing, promote the training of specialized labor and promote policies that favor the development of the national industry.

In this framework, Ricardo Sorrentino highlighted the work that CAFYDMA has been doing to strengthen the training of human resources. “We promote training from the operator to those who run the factory,” he said. In addition, he maintained that “people must be made to understand that behind a piece of furniture there is technology, design, comfort and health,” and he stressed that meetings like Artefacta help give greater visibility to a sector that generates employment, innovation and added value.

The panel “The voices of the industry” It brought together entrepreneurs who shared their vision on the evolution of the market and the challenges facing the sector today. They participated Javier Vazquez, president of Springwall and vice president of CAFYDMA; Sebastian Daniele, manager of Limansky; Daniel Cwirenbaum, president of Group2; and Gerardo Tabakman, CEO of Fiplasto and Cuyoplacas.

Representing CAFYDMA, Javier Vázquez highlighted the importance of having a specialized fair for the sector. "60% of furniture and mattress consumption is concentrated in Buenos Aires and the city needed an exhibition of these characteristics. Artefacta covers a very important line for business development," he stated.

Vázquez also analyzed the transformation of purchasing habits. "Today the consumer consults, compares, visits the stores and then decides. It is a methodology that is here to stay and we, as manufacturers, have to understand this new way of consuming." As he explained, about 30% of the sector's sales are already made through electronic commerce and that participation continues to grow year after year.

The businessmen also agreed that innovation, differentiation, service and the ability to adapt will be determining factors to accompany the evolution of the market and respond to an increasingly demanding consumer.

With a record call, a wide participation of companies and a proposal that combined commercial exhibition, networking and specialized content, the integration of Artefacta and Electronics & Home Argentina made clear the potential of a format that expands commercial opportunities for the entire home value chain and that seeks to consolidate itself as an annual event for manufacturers, distributors, retailers and professionals in the sector.