OFAS was founded in 1987 to provide advisory services to the commercial furniture industry. It publishes newsletters and journals to promote members' products and services. Over 30 years it has expanded its reach within the industry and provides valued support to both trade and non-trade members. OFAS helps both UK and international companies launch products in the UK market. It strives to offer the latest technologies and services to help members thrive in today's competitive business environment. Testimonials praise OFAS for being a central source of knowledge and for providing timely, impartial advice and support.

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2. “OFAS was founded in 1987 by Margaret Haynes from a vision to provide advisory
services to the commercial furniture trade, assisting Manufacturers, Dealers and Service
Providers. When developing the services, Margaret was asked by the Associates to
publish a regular newsletter, providing them the opportunity to promote their products
and services to interested parties within their sector.
Over the years, OFAS has become the leading light of information and has always been
at the forefront of innovation, welcoming End-Users into the organisation, widening its
reach and network. OFAS is proud to be a central hub providing a valued and impartial
service to both trade and non-trade Associates.
OFAS has been instrumental in assisting both European and other International
companies, with the launch of their products in the UK and Ireland. The OFAS services
have enabled them to reach vast audiences and establish themselves within the UK
market with ease.
OFAS has always been ahead of the times, developing direct mail services by building
upon an enviable database, introducing more publications, evolving the website and
online services. Very early on, OFAS recognised the impact social media would have in
the commercial world, so to support our Associates we developed comprehensive
social media solutions and live feeds. We pride ourselves that we ensure our Associates
have access to all technical advancements to help them thrive and grow in the ever
evolving and highly competitive business world.
We recently moved premises and celebrated our 30 years anniversary, honoured that
we are recognised as the leading advisory service for impartial advice and support. We
are purely funded by the Associates we serve, and regularly receive thanks and
recommendations, which is heart warming to hear.
In recognition with the fast paced environment we live and work in, we are introducing
new services to help support our Associates. Myself and the team at OFAS hope you
enjoy and fully utilise what’s on offer, as always we value your feedback and welcome
suggestions for new areas where we can support you.“
Alan Boyle
Director
The Office Furniture Advisory Service

3. SERVICES
Advice & Support 4
Media 6
Social Media 8
Online Banners 10
Online Product Catalogue 12
Brochure Hub 14
Direct Mail 16
Database Services 18
Graphic Design Services 20
Printing Services 22
Recruitment Services 24
Consultancy & Contract Service 26
INFORMATION
Testimonials 28
Associate packages 30
Useful Information 32
Industry events calendar 33
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4. 01SERVICES
• Saving you time, effort and costs
• Being able to rely on impartial advice and information
• Advice, support and services applicable to your industry means you always get
relevant information to make informed choices for your business
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Visit our online product catalogue as the product
you are searching may be showcased
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5. • Education
• Hospitality
• Office
• Contract Furniture
Dedicated team of friendly and experienced Researchers to personally address
your enquiries relating to the various furniture sectors:
Advice, information and trend updates covering Manufacturers, Dealers, Distributors,
and Service Providers spanning UK and Overseas. Our researchers have access to
databases of 70,000 plus product ranges and literature, cross referenced to 2,000
manufacturers and their dealer/ distribution channels
Advice and support with other associated sectors and business services, for
example:
• Healthcare
• Market Statistics
• British and European standards
• Textiles, floor and wall coverings
• CAD Design
• Shop fitting and display
• Lighting
• Hire and leasing specialists
• Audio visual presentation equipment
• Furniture Installers, Removal
Contractors,
• Move Management
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Request our MEDIA PACK to see advert layout
and sizing options
• Your products/services reach audiences of every medium, maximising impact,
raising your company profile and growing your business
• Your adverts hit a circulation list of approximatly 8,000 named contacts, growing
your presence your opportunities and your sales
MEDIA
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7. Two quarterly publications, OfAS Journal and OfAS Gap provide impartial, engaging
and thought provoking articles, product releases and industry news
The Journal spotlights an industry, challenges and changes affecting the sector,
seasonal showcases and pertinent editorials. Articles which inform and promote
Associates to the many subscribed End-Users
The Gap focuses on our Associates products, showcasing them in a publication with
the layout maximising impact
Circulation List includes:
• End Users
• Government Sectors (HMRC, MOD,
Prisons, Local and Central govt)
• Education (Schools, Universities,
Colleges)
• Leisure and Hospitality sector
• Facilities and Procurement
• IT sector
• Transport
• Banking sector
• Human Resource, Facility Managers
and Procurement Specialists
• Architects, Specifiers and Designers,
Dealers, British Manufacturers
Historical Journal and Gap brochures are available to download from the website, or
request back copies if you prefer
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8. SOCIAL MEDIA
• You don’t have to worry about not having the time, knowledge or flair on how to
communicate and keep upto date on business social media platforms, as OFAS can
do it all for you.
