Jepara International Furniture Buyer Weeks 2026 Exhibition
Jepara - The Jepara Regency Government in Central Java is set to hold the Jepara International Furniture Buyer Weeks (JIFBW) 2026 from March 8–11, 2026, as an effort to enhance the marketability of Jepara furniture products both nationally and internationally.
"The preparations for this international exhibition are already quite mature. This year, JIFBW will be held with a hybrid exhibition concept, combining offline (in-person) and online exhibitions," said Jepara Regent Witiarso Utomo in Jepara on Friday.
According to him, holding JIFBW in Jepara has differences compared to general furniture exhibitions. While typical exhibitions usually provide only one meeting location between buyers and sellers, in JIFBW, buyers are invited to directly visit workshops and furniture factories.
In addition, he said, this event focuses more on buyer visits to workshops or factories. Buyers will also be directly transported to factories that are uniquely available in Jepara, allowing for direct on-site visits.He hopes that this activity will be able to increase the sales potential of Jepara furniture products in national and international markets. Furthermore, his administration is optimistic that the furniture market conditions this year will continue to improve.
Witiarso also emphasized the importance of improving design quality so that Jepara furniture products can keep up with the times and global market needs.
The Jepara Regency Government continues to provide support to furniture industry players, one of which is by facilitating participation in various exhibitions. At this year's Indonesia International Furniture Expo (IFEX), around 20 business actors from Jepara were facilitated to participate in the exhibition.
Following the Indonesia International Furniture Expo (IFEX), JIFBW will serve as a follow-up event to promote not only furniture products but also the overall Jepara furniture industry ecosystem.In an effort to strengthen the global market, several Jepara furniture companies are also scheduled to participate in an exhibition in Dubai. It is estimated that around four to six companies will travel to Dubai for the exhibition as part of strengthening Jepara furniture in the international market.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Jepara Gerak Consortium, Andang Wahyu Trianto, stated that JIFBW 2026 carries the theme "Futuring Tradition", which emphasizes the development of the furniture industry based on tradition with a modern marketing approach.
"This Futuring Tradition theme is important so that the Jepara furniture industry does not lag behind developments in an already up-to-date industry," he said.
He added that JIFBW is a collective effort to preserve the identity of Jepara furniture while strengthening its competitiveness in the global market. Jepara's uniqueness lies in the diversity of production clusters across various villages, each with its own distinctive furniture characteristics.
Unlike general furniture exhibitions, JIFBW is held comprehensively across various locations in Jepara. This concept allows buyers and sellers to interact directly at the production sites.
Day 2
The furniture exhibition titled Jepara International Furniture Buyer Weeks 2026 has officially opened in Jepara, Central Java. The event, running from March 8–11, carries the theme "Futuring Tradition", which blends traditional Jepara carving expertise with modern design innovations.
The exhibition is expected to attract interest from domestic and international buyers to visit Jepara's furniture industry hub directly. Its city-based exhibition concept sets it apart from conventional exhibitions.
The event was officially opened by Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Lestari Moerdijat. She expressed appreciation for the development of Jepara's furniture industry, which is seen as increasingly diverse and capable of competing with similar products from other regions and abroad.
"JIFBW is different from ordinary exhibitions; this event adopts a city-based exhibition concept," said Rerie, as she is fondly called, in Jepara on Monday, March 9, 2026.
With this concept, buyers from within and outside the country are invited to visit showrooms and workshops of artisans across various areas in Jepara. This enables direct transactions between producers and buyers.
"Through the holding of Jepara International Furniture Buyer Weeks 2026, it is hoped that buyers can come directly to showrooms and production sites in Jepara, allowing for direct transactions between producers and buyers," she explained.
Carrying the theme "Futuring Tradition", the event showcases a fusion of Jepara's world-renowned traditional carving skills with contemporary design innovations and modern technological touches.
According to Lestari Moerdijat, amid the world's still unstable geopolitical conditions, Jepara furniture entrepreneurs need to leverage technological advancements and social media to expand their markets, including through online sales.
One of the exhibitors, Yulianingsih, said the event is an important moment to introduce Jepara artisans' furniture products to the international market.
"Many new products are born from the skilled hands of Jepara craftsmen. Potential buyers definitely need to know about that," she said.
