Brazil’s participation brought together approximately 30 brands and designers across three complementary fronts, generating 1,062 business contacts and 182 business rounds at one of NYCxDESIGN’s flagship events
New York is home to some of North America’s most influential channels for product specification, architecture, interiors and distribution. At ICFF 2026 — the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, held May 17–19 at the Javits Center — Brazil engaged this ecosystem through a coordinated presence spanning a commercial exhibition, a design showcase and curated meetings with buyers.
Initiatives led by the Brazilian Furniture Sector Project generated US$187.34 million in on-site business and opportunities projected over the following 12 months. Participants recorded 1,062 business contacts, including 1,000 new connections — more than 94% of the total. The strategy was coordinated by ABIMÓVEL (Brazilian Furniture Industry Association), in partnership with ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency).
The Brazilian delegation brought together approximately 30 brands and designers across three complementary initiatives: Brazilian Exhibitors, a Trade Mission and the Design + Industry Showcase. A leading North American platform for contemporary design, ICFF connects brands, industry professionals and new ideas for interiors in an environment where creative vision and commercial viability come together.
Over the three-day event, Brazilian design and manufacturing capabilities were presented to buyers, architects, interior designers, specifiers, distributors, retailers, design media and professionals working across residential, workplace and hospitality projects. The audience included visitors from North America as well as other regions drawn to NYCxDESIGN in search of new products, trends and solutions.
Three routes to reach the market
ICFF’s 2026 theme, “Common Ground: A Global Dialogue on Design and Shared Values,” framed design as a meeting point for cultures, disciplines and shared principles. Within that context, Brazil showcased products combining identity, material intelligence, technical expertise, sustainability, manufacturing capabilities and adaptability across different project types and markets.
The three-part structure gave each initiative a distinct role. The commercial exhibition expanded brand visibility and access to ICFF’s professional audience. The Trade Mission arranged targeted business meetings between Brazilian companies and selected buyers. The Design + Industry Showcase highlighted the results of collaboration between creative talent and manufacturing expertise.
Together, these formats gave the Brazilian presence greater commercial depth. Rather than relying on product display alone, the project created touchpoints across different stages of international market development — from first exposure to active negotiations.
- Read more about Brazil’s participation in ICFF 2026 — click here.
Brazilian exhibitors
Direct participation on the ICFF show floor accounted for the largest share of the results. Brazilian Exhibitors recorded 822 contacts, including 777 first-time connections, representing more than 94% of the total.
Business closed during the event reached US$510,000. Opportunities expected to be completed over the following 12 months totaled US$141 million, bringing projected business from the exhibition to US$141.51 million.
The difference between on-site sales and the longer-term pipeline reflects the sales cycle of the furniture and interiors market. Architecture projects, distribution agreements, representation deals and supply contracts across residential, workplace and hospitality sectors typically require portfolio reviews, product adaptations, samples, pricing negotiations and logistics assessments.
The exhibition therefore serves as the starting point — or the next step — in commercial relationships that continue to develop after the show. The volume of new connections represents a significant pipeline for Brazilian companies seeking to expand their presence in the market.
Trade Mission delivers 182 business rounds
The ICFF 2026 Trade Mission strengthened engagement with buyers through prearranged business meetings. A total of 182 meetings generated 191 contacts, including 177 new connections.
On-site business reached US$1.088 million, the strongest short-term result among the three initiatives. The 12-month pipeline totaled US$41.99 million, bringing the Trade Mission’s combined result to US$43.078 million.
The format brings together companies and buyers with a stronger potential commercial fit, allowing discussions around product portfolios, manufacturing capacity, volumes, lead times, logistics, customization and sales channels to take place more efficiently.
This targeted matchmaking supports more substantive negotiations and helps participating companies better understand local demand, buyer expectations and potential adjustments to their market approach.
Design + Industry connects creative vision and market opportunity
The Design + Industry Showcase brought to New York products developed by manufacturers, designers and creative studios connected through the ABIMÓVEL and ApexBrasil program of the same name.
The initiative integrates creativity, manufacturing feasibility and commercial strategy from the initial pairing of manufacturers and creative professionals through product development, market positioning, promotion and international sales. Its goal is to create furniture with a distinct identity, technical rigor, scalability and relevance to international channels.
At ICFF 2026, the exhibition generated 49 contacts, including 46 new connections. On-site business totaled US$242,000, while opportunities projected over the following 12 months reached US$2.51 million. The combined result was US$2.752 million.
