Just four letters – MIFF – and the memories flood back. Many memories, marvellous memories of a vibrant and indelible experience.

A kaleidoscope of colour, scents, sounds and above all – people. Hospitable, friendly, warm and welcoming.

That was the lasting impression of my first visit to MIFF (Malaysian International Furniture Fair) in 2005 and has remained my abiding memory of South East Asia’s greatest furniture show. And since then I have returned many many times.

For those who have never been to South East Asia or the Far East be prepared for sensory overload. On arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, nothing you have read or heard truly prepares you for the wall of humidity and heat that envelops you when leaving the blissful cool of the airport. But Malaysians know how to deal with the heat and air conditioning is a constant feature of wherever you may find yourself. And the private sedan sent to transport you to your hotel is no exception.

The exhibition has grown rapidly since its inception in the early Nineties. Founded by businessman/entrepreneur Datuk Dr Tan Chin Huat with the sole purpose of exposing the incipient Malaysian furniture manufacturing industry to an international market it has succeeded way beyond early hopes and expectation. Indeed today MIFF is undoubtedly the leading furniture exhibition in South East Asia and one of the world’s great expos.

In those early days my memories were of the utter friendliness of the organisers, the warmth of reception and awe at the size and scope of the Show.

After several visits, I was invited to be a Judge on a panel set up to adjudicate the quality of exhibitors’ stands and to judge how successfully these stand designs enhanced sales. I met wonderful, knowledgeable and worldly panel members drawn both from Malaysian and international media. Friendships were made that have endured to this day. An abiding quality of MIFF is their determination and their ability to cope with the unexpected.

Now for those who don’t know Kuala Lumpur is situated virtually on the equator on a narrow peninsula with the South China Sea on one side and the Andaman Sea (Bay of Bengal) on the other. Which means it rains! Not occasionally, not in a rainy or monsoon season kind of way, but every single day. Short sharp heavy bursts with rain deluging down and generally after some minutes it stops and steams and clears. One year it rained quite a bit more than usual and the normally placid river which flows between two of the great exhibition halls, and linked by a connecting bridge turned into a raging torrent and burst its banks.

Car parks on either side were flooded but far worse was the flooding of the exhibition hall and the many stands within. Datuk Dr Tan Chin Huat sprung into action and through the night staff worked as did many others to evacuate the drowned hall and to move every affected exhibitor into a new space. By opening time the following morning business resumed as normal. An object lesson to one and all that MIFF, its organisers and its staff was something very special indeed. But of course, an expo can only be properly judged by the amount of business it generates and year-on-year revenues generated from orders placed at MIFF have grown exponentially and have recently soared past the billion-dollar mark.

Inevitably, MIFF has attracted the attention of the big guns and recently passed into the hands of ‘Informa’ a huge multinational but one which has had the wisdom to leave well alone and Datuk Dr Tan Chin Huat still retains his chairmanship with a young and proven team surrounding him. And then there’s the delicious food! Malayan, Indian, Chinese and a raft of other international cuisines. What’s not to like? So go to KL and visit MIFF you will not be disappointed.