29 May Yecla has once again become the epicentre of the furniture sector with the inauguration of ‘Come and grow’, the 62nd edition of the FMY.

The president of the Region has inaugurated an edition with a larger exhibition space, a greater number of firms – about twenty new ones – and a strong commitment to ‘contract’.

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The president of the Autonomous Community, Fernando López Miras, the president of the Yecla Furniture Fair (FMY) Executive Committee and also Mayoress of Yecla, Remedios Lajara, and the director of the FMY, Juan Miguel Zornoza, among other relevant figures, have inaugurated the 62nd edition of the FMY this morning, which aims to turn Yecla and the Region of Murcia ‘into the epicentre of the furniture and wood sector’.

With the slogan ‘Come and grow’, the Yecla event starts with an increase in the exhibitor numbers over last year’s edition. It is worth noting that, out of the nearly 100 exhibitors this year, more than twenty are new to the 62nd edition of FMY while more than thirty come from outside the Region of Murcia.

The promotional efforts conducted by the FMY team all over Spain ‘have been fruitful’ and the industry professionals will find, alongside the usual exhibitors, some well-known national companies from provinces as far away as Cádiz and Pontevedra. Some ‘younger’ companies from Yecla and Murcia will also be making their debut and have considered the fair to be ‘the best stepping stone’ for them to grow, as the slogan of this 62nd edition suggests.

The President of the region and the President of the FMY Executive Committee, along with various other representatives – including the Vice-President of the Autonomous Community Government, José Ángel Antelo, the Councillor of Economy, Business and Finance, Luis Alberto Marín, regional representatives, members of the Yecla City Council as well as association and organisation managers from the furniture sector – walked around the exhibition area (which this year has more exhibition space than in previous editions), welcoming the exhibitors and handing out special acknowledgements to those companies that are celebrating their professional trajectory and anniversary in 2024.

THE FMY: ‘’A SHOWCASE AND A PUBLIC PLATFORM‘’ FOR THE SECTOR

Fernando López Miras, the regional president, highlighted that the 62nd edition of the FMY ‘is the best edition in our history, attracting 22 more exhibitors and 1,000 more registrations than in 2023’, thus reaching that ‘international scope’ that makes it a ‘showcase and a public platform’ for a sector that ‘is getting progressively more important for the Region of Murcia’.

The importance of the fair, he pointed out, is based on figures such as the regional furniture sales, accounting for around 943 million euros a year, which represent 3 percent of the total regional industry sales, and 4 percent of the gross industrial surplus value. The regional contribution to the national total is estimated at 6%. In addition, he recalled that in 2023, Murcian furniture exports reached a reported value of 142 million euros, a 10 percent increase over the previous year.

The fact is that, at the moment, the regional wood and furniture sector comprises more than 900 companies, most of which are SMEs concentrated in the Altiplano region. As a result of this key role, more than 7,700 direct jobs are generated in the region, accounting for around 11% of the region’s industrial employment.

‘These figures demonstrate that this is a thriving sector, constantly creating new jobs and opportunities,’ highlighted López Miras. He also pointed out that furniture ‘’is also becoming an ambassador for the Region of Murcia, taking top-level, ground-breaking products all over the world‘’. The head of the regional government has also reassured that his government ‘will continue to support a sector that is one of our key productive sectors, as the results are proving to be extremely positive’.

Meanwhile, Remedios Lajara, president of the FMY Executive Committee and Mayoress of Yecla, pointed out the significance of this year’s slogan, ‘Come and grow’, which ‘’speaks highly of our city and, above all, of the potential of the 95 exhibiting companies, 60 of which are local, from Yecla‘’. According to the FMY Executive Committee president, 6,000 professionals have registered for this 62nd edition, 20% more than in 2023.

Finally, she highlighted the fact that Yecla is home to ‘the largest furniture cluster, comprising more than 500 companies that generate more than 10,000 jobs for our city’. None of this, she added, ‘would be possible without the support provided by the regional government or without the backing that companies receive through the Info’.

MARIANO FARRUGIA HAS RECEIVED THE 2024 BEST STAND DESIGN AWARD

The business activity, always the main protagonist at the exhibition centre, will be supported by a full schedule aimed at boosting interaction between our professional visitors as well as encouraging training, agreements and leisure activities.  So, after the official opening at 12.00, the jury visited the exhibitor companies’ stands and gave away the FMY 2024 Best Stand Design Award, a prize that was handed over to the company Mariano Farrugia at 6.00 p.m. in the official stand of the fair.

The award, given by the Directorate General for Consumer Affairs and Crafts of the Region of Murcia, recognises the company’s display at the FMY, showing a ‘suggestive yet subtle’ stand design presenting its offer of textiles, fabrics and tapestry systems in an ‘elegant’ way. The firm’s unique style reflects its founders, Mariano Farrugia and Rosa Puche, who have spent decades studying everything related to the fashion, leather and industry fields.

Meanwhile, in the afternoon, a highlight within the programme of this 62nd edition began: the first of the sessions that the prestigious Italian architect Paolo Mauri is going to hold.

In his talk, ‘ Would you like to earn a hotel project? Learn how to do it step by step’, he gave the key ideas to identify the different parties involved in hotel projects while also discussing interior design and equipment; planning and action scenarios; the differences between a network project and a private one; and the key points to make the most of the interview and the initial briefing.

In addition to these scheduled appointments, visitors can now enjoy the exhibition ‘ Crafts from the Region of Murcia ’ which will remain on display during the entire fair in the Yecla Furniture Fair hall, an exhibition backed by the Directorate General for the Promotion of Trade, Business Innovation, Industry and Craft Professions.