ICFF 2026 consolidated results
| Action | Contacts | New contacts | Business rounds | Immediate business | 12-month expectations | Total business |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICFF 2026 – Trade Show | 822 | 777 | — | US$ 510,000 | US$ 141,000,000 | US$ 141,510,000 |
| Design + Industry – ICFF 2026 | 49 | 46 | — | US$ 242,000 | US$ 2,510,000 | US$ 2,752,000 |
| Trade Mission – ICFF 2026 | 191 | 177 | 182 | US$ 1,088,000 | US$ 41,990,000 | US$ 43,078,000 |
| Overall results | 1,062 | 1,000 | 182 | US$ 1,840,000 | US$ 185,500,000 | US$ 187,340,000 |
Brazil recognized at the 2026 ICFF Editors Awards
Brazil’s presence also earned recognition at the 2026 ICFF Editors Awards. ArboREAL won the Exhibit Design category, which honors presentations that transform an exhibition space into an integrated expression of brand, product and spatial language.
The awards are selected by editors and design media professionals who evaluate the leading launches and presentations at the fair. In 2025, ArboREAL had already received ICFF’s Best in Show award for its Balance table.
In a market where brand experience shapes perceived value, exhibit design is no longer simply a backdrop. It communicates positioning, creates context for the products and deepens the relationship between the brand and its audience.
A strategic market
These results were achieved at a more complex moment in trade relations between Brazil and the United States. Tariff measures, pressure on margins and contract reviews have made buyers more cautious and required exporting companies to reassess their strategies.
In this environment, maintaining a physical presence in the market carries additional value. Participating in New York allows companies to track changes across sales channels, listen directly to buyers, assess product reception and adjust portfolios, pricing and market-entry strategies.
The ICFF results also demonstrate that business development does not depend on a single tool. The exhibition provides scale and visibility. Curated meetings bring compatible commercial interests together. Design + Industry adds differentiation, while international recognition strengthens reputation and perceived value.
By integrating these initiatives, Brazilian Furniture provides participating companies with a more complete route to market. The project shortens distances, organizes access to strategic audiences and supports the continuity required to build a lasting commercial presence.
What is changing for ICFF 2027
Beginning in 2027, ICFF will move from May to November and will take place concurrently with Boutique Design New York (BDNY), while remaining a distinct and independently curated event.
The new schedule is expected to expand connections across the hospitality, commercial and residential design markets in New York.
The dates have already been confirmed: November 14–16, 2027.
Brazilian Furniture Project
The Brazilian Furniture Project is an initiative by ABIMÓVEL in partnership with ApexBrasil, created to increase the participation of Brazil's furniture industry and production chain in the international market through a set of strategic actions built on the pillars of sustainability, competitiveness, and design integrated within the industry. Hundreds of companies are part of the project.
In the current cycle, the project's organizers are inviting not only furniture manufacturers and designers, but also component companies and industry suppliers to join Brazilian Furniture, further expanding the reach of Brazilian furniture and reinforcing the competitiveness of the Brazil brand worldwide.
To become part of the project and place your brand at the world's leading furniture industry events, visit:
brazilianfurniture.org.brAbout ABIMÓVEL
The Brazilian Furniture Industry Association (ABIMÓVEL) has spent nearly five decades supporting, developing, and strengthening Brazil's furniture production chain. The institution promotes and leads a positive agenda for the sector, benefiting more than 22,800 companies, which in 2025 generated more than R$ 92.1 billion in business and 287,200 direct jobs, within a production chain that indirectly employs around 1.1 million workers.
Throughout its trajectory, ABIMÓVEL has led a series of programs and actions focused on business, competitiveness, design, sustainability, technical standardization, innovation, and internationalization, promoting initiatives that expand the positioning of Brazilian furniture in both the domestic and global markets. Today, Brazil is the largest furniture producer in Latin America and the seventh largest in the world, a position that reflects the strategic relevance of a production chain that is diverse, capillarized, and closely aligned with market transformations.
abimovel.comAbout ApexBrasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. To achieve its goals, ApexBrasil carries out a variety of trade promotion initiatives aimed at boosting exports and enhancing the value of Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospecting and trade missions, business matchmaking rounds, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, and visits by foreign buyers and opinion leaders to learn more about Brazil's productive structure, among other business platforms also designed to strengthen the Brazil brand.
The Agency also works in coordination with public and private stakeholders to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, focusing on strategic sectors that contribute to the competitiveness of Brazilian companies and of the country as a whole.
apexbrasil.com.brFURNITURE: OUR BUSINESS!
Brazilian Furniture Industry Association – ABIMÓVEL
Press Office: press@abimovel.com | +55 14 99156-0238