Through the organization of Jepara International Furniture Buyer Weeks 2026, the Jepara furniture industry is expected to gain greater international recognition, as well as increase export value and improve the welfare of local artisans.
Day 3
Jepara International Furniture Buyer Weeks 2026, or JIF-BW 2026, officially opened on March 8, 2026, in Jepara Regency and concluded on March 11, 2026. This event is a collaboration between the Jepara Regency Government and Bank Indonesia, through the Bank Indonesia Representative Office in Central Java Province.
The goal of JIFBW2026 is to strengthen synergy across stakeholders to improve the competitiveness of the Indonesian furniture industry, particularly Jepara carved furniture, to become more competitive in the international market.
In his report, the Chairman of Jepara Gerak Andang Wahyu Triyanto stated that JIF-BW 2026 embodies the collective spirit of local entrepreneurs to rise and transform. He believes that Jepara furniture entrepreneurs need to continue innovating in design and utilizing production technology, without abandoning the distinctive identity of Jepara carvings, which are renowned internationally.
Meanwhile, Jepara Deputy Regent H. Witiarso Utomo emphasized the regional government's commitment to making Jepara not only a production center but also a leading destination for global furniture trade. The regional government, he said, will continue to promote investment facilitation and strengthen the local industrial ecosystem to support business actors.
The Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia, Lestari Moerdijat, also expressed support for the Jepara furniture industry. She believes the furniture industry is part of the nation's culturally based economic resilience. Therefore, the protection of local design intellectual property and the regeneration of artisans need to be continuously strengthened to ensure Jepara's unique skills are not lost to the times.
Regarding business sector strengthening, Meysara Cahyadi, Assistant Director of the Implementation and Development Function of MSMEs, Inclusive Finance, and Sharia at the Bank Indonesia Representative Office in Central Java Province, stated that Bank Indonesia's support is focused on increasing the competitiveness of Jepara furniture exports. This effort is carried out through strengthening the capacity of MSMEs, including a halal certification program for furniture products to expand access to international markets.
JIF-BW 2026 is designed to bring together buyers, manufacturers, designers, and furniture industry players through two main formats. First, the Meeting Point exhibition, held at the Jepara Women's Building until March 11, 2026, showcases a variety of superior products from local exhibitors.
Second, the in-house exhibition, which includes direct buyer visits to exhibitors' workshops and factories, runs until April 8, 2026. This format provides buyers with the opportunity to directly observe the quality of materials, production processes, and manufacturing capacity of Jepara furniture.
As an added value to this year's event, Bank Indonesia also initiated halal certification training for furniture products, which exhibitors participated in. This program is expected to open up broader market opportunities, especially in countries with Muslim-majority populations, which are increasingly paying attention to halal aspects and standardized production processes.
Through the 2026 JIF-BW, various parties hope that this activity will become a sustainable strategic platform for promoting Jepara furniture to the global market. Furthermore, this event is also expected to strengthen Jepara's position as a center for high-quality furniture manufacturing and a driving force for the regional economy through sustainable creative industries.
JIFBW 2026 was opened with the aim of inviting buyers to visit Jepara's furniture showrooms and factories. Adopting the concept of a city-based furniture expo, the event encourages buyers and visitors to not only attend showcases but also visit showrooms, workshops, and factories of furniture industry players in various Jepara industrial centers.
Unlike conventional exhibitions centralized in one location, JIF-BuyWe is designed as a city-based industry promotion platform. Through this approach, buyers can interact directly with producers, observe the production process, and gain a deeper understanding of the capacity and characteristics of the Jepara furniture industry.
The opening of JIF-BuyWe 2026 was attended by Lestari Moerdijat, Deputy of the Central Java Representative Office of Bank Indonesia, the Head of the Central Java Provincial Department of Industry and Trade, and the Regent of Jepara. They jointly emphasized the importance of collaboration between government, industry, and the community in strengthening Jepara's position as a national furniture industry hub.
As part of the visitor experience, the Jepara Women's Building functions as a meeting point and showcase gallery, showcasing curated products from exhibitors. This location serves as an information center, meeting space, and coordination point for visitors before visiting the showrooms and factories of exhibitors.
To facilitate buyer and visitor mobility, the committee has also provided a transportation fleet that operates from the meeting point to various showrooms and factories of exhibitors in the Jepara area.
The head of the organizing committee stated that this concept is designed to create more tangible business interactions between buyers and manufacturers.
