Swedish Furniture Parliament "Möbelriksdag" in Lammhult

They did it again! The incredible Johan Sjöberg MD of Möbelriket, and his entusiastic project manager Anders Wisth. They managed to get almost 300 the key people from Swedish Furniture related industry and organisations to head down to Lammhult in the midst of snow land and New Year holidays to discuss the future of Swedish Furniture industry. Clever thinking. No one has had time to fill their calenders at this time of the year, and many of us invited were also speakers, which ensures the presence. The planning has already started for next year, same date January 4th. In all we counted almost 60 speakers on stage, which also meant that Johan Sjöberg, chairmain of the friends of Småland Cheese Cake, had to get just as many cheese cakes ready to hand out to all speakers (which I will bring to share with my colleagues at Svensk Form today). The format was a hectic but kept us all awake, with all speaking between 3-15 minutes, depending on subject. We would have needed to go into more depth with some subjects, such as sustainable and long term production for example, but you can't win them all. I left with an optimistic feeling that we are now all starting to talk about the same needs, a long term and continuous strategy or action plan to strengthen Swedish Design Export. We can do it together! For those of you who were not there, you can follow it on webb TV 

Johan Sjöberg welcomes all of us nearly 300 participants - the aim for next year is 349, like the real parliament. Again, TV sport referee Staffan Lindeborg kept us all on time.

Three governors present of each county in the great landscape Småland: Kristina Alsér, governor Kronobergs län, in the morning Sven Lindgren from Kalmar län, and closing remarks by newly appointed governor of Jönköpingslän Minoo Akhtarzand - a refreshing character

 some of the nearly 60 speakers:

Fathers & mentors to their young adepts and children: Kenneth Ståhl and his youngest son Joel Enhörning building up Byarums with new design management and success  + Sara Larsson A2 Design and her father Bo Larsson on the verge of buying a new company and opening a new factory. Perhaps the most inspiring and promising part of the whole program. Made Here! By the new generation.

Stefan Nilsson in his right element, telling us about impressions and future trends within desing - Made here - not made in Sweden, but made in Lammhult etc and showing good examples of these trends. Thank you Stefan!

Desing, design managemant and longlasting quality was an issue that could have needed some more time to develop. However well presented by Lars Bülow, Materia founder, Johan Lindau from Blå Station and Fredrik Färg individual designer and super communicator

What happened to the project and all the designers' who participated in the Green Design Project? 

Helena Linden of Stockholm Furniture Fair explained how we could develop a new strategy for export of furniture from southernmost Sweden to northern Italy - now we are talking!!

Our best companies are doing well - broke turn-over records last year, such as Swedese and Offect, two companies with international reputation and big international market share (35 % Swedese and 50 % Offecct) Swedese existing since 1845 and Offecct only 25 years - different type of companies, but that have understood to work fully internationally and yet keeping their identity