Style Bangkok was held from 17 to 19 April at BITEC, Bangna. The fair, organised by the Department of International Trade Promotion DITP), brings together a spectacular showcase of design products from over 900 companies to connect buyers from over 70 countries.
We sat down with Vannaporn Ketudat, DITP’s deputy director general, to chat about the improved concept of the show, what they are trying to achieve and what makes Style Bangkok unique.
Tell us a bit more about the new format?
DITP first organised Style Bangkok in 2017, by combining three major lifestyle trade fairs into one. They included Bangkok International Fashion Fair and Bangkok International Leather Fair or BIFF&BIL, Bangkok International Gift Fair and Bangkok International Houseware Fair or BIG+BIH and Thailand International Furniture Fair or TIFF, each being highly successful throughout the past decades.
Incidentally, the merger of three fairs into one could better serve the evolving global trend and fast changing demand of buyers and importers who opt to reduce the time and burden in traveling for product sourcing and purchase.
What are the goals of Style Bangkok?
● Provide a trade platform for development and export promotion of Thai lifestyle products.
● Provide a platform to support and inspire lifestyle product entrepreneurs pursuing creativity and innovation in their businesses.
● Promote Thailand as the leader and trade fair hub for lifestyle products in the region.
● Provide a platform for buyers and sellers to network, exchange knowledge and update lifestyle product trends.
Who visits the fair?
We get a broad range of people attending including importers, buyers/ distributors/ suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, concept stores / property projects and interior designers.
What theme have you chosen for this fair and what was the inspiration?
Style Bangkok April 2019 is being held under the concept ‘Crenovative Origin’, a successful integration of creativity, innovation and originality of Thai identity. The fair will showcase the works of Thai designers and entrepreneurs whose creative ideas have been developed into lifestyle products with modern innovation, elevating from local brands to the global trade platform.
Why should buyers visit Style Bangkok?
Style Bangkok is Asia’s premiere lifestyle trade fair. More importantly, the fair is the biggest lifestyle trade show in Southeast Asia. One of Style Bangkok’s most integral strategies is underlining the inclusivity of designs. Its niche showcase, in particular, boasts products specifically catering to active senior citizens, mothers and kids, metro men as well as pet products, while also offering experiential opportunities and business inspirations at the trade event.
Thai designers and entrepreneurs have incorporated local culture, art and craft into product design that results in original and distinctive design with modernity. Such has become the competitive edge of Thai design products that are much sought after in the global market.
Majority of Thai products are of good quality that are accepted in the world market, with continuous development in product design to reflect tradition and modernity and respond to market demand.
We have skilled artisan and workforce to produce exquisite and creative products.
Thai entrepreneurs are able to take small orders or customise products to meet the rapidly changing need of the buyers.
Thailand has a competitive advantage in traditional craft and culture. The country is also rich in agriculture-based raw materials such as reed, bamboo, Sesbania tree bark, mulberry paper, rubber, cotton and silk fibre, to name but a few. These raw materials have been made into a wide variety of products that reflect local characteristics and culture. Furthermore, Thai craftsmanship is well regarded for its exquisiteness and creativity derived from local wisdom. The end results are the creative products that are notable in the design and functionality, with high export potential.
Which initiatives are planned to promote Thai lifestyle products to overseas consumers?
● DITP aims to promote Thailand as the quality production and export hub of lifestyle products of the region. We place a strong emphasis on driving forward Style Bangkok as the international trade fair which responds to the changing demands of consumers, buyers and seller worldwide. The fair is also set as a perfect trading arena where buyers and producers meet, negotiate business deals, exchange knowledge, and keep up-to-date with global trends.
● Apart from international trade fairs, DITP also set up a series of trade missions in foreign countries where potential manufactures and exporters of lifestyle products meet with target buyers overseas as well as showcase their products to potential buyers. For example, this year, Thai brands took part in Tokyo International Gift Show 2019, Maison & Objet Paris 2019, Ambiente Frankfurt 2019, Singapore Gift and Premium Fair, and Korea Build 2019, to name but a few.
