06 Oct Yecla Furniture Fair has become part of the Region of Murcia idiosyncrasy as well as a driving force for regional economy.

This 60th anniversary ‘re_conec+a’ (reconnects) with the habitat concept from October 20th to 23rd

There are certain events which become part of the idiosyncrasy of a community: being born in a place and sharing experiences shapes a special personality.  When this symbiosis occurs, as is the case with the Yecla Furniture Fair and the Region of Murcia, these encounters form a common personality which unites and defines us.

Since 1961, Yecla Furniture Fair has been held year after year, with the exception of last year, due to the global situation we are living in. Each edition has become a social and business ritual, which has found in the exhibition centre the place to ‘reconnect’ with the value of an entrepreneurial and resilient sector. And, of course, with the aim of promoting Murcian furniture brand and being an economic boost for other sectors at local and regional level.

It has taken us months of waiting to hold the 59th edition of our trade fair and, perhaps for this reason, the last few weeks have been and will continue to be exciting for all the people who form part of the furniture great family, timber and related products; a myriad of agents who are part of this relational, human and business ecosystem.

During the days of the event, “the economic activity generated by the fair for other sectors is critical. “We are talking about the hotel and catering sector, transport, commerce and hotels, among others”, explains Remedios Lajara, president of FMY Executive Committee, who remarks that: “we also have an exquisite gastronomy, such as our gazpachos and wines with their own Denomination of Origin, which are among the ten most appetising flavours of the Spanish capital of gastronomy, which this year is the Region of Murcia”.

So far, Yecla Town Hall has made a firm commitment to resume cultural and leisure activities, such as the ‘Creacción’ festival or the ‘Verano en Danza’ (Summer in Dance).  “Now we want to reconnect, as the slogan of the fair states. This reconnect symbolises the beginning of the end, a launching pad to resume activity in all senses and connect with a message of optimism and hope”, expresses Lajara.

As if that were not enough, the furniture and timber sector brings together more than a thousand companies and creates around 8,000 direct jobs in the Region of Murcia, representing about 5% of the production of furniture and related products at national level, according to the Regional Association of Furniture and Wood Entrepreneurs of the Region of Murcia (AREMA). Furthermore, by the end of 2021 it is estimated that the sector’s turnover will increase by around 9%, according to the “Furniture Trade” Sectors study recently published by INFORMA’s DBK Sector Observatory.

 “We need to reconnect face-to-face. Yecla Furniture Fair has its own idiosyncrasy that we must ensure it remains intact. It is a very personal event, where people build personal relationships which translate into good business relationships, and the other way around”, says Patricia Cuadrillero, director of the FMY. 

This 60th anniversary, a symbol of our legacy, our present and future, focuses on enhancing the concept of home, habitat. “We are well aware of the moment we are going through as a society along with the new purchasing priorities of the end customer. At FMY we work to meet the needs of our clients and promote the furniture cluster, through integral projects, retail and large-scale furnishings”, Cuadrillero remarks.

Beauty aesthetics, art of design, innovation, reunion, virtual challenge and our sector’s expansion will be the leitmotiv of this eagerly awaited edition.