interzum, the world’s leading trade fair for furniture production and interior design, drew to an end Friday, 24 May. For four days, interzum was a source of inspiration for the design of future living spaces, presenting the technical, haptic and visual refinements with which tomorrow’s furniture will set new standards.
With 1,805 exhibitors from 60 countries (1,732 exhibitors from 59 countries in 2017), more companies than ever before showcased their innovations across an exhibition area covering approximately 190,000 square metres. In addition to increasing its exhibitor numbers, the trade fair considerably expanded its international reach. The proportion of foreign visitors rose to around 75% (73% in 2017). Out of a total audience of 74,000 visitors, over 55,000 came from outside Germany. “We significantly exceeded our goal of topping the 70,000-visitor mark,” said Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse, who is delighted with the results. “This has been an almost magical anniversary event in every respect and one that we will all remember. An industry demonstrated its immense capacity for innovation in truly impressive style,” he added.
The number of trade visitors has risen by more than 28 per cent since 2015 with visitors from across the globe very satisfied with this year’s event. Alongside visitors from Germany, the most strongly represented European nations were Italy, France, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Significant increases were seen in visitors from Asia (+22 per cent), with particularly strong growth from China (+48 per cent), as well as increases from Central and South America (+24 per cent), Eastern Europe (+21 per cent) and North America (+7 per cent).
Like previous shows, 2019 presented several focus topics. “Technology and emotion: the diversity of surfaces” dealt with design trends that are guided by both technological developments and emotional impressions. In particular, digital printing enables unique patterns while soft-touch or anti-fingerprint effects ensure an excellent look and feel that lasts. The focus on “environmentally friendly materials and components” was all about the global mega-trend that remains a current and future challenge for the interiors industry. Eco-friendly materials and furniture components were a crucial point of focus for many exhibitors. “The new openness: the merging of living worlds” was about the boundaries between the different areas of the home that have been eroding for some time.
This year interzum demonstrated particularly impressively that it is not only a trade fair for the supplier industry, but also a 360-degree event that presents visions of how we will live in the future. By addressing this issue, it takes up a place alongside imm cologne/LivingKitchen and ORGATEC. In addition to familiarising themselves with the product ranges of suppliers to the furniture industry, manufacturers, architects and designers were able to discover a host of innovative materials and production processes.
Pictured: Hafele was one of the many companies featuring their products at interzum 2019