• Fast and effective way of creating brand recognition, enabling you to raise the
awareness of your product or service to every visitor to the OFAS website
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9. Being an associate of OFAS provides the opportunity to reach an immense online
audience by utilising the OFAS social media services:
• Live News Feed
• Linked-in
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
As well as the popular social media platforms, OFAS has a registration service which
sends out Editor Picks and Email news, enabling you to keep your company profile
high and build brand awareness
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Revolving banners generate most interest when
kept simple with one message
ONLINE BANNERS
• Fast and effective way of creating brand recognition, enabling you to raise the
awareness of your product or service to every visitor to the OFAS website
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11. A banner can be placed on the OFAS website home page from as little as one month
to a year. Keep it fresh – update your artwork monthly. All banners contain a click
through to your website
All of the OFAS online services provide the resources to reach a vast audience,
gaining complete product range exposure and enabling you to target warm
opportunities.
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Remember to email your latest publication to:
alison@ofas.org.uk
ONLINE PRODUCT CATALOGUE
• A Search Engine promoting your business, enabling the RIGHT customers to find
you, reducing wasted time and enabling higher sales conversion rates.
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13. Additional products can be included at any point, to coincide with product launches.
Dealers and Agents greatly benefit from this service, as Manufacturers don’t normally
deal with the end user, therefore another way to increase sales opportunities
OFAS online product catalogue, displays a vast selection of Associates products,
searchable by product name, Manufacturer, Dealer or product code. It provides
visitors to our site the opportunity of selecting a particular product that is suited to
their needs. With each product displaying a link to our Associate’s website.
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14. BROCHURE HUB
• Reduce risk of losing potential customers as they have access to your literature and
contacting you direct, capturing their attention when interest is at its highest
• No limitations on the size of brochures uploaded means you can promote your full
product portfolio, increasing awareness of your offering, therefore increasing your
opportunity value
• Reaching a vast online audience, gaining complete product range exposure.
Catalogues are a powerful tool for driving traffic to YOUR website, companies have
established that 59% of their sales have been directly attributed to a catalogue and
have seen a 29% uplift in web sales.
As the Online Catalogue is a product directory for Associates to
promote their products, the Brochure Hub provides our
Associates a facility to upload complete marketing collateral,
whether that is Company Brochure, Product Guide, Case
Studies, Specification Sheets or even Awards and Accreditations
– whatever you want. This is a quick and useful way to publicise
your company to potential customers, providing them access to
your marketing literature, increasing your visibility and reducing
risk of losing opportunity by making their life easier
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Warning: End-Users are hesitant of unpriced, as it
causes perception that products are too expensive
to advertise
Brochures are displayed as a professional flipbook, with or without pricing, to suit your
company needs
The OFAS Hub page contains:
• Your brochures
• Links to click direct to your website
• Easy access to email you via the contact form
• Facilities to be able to share via the Visitors social media
• Visitor has access to email a link of your brochure to a colleague – Dealers find this
beneficial sending to their prospects
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Regular mail outs often produces better
opportunities and increased brand awareness
DIRECT MAIL
• Mailing to interested subscribers produces a higher impact rate, leading to higher
sales probability
• Planning direct mail hits to specific sectors, and target contacts, enables you to
manage your opportunities, to help alleviate peaks and troughs in your business
OFAS can offer a full service, or pick and mix to suit: creation of Marketing Design,
Graphics Design, Printing and of course the Direct Mail out. Direct mail supports
other marketing effort by merging traditional and new technology ensuring a cohesive
marketing campaign, creating brand awareness across every medium
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17. Direct Mail isn’t dead! … some of the benefits our Associates find:
• Targeted Direct Mail - receiving offers only relevant to them, increasing response
rate
• OFAS can personalise covering letter - increasing attention and follow through
• Different printed formats provide versatility and interest - sizing postcard to booklet,
enables enticing flyers to fully informative catalogues
• Direct mail is cost effective - easy and affordable with discounts on mass mailings
Leaflet insertion – leaflets accompany the Journal publication:
• Cost effective as postage costs are shared
• This service is becoming more popular as Associates are finding the response rates
are high
• It is recognised that people take more notice and spend longer reading printed
