IFEX 2026: Innovative Design Drives Growth in Indonesian Furniture Exports
Jakarta - As one of the largest furniture exhibitions in Asia, the Indonesia International Furniture Expo (IFEX) not only showcases thousands of superior products from around 500 exhibitors.
IFEX also provides a collaborative space that brings together manufacturers, designers, associations, and international buyers directly.
As is known, the Indonesia International Furniture Expo 2026 opened on Thursday (March 5, 2026) at ICE, BSD.
In this regard, the Designer Showcase is a crucial element strengthening IFEX's positioning as an exhibition that provides added value, where design innovation goes hand in hand with potential business transactions.
"The presence of the Designer Showcase at IFEX 2026 further emphasizes IFEX's role not only as a furniture product exhibition, but also as a strategic platform that integrates design, industry, and the global market within a unified business ecosystem," said Abdul Sobur, Chairman of the Indonesian Furniture and Craft Industry Association (HIMKI), on Saturday (March 7, 2026).
The collaboration with the Indonesian Interior Design Association (HDII), the Alliance of Indonesian Industrial Product Designers (ADPII), MadeCon, and Good Design Indonesia demonstrates how IFEX is driving industry transformation toward a more design-driven and global approach.
IFEX provides opportunities for business players to interact directly with international buyers, distributors, project owners, and sourcing agents from various countries.
On a broader scale, IFEX serves as a strategic space for Indonesian businesses to showcase the quality of materials, the strength of craftsmanship, and design excellence to the international market. By combining production strength and design innovation through the Designer Showcase, IFEX 2026 strengthens its role as a driver of export growth and as Indonesia's gateway to the global furniture supply chain.
Through an integrated approach between exhibitions, design, and business networking, IFEX not only creates short-term trade momentum but also builds the foundation for sustainable industry collaboration at the regional and global levels.
On the first day of the event, IFEX received a visit from the Minister of Creative Economy/Head of the Creative Economy Agency, Teuku Riefky Harsya, who personally inspected several exhibitor booths.
This visit further emphasized that creativity and design innovation are key elements in enhancing the competitiveness of the national furniture industry. Government support for strengthening the design ecosystem is considered crucial to driving the industry's transformation toward a more creativity-driven model, ensuring that Indonesian furniture products not only excel in production quality but also possess a strong design identity relevant to global market needs.
The Asia-Pacific region now dominates the global furniture industry, contributing approximately 42 percent of total global revenue by 2024, according to a report by Mordor Intelligence. This growth is driven by increasing urbanization, rising home ownership, and the region's booming export manufacturing sector. This trend also indicates a significant shift in global production to Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, where labor availability, proximity to raw material sources, and supply chain efficiency create competitive advantages in price and production flexibility.
With its wealth of natural resources, such as wood, rattan, and bamboo, coupled with an internationally recognized reputation for craftsmanship, Indonesia has the potential to increase national furniture exports to the global market. Indonesian furniture products are not only superior in function and material, but also rich in cultural and artistic value. Global design trends emphasizing local uniqueness and sustainability are also strengthening Indonesian products as global leaders.
Recognizing this potential, the Indonesia International Furniture Expo (IFEX) 2026 is being presented as a strategic platform to strengthen the competitiveness of the Indonesian furniture industry in the global market. Held from March 5–8, 2026, at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) in BSD City, Tangerang, IFEX will be the premier furniture and craft exhibition in Indonesia and the region. This exhibition will bring together national producers with thousands of international buyers from various countries. IFEX 2026 is organized by the Indonesian Furniture and Craft Industry Association (HIMKI).
