DOMOTEX 2014: ideas and inspiration for the global floor coverings industry

DOMOTEX 2014 gets under way just over three months from now but it's already showing every sign of being a big success. The world's leading tradeshow for the floor coverings industry next runs from 11 to 14 January in Hannover, Germany, where it will once again shine as the premier shop window for new trends and innovative lifestyle design.

“DOMOTEX has a one-of-a-kind lineup in store for its international trade audience,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, a member of the Managing Board of Deutsche Messe, the company that organizes and runs DOMOTEX. Around 1,400 exhibitors from 60 nations will be in Hannover to showcase their new products and collections. “All the market leaders in each of the show's product segments will be there. Our exhibitors and visitors are in for a highly innovative and very international showcase in January.”

The whole world of flooring at one convenient location

The DOMOTEX show's success as an information hub and touchstone of key trends lies in its comprehensive offering. It brings together all segments of the international floor coverings industry at one convenient location, providing a showcase that spans everything from textile and resilient floor coverings for the residential and contract furnishing sectors, to carpets, rugs and laminate flooring, to laying, care and application solutions. The resilient floor coverings display area in particular has gained in popularity over the years and in 2014 will feature a broad array of exciting designs and materials.

DOMOTEX is a global business platform that brings the flooring markets of the world together. Its exhibitors can expect to encounter some 40,000 trade visitors from more than 80 countries. A good 61 percent of these visitors are internationals, hailing from outside Germany, and 90 percent of them have input into their organizations’ purchasing decisions. For visitors from the wholesale and retail flooring sectors, the skilled trades and the architecture and interior design professions, DOMOTEX 2014 will be a key platform for new contacts and new business development.

Innovations@DOMOTEX: all innovations at a glance

Next year, DOMOTEX will be geared more strongly than ever towards current flooring industry trends with a new Innovations@DOMOTEX format designed to put exhibitors’ latest product innovations on center stage. The initiative includes a strong pre-show campaign to focus extra attention on current mega-trends before DOMOTEX even opens its doors. This is a plus for visitors, who will be able to research key trends ahead of the fair and plan their visit. They will be able to arrive at the fair fully informed and with a clear idea of where to go to find the products and solutions that interest them.

Innovations@DOMOTEX will put the spotlight on product innovations in the Fitted Carpets, Resilient Floor Coverings, Parquet and Laminate Flooring and Modern Hand-made Carpets product categories. The initiative will be spearheaded by special display zones - the Innovations@DOMOTEX areas - in halls 6, 9 and 17. The idea is that visitors looking for ideas and inspiration will be able to go to these areas for an initial overview of the latest innovations. From there, they will be directed to the exhibition stands to find out more about the products that have caught their eye. The Innovations@DOMOTEX areas will also feature a platform for expert dialogue plus a discussion program that will address a range of important floor-covering topics and issues. In addition, each Area will offer refreshments and catering, thereby providing a convivial, relaxed setting for B2B networking. All of these features mean that the Innovations@DOMOTEX Areas will be one of the main highlights at DOMOTEX 2014.

The creative design of these exhibition spaces is in the capable hands of the internationally respected German architect Jürgen Mayer H. “Only at DOMOTEX can visitors explore and discover all the latest innovations with such convenience and ease,” explains Dr. Köckler. “The latest design highlights, spectacular patterns and eye-popping materials - DOMOTEX is taking its innovative focus to a whole new level.”

Deutsche Messe's DOMOTEX promotion strategy is no less inventive. Selected exhibitor innovations from all product categories will feature prominently in all DOMOTEX communication measures - before, during and after the fair. This includes a comprehensive pre-show visitor recruitment campaign. These initiatives will be supported by a printed Innovations@DOMOTEX Guide designed to help visitors navigate the exhibition halls. The guide will be distributed as a supplement in selected trade journals before the fair gets underway and will also be available for ordering as a standalone publication.

DOMOTEX exhibitors wishing to participate in the Innovations@DOMOTEX format are required to submit applications. An independent expert jury will then assess the innovations submitted and make a selection in mid-October. The five-person jury will be chaired by Stefan Diez, a multiple-award-winning industrial designer of international note. Stephan Diez works in the fields of product and exhibition design, where he develops design concepts that are at once highly innovative and intuitively contemporary.

Rallying point for the international contract furnishing sector

With its winning mix of lectures and presentations of innovative materials for the contract furnishing sector, DOMOTEX is also a must for architects, interior designers, interior decorators and furnishing professionals on the lookout for creative new ideas for their design palette. The Innovations@DOMOTEX showcase will highlight current flooring trends and new product developments for the diverse range of application areas encompassed by the healthcare, catering, hospitality and education sectors. Thanks to the breadth and quality of the innovations on show, DOMOTEX is sure to put in a strong performance worthy of its status as a leading professional platform for the international contract furnishing sector.

Wood Flooring Summit 2014 shows the way forward

The Wood Flooring Summit will be another major visitor magnet at DOMOTEX 2014. Having premiered successfully in 2012, this special event will next year once again play host to the leading lights of the international parquet and laminate flooring sector. Located in Hall 9, it will feature a central exhibition area, a forum for speaking events and panel discussions, plus a catered lounge area and after-work-party event for informal networking.

The Innovations@DOMOTEX area in Hall 9 will be an integral part of the Wood Flooring Summit. There, visitors will be able to vote for their personal favorites from among the parquet and wood flooring innovations on show, with the winners of the “Best Liked by DOMOTEX Visitors” prize receiving their awards during the fair in the presence of an international trade audience and representatives of the flooring and furnishings sector press. Also among the attractions at the Wood Flooring Summit will be a presentation by the influential trend researcher and futurist Matthias Horx from the Future Institute (Zukunftsinstitut) on 11 January. Horx will outline the Future Institute's latest study, “The Future of Home Living - Central Trends Through to 2025.”

Next year's DOMOTEX will also be devoting greater attention to outdoor living, with an extensive offering of innovative floor coverings for outdoor use on display in halls 8 and 9. All up, the fair's tally of manufacturers of parquet and laminate flooring and outdoor flooring solutions is expected to top 200.

Skilled Trades Hub - Hands-on expertise for flooring practitioners

In Hall 7, the Skilled Trades Hub will be playing its part in helping to keep parquet recliners, floor layers, painters, interior outfitters and their suppliers up to date with the latest laying and application techniques and tools. The Hall 7 lineup also includes the supporting Skilled Trades Forum with its focus on the latest real-world issues and challenges being faced by flooring practitioners. Among much else, visitors to the forum will learn correct laying techniques for innovative designer floor coverings and how to breathe new life into old floorboards. The forum will also feature a presentation on effective marketing for flooring tradespeople plus a special quiz in which visitors will get to demonstrate their knowledge to an expert quiz master. The organizers are very pleased with Hall 7 exhibitor registrations to date.

New in Hall 3: Juice Lounge

DOMOTEX 2014 will feature a new social gathering point and networking zone - the Juice Lounge. Located in the heart of Hall 3, the Juice Lounge is a place where exhibitors and visitors can enjoy a range of refreshments as they relax and take time out from the fair. With its attractive design, it will provide the perfect setting for expert dialogue, networking and making new business contacts.

Source: Domotex

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