collateral than electronic reading material – some studies attribute this to the fact that
people use the time to have a drink, take a break from the screen, to leisurely read,
which is more beneficial for short and long term recognition and memory recall
• You can either create your own artwork or use the OFAS marketing services
• You can either use your own Printers, or the OFAS print services
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18. DATABASE SERVICES
• GDPR compliant Database: saving you resource, costs and risk of fines
• As the database is compiled of relevant and subscribed contacts, the conversion
rate is high as information goes to ‘warm’ prospects, giving you quick return on
investment
Circulation Lists & Identified Sectors:
• End Users and Trade
• Private and Public Sector
• UK and Overseas contacts
• Wide variety of contacts: users, decision makers and
technical experts
• Individuals and organisations requesting publications and
inclusion on circulation lists
• Educational - Schools/Universities/Colleges
• Government – HMRC, MOD, Prison Services, Council and
Public Sector
• IT Sectors
• Transport
• British Manufactures, International Manufacturers and their
UK Agents
Database management is a complex field, not only ensuring GDPR compliance but
being able to maximise the effectiveness of masses of data. Targeting successfully is
a skill which OFAS offers to its Associates
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The more specific your message, the more
relevant the database profiling needs to be
• Banking Sector
• Facilities Management, Procurement Managers and HR professionals
• Dealers – Office, Hospitality, Education, Healthcare
• Leisure and Hospitality Sector – Hotels, Bistro, Outdoor
• Architects, Specifiers and Designers
• Plus many other smaller sectors such as furniture component manufacturers,
fabric manufacturers, press and public relation organisations, etc
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Review your competitors, customers and suppliers
literature to understand what you like, to help
speed up your decision process
GRAPHIC DESIGN SERVICES
• Using the Design Services for all mediums of promotion, ensures your brand is
consistent, giving a professional finish which raises your company profile, visibility and
sales opportunities
• Confidence that your literature is designed by Graphic Design Services who are
familiar and experienced in your industry, maximises the impact and return on
investment
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21. OFAS Graphic Design Services can design all styles of publications, such as
magazines, newsletters, journals, booklets, annual reports, brochures, leaflets,
advertisements etc
We can also offer a design and print service of business cards and workwear.
Artwork can be taken from supplied templates or designed from scratch. Having the
latest software packages enables us to accept and process files supplied in various
formats. The OFAS Graphic Team work with you, with unlimited amendments and
advice, spending that extra time and effort to have your promotional material looking
great
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An Annual Plan helps to understand the number
of updates you may have, reducing waste
PRINTING SERVICES
• Competitively priced specialist of short-run print services enables you to limit your
stockholding, limiting your capital outlay and gives you the ability to reorder without
financial penalties
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23. OFAS has partnered with a printing company to offer its Associates a complete
solution for all printing requirements.
Our printers have litho and digital capabilities, using a new Heidelberg SX press and
Agfa Computer plate technology to ensure the highest quality of 200 lines per inch
print in the sharpest detail, meeting ISO 12647 Standards. Fast, flexible and reliable.
Changing deadlines and fast turnaround are in our printers DNA. They realise things
don’t always go to plan and that’s where we assist in accommodating your needs,
even arranging printing next day if necessary
Whatever your printing requirements:
• Advertising literature
• Stationery
• Perfect bound printing
• Leaflet and flyer printing
• Corporate and product brochures
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The OFAS print service caters for all needs, we also promise
a highly competitive price. We are confident you won’t find
more satisfaction with any other printers

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Save time by viewing the ‘wanted’ ads before
you start your recruitment process
RECRUITMENT SERVICES
• Saving you money with no need to pay Agency fees
• Advertising to experienced people within the Industry
OFAS is used by trade and non-trade, with the vacancy web page accessible to all.
Therefore advertising your vacancies with OFAS enables you to reach those already
within the industry, plus those eager to enter
VACANCIES
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25. Adverts are displayed on the wanted section of the OFAS website, together with
publication on the social media feeds. All adverts are confidential, whereby no names
will be released to the interested company. All correspondence will be handled via
OFAS.
Vacancy adverts are included in the annual package, refer to the Membership page
for details on how many are free of charge per year. Additional adverts may always
be purchased in times when you need to rapidly grow your business
• OFAS promotes your vacancies via its website, LinkedIn and Twitter feeds.
