Hong Kong architect launches city's first international furniture fair
Winnie Yue hopes three-day event will give the public a greater appreciation of good design
Architect Winnie Yue understands better than most what Steve Jobs meant by the phrase "Stay hungry, stay foolish." Having single-handedly organised Hong Kong's first international furniture fair, starting next week, she is fully aware that persistence pays.
Wanting to bring to Hong Kong many of the brands that exhibit at Salone del Mobile, the world's premier design fair, Yue thought she could just turn up in Milan and deliver her pitch to furniture companies. Because she hadn't followed the protocol of making appointments well ahead, no one had time for her. Only after winning over the brands' agents in Hong Kong was she able to reach key people in the Italian city.
"I had to sell Hong Kong to them and explain how International Design Furniture Fair Hong Kong would be better than the fairs in Singapore and Shanghai," she says, adding that neither is up to standard. "Singapore doesn't have many big names, while Shanghai doesn't have the software in place yet; nor does it have big brands."
The three-day event, at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, will showcase the latest designs of more than 40 top brands. It promises to be special for another reason, she says. Unlike fairs such as France's Maison & Objet, which now has a chapter in Singapore, and Italy's Casa Moderna, the Hong Kong event will be geared towards consumers.
