With 1,441 exhibitors from 59 countries and 45,000 trade visitors from more than 100 nations, DOMOTEX delivered fresh momentum for the international floor coverings industry, serving as a powerful driver of sales, trends and innovations.
"Whatever aspect you choose to look at – exhibitor lineup, visitor turnout, international coverage, the ratio of decision-makers present – exhibitors and visitors all attest to the event’s top performance, underscoring its ever greater appeal for the sector," remarked Dr. Jochen Köckler, the Deutsche Messe Managing Board member in charge of DOMOTEX, on the last day of the show.
Visitors from around the world found all the latest trends and innovations on display in 12 different exhibition halls, setting the stage for lively deal-making, order-placing and fruitful dialogue with business associates. Out of a total of some 27,500 visitors from abroad, around 50 percent came from EU countries, with another 25 percent coming from Asia and eight percent from the Americas. There was a notable increase in attendance from Asia, which went up by 29 percent.
High caliber of visitors
Exhibitors were delighted with the high level of competence and decision-making authority among the show’s attendees, with more than 72 percent of them being top managers who play a role in their companies’ purchasing decisions. The majority of visitors at this year’s DOMOTEX were retail and wholesale buyers (13,500 and 11,400, respectively). The fair also attracted architects, interior designers and contractors (3,700), as well as 9,400 skilled tradespeople.
Pacesetter for innovations
DOMOTEX impressively confirmed the floor covering industry’s dynamic power and innovative spirit.
"In each and every segment – carpets, parquet and laminate flooring, designer floors, machine-woven carpets and hand-made rugs – the international floor coverings industry sported a stunning and highly innovative array of patterns, materials, shapes and colors, thus ideally positioning itself for the coming season," observed Köckler.
A natural look is in demand for wood flooring. Shapes and textures can be mixed and matched to create a wide range of looks. The event also showcased innovative systems for quick and easy floor laying. The demand for sustainably manufactured products is also on the rise.
The Innovations@DOMOTEX showcase put a big spotlight on highly innovative floor coverings. The three Innovations@DOMOTEX areas proved highly popular among the show’s visitors, drawing special attention to 84 selected innovations in the categories textile and resilient floor coverings, parquet and laminate flooring and contemporary hand-made rugs. This made it easy for trade visitors to get a concise look at the sector’s hottest innovations, thus providing valuable orientation for the year ahead.
Another visitor magnet at DOMOTEX was the third edition of the Wood Flooring Summit. Targeted at the international parquet and laminate flooring sector, this special event was staged in Hall 9, where visitors were introduced to all the current trends, developments and new materials for parquet, laminate, cork, bamboo and outdoor floor coverings.
Meanwhile, Hall 7 was the "El Dorado" for parquet and laminate floor layers, interior decorators and painters. The "Skilled Trades Hub" featured a comprehensive exhibition and presentation program dedicated to real-world solutions for practitioners.
The next DOMOTEX is scheduled for 14 to 17 January 2017.
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