• Adverts will be placed under our vacancies tab and will remain until the position has
been filled, there is no time limit
• Wording should be in circa of 150 words or less – however there is leeway
• Company Logo’s can be used
• Private advertisement - OFAS can facilitate where companies prefer confidentiality
WANTED
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26. CONSULTANCY & CONTRACT SERVICE
• Specialist support brings in a fresh perspective to gain advantage over competitors,
winning market share and seeing growth
• By contracting in a specialist to help for short or long term support enables you
flexibility and zero costs of Recruitment and Employee benefits
Whether you call it Consultancy, Contracting or Interim, companies can benefit from
hiring in specialist support when they need it. As part of our expanding service OFAS
has partnered up with PEM BUSINESS a Consultancy Service who can provide short
and long term support
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OFAS Associates receive 10% discount on all
services
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PEM Business has over 10yrs experience in the Commercial Furniture Industry in the
Manufacturing and Dealer environment, B2B and B2C, therefore understanding our
market, the changes and challenges our industry faces. Alongside this is over 20yrs
experience in Manufacturing, Service, Transport and Logistics Industries, therefore a
wealth of commercial knowledge and experience of different practices
Snapshot of some of the services offered:
• Strategy Development and Action Planning: Business, Sales & Marketing, Supplier
& Product, Logistics, Operations and Service Strategy, Customer Service and
Aftercare
• Marketing collateral: creation, refresh or update
• Personnel Evaluation and Assessment
• People Development: Coaching, Mentoring and Training
• Business Research and Reporting
• Supplier Profiling
• Operational Review/Business Process Improvement
• Change Management
• Interim cover - for long term absence of critical roles

28. TESTIMONIALS
02INFORMATION
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29. Tina Russell – Nemo - Purchasing Director
“In a multi-faceted industry it is a great comfort to have a central
base of knowledge for established and new to market products.
OFAS create a perfect bridge between the manufacturer and
installer and ensure that their products can be found and sourced.
We take advantage of our membership of OFAS on a daily basis
to locate new products and match existing fits. They always
respond in a timely manner which means we are not keeping our
customers waiting for answers. A perfect partner”
Sam Rylands - DURABLE (UK) Ltd – Marketing Manager
“OFAS provides a fantastic forum to showcase our products to
potential customers. Their online tool is easy to use so visitors can
search for the type of products they need or browse a for specific
manufacturer. To boot, the team at OFAS are always friendly and
always willing to help which makes doing business with them so
easy”.
Fellowes – Richard Monk – Commercial Business Manager
“As Fellowes expansion initiatives continue to focus on products
to improve workplace well-being, OFAS has been a great source
of knowledge and support in helping us identify new customers
and routes to market. Since we joined earlier this year we have
been able to showcase our new products to the right audience
which has helped us to raise awareness of our brand, product
solutions and demonstrate our knowledge of the needs of End
Users. Their product directory allows us to highlight new products
and the brochure hub is the perfect tool for sharing our range and
supporting literature to OFAS members”.
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30. ASSOCIATE PACKAGES
Please do call us to discuss the best option for your business
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You can upgrade your membership at any point
during the year to immediately gain benefits
Membership
Journal Entry
Associate
50 words
Online Product or
Service Listings
5
2 per year
Discounted rates
20% Discount
from AMA
Research
20% Discount
from AMA
Research
20% Discount
from AMA
Research
Direct Mailing,
Product Launch and
Brand Name Search
Direct Mailing,
Product Launch and
Brand Name Search
Direct Mailing,
Product Launch and
Brand Name Search
Discounted rates 2 months scrolling
Free unlimited
100 word posts
Free unlimited 100
word posts plus
free logo
Free unlimited 100
word posts plus
free logo and image
Free
Free Free Free
Free Free
3 per year 4 per year
10 15
Online Recruitment
Listings
Information
Service
Directory Listing
Online News
Blog
Discounted
Services
As members of
OFAS, you will
receive a 20%
discount on
off-theshelf market
reports by AMA
Research
Website Front
Page Banner
Annual Discount
50 words plus free
image and logo
Premier
Quarter
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You can upgrade your membership at any point
during the year to immediately gain benefits
OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION
Other information you may wish to request:
• OFAS Journal
• OFAS Gap
• Media Pack
• Membership Application Form
Additional Features available on the website:
• Q&A
• Members Directory
• Graphical information
• Links to join and follow OFAS social media
With OFAS continually introducing additional services and information, please visit our
website to keep up to date
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33. ANNUAL INDUSTRY EVENTS
MOOD - Meet Only Original
Designs, Brussels
www.moodbrussels.com/en
Office Furniture China
www.furniture-china.cn/en-us
London Design Festival
www.londondesignfestival.com
The Hotel Show
www.thehotelshow.com
The Hotel Show
www.thehotelshow.com
WORKTECH London
www.unwired.eu.com
Education Estates
www.educationestates.com
FX International Interior
Design Awards
www.fxdesignawards.co.uk
100% Design
www.100percentdesign.co.uk
Lux Live
www.luxlive.co.uk
The Academies Show
www.academiesshow
birmingham.co.uk
Clerkenwell Design Week
www.clerkenwelldesignweek.
com
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34. We are open 9am – 5:30pm Monday to Friday, please do contact us to discuss
becoming an Associate, or ways to maximise your Associates and grow your
presence within our industry
The OFAS team attend Industry Events, Shows and Exhibitions, and so please do
view our website to find out about our RoadShow dates
0845 388 7973
email request
ofas@ofas.org.uk
Albany House, 14 Shute End,
Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 1BJ
Website for more details
www.ofas.org.uk