Stockholm Furniture Fair & place2place: Circular Trade Fair Partnership

Stockholm Furniture Fair and place2place in unique partnership for circular trade fairs

During Stockholm Furniture Fair 2023, a historic step was taken for the Scandinavian furniture industry. As the first-ever circular marketplace partner, place2place joined forces with the fair to highlight the industry's transition towards a circular economy - and to give exhibition furniture a new life after the event.

Key facts about the partnership

Initiative: Partnership between Stockholm Furniture Fair and place2place.
Purpose: To prevent unique exhibition furniture and trade fair launches from remaining idle in showrooms or being discarded after the fair week.
Solution: place2place served as an organized digital marketplace and sales channel for exhibitors' prototypes, unique collections, and display models.
Exhibitor Benefits: Free publishing, direct exposure to end-users, architects, and buyers, along with seamless payment and invoicing management.
Circular Impact: Furniture reached new owners quickly, unlocking capital and reducing the industry's environmental footprint.

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The challenge with exhibition furniture and display models

Ahead of major industry fairs, unique furniture, custom display items, and new prototypes are often produced. Historically, an established and convenient sales channel for these products has been lacking once the exhibition booth is dismantled.

There has been a high risk that top-quality interior items end up in storage, tie up capital in showrooms, or, worst-case scenario, get thrown away. The partnership changed this dynamic by creating a direct bridge to the secondary market.

How the circular fair channel worked

Through the partnership, exhibitors were able to publish their fair furniture directly on place2place.se. This made the interior items visible not only to visitors on site, but also to thousands of digital visitors - including architects, municipalities, companies, and private individuals across the country.

Key features of the fair concept:

Free exposure: Advertising fair furniture was completely free of charge for manufacturers, with only a commission fee applied upon a completed sale.
Smooth transaction handling: place2place managed the entire financial process, including invoicing and payouts, making transactions risk-free and administratively simple for both parties.
Direct link to the stand: Each listing was tagged with the exhibitor's stand number during the fair week, driving physical visitors directly to the exhibitor's booth in Älvsjö.
SEO benefits: All published products generated valuable backlinks to the manufacturers' own websites and were featured in place2place newsletters and social media channels.

A long-term concept for future fairs and events

The initiative during Stockholm Furniture Fair demonstrated how easy it is for furniture manufacturers and companies to adopt circular thinking right at the planning stage of an event. By planning for the furniture's "second life" before the fair even begins, the industry saves both resources and the environment.

place2place is Sweden's leading marketplace for reused office furniture and design classics. We help manufacturers, resellers, and companies conduct safe, seamless, and sustainable business.

Would you like to learn more about how we can help your company establish circular flows for your exhibitions, events, or showrooms?

Författare: Ola göransson, Isabelle Haglund Wigh & Jenny Mossberg