Global Fairs. Global Business

Date: 15-18 January 2011 Venue: Hannover, Germany Website: http://www.domotex.de

January 2010 End-of-show report for DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2010 (16 to 19 January)

Successful DOMOTEX builds new momentum for industry

• Double-digit increase in attendance
• 40,000 visitors sample trends for 2010/2011 season
• Exhibitors report excellent talks and solid order volumes
• Enthusiastic response for new site layout, revamped contractworld and trendsetting special displays and events

Hannover, Germany. DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2010 ended with a substantial rise in attendance. Over the four days of the show, some 40,000 professionals turned out to admire the products offered by 1,395 companies from over 70 different nations. “With exhibitor numbers holding steady and a 12 percent growth in visitor attendance, we have improved on last year’s results in spite of the tough economic climate. DOMOTEX has given the industry some real momentum and charted the way ahead for the coming year. The industry is starting 2010 on a confident note,” remarked Stephan Ph. Kühne, member of the Deutsche Messe Managing Board and responsible for DOMOTEX. “The success of DOMOTEX 2010 provides an indication of an improving economic climate and demonstrates that our measures to fine-tune this flagship fair to the needs of the market have been right on the mark. This translates into even more tangible benefits for our exhibitors and their clientele.”

On behalf of the German Home Textiles Industry Association, Director Martin Auerbach commented: “In view of the prevailing economic conditions, last year the home textiles sector put a major emphasis on innovation. DOMOTEX has provided us with an ideal showcase in which to present these products.”

Dr. Ali R. Ipektchi, Chairman of the European Carpet Importers Association (EUCA), added: “The mood at this year’s DOMOTEX has been much more upbeat. Over the last two or three years many large firms were preoccupied with reducing their inventory levels. But now the big customers seem ready to order again. We are very pleased with the run of the show.”

40,000 visitors sample trends for 2010/2011 season
Besides coming to Hannover to get an overview of what the market has to offer, the approximately 40,000 DOMOTEX visitors also indicated that picking up on the latest innovations and trends and placing orders were at the top of their list. This internationally trendsetting role played by DOMOTEX was resoundingly underscored by survey findings.

“The focus of the interior decoration products at DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2010 has been on sustainability, styling and status,” commented Professor Axel Venn, the internationally renowned color and trend scout. “Carpets often serve as the centerpiece of modern living, bringing special coziness to the coffee table or inviting you to stretch out, relax and interact with others in front of the fireplace.” Professor Venn also identified some clear trends for other types of flooring on display, for example, an increasing preference for parquet made of domestic wood displaying a highly visible grain. “This is indicative of a rising interest in natural authenticity,” he explained.

Exhibitors report top-notch talks and solid order volumes
Exhibitors praised the high quality of their business talks due to a higher-than-ever percentage of decision-making trade professionals in attendance. In a survey among visitors, as many as 89 percent stated playing an “advisory” or “decisive” role in their companies’ purchasing decisions.

As the flagship trade fair for the industry, DOMOTEX is also a vital marketing vehicle. “At DOMOTEX we can get the kind of product exposure in just four days that would otherwise take four months of business trips to find out. And thanks to the instant feedback, we know after just two days whether a particular innovation is likely to be successful,” explained Emmanuel Lioen, Marketing Manager for the Beaulieu International Group, in Wielsbeke, Belgium.

Of the total of 22,600 visitors from abroad, over 60 percent came from European countries. Attendance was up from all continents, thus underscoring the show’s status as the one event that pays top dividends for exhibitors and visitors alike by covering all the latest trends and attracting a truly international audience. The majority of visitors at this year's DOMOTEX were once again retail and wholesale specialists. Visitors from the skilled trades were also found to be on the rise.

Marked increase in demand for parquet and laminated flooring
Visitors once again showed a strong interest in handmade and machine-woven rugs and carpets as well as in textile and resilient floor coverings. Also very pleasing was a huge 30-percent rise in the sections of the show devoted to parquet and laminated flooring as well as installation, cleaning and application technologies. These trends were also broadly reflected in exhibitor remarks, thus confirming that DOMOTEX is and remains the world’s premium showcase for floor coverings of every description. “DOMOTEX 2010 is a vital part of our communication mix. We had very high customer traffic at our stand this year. There was a huge amount of interest in our product innovations. The show has helped us get off to a good start in 2010,” said Ivo Schintz, General Manager of Tarkett Holding GmbH, based in Frankenthal, Germany.

Enthusiastic response for new site layout, revamped contractworld and trendsetting special displays and events
As also noted by Stephan Kühne, “relocating the hand-made carpets to halls 19 to 23 was an important step, and clearly the right decision.” The direct connection with the busy North 1 main entrance further boosted the level of business activity in these halls. The new layout and improved orientation aids for visitors drew praise from the exhibitors. According to Dr. Ali R. Ipektchi: “The new site layout creates a more compact impression and adds value to the show. Walking through the halls becomes a more enjoyable experience, and if that translates into higher order volumes, we are obviously delighted with that outcome. These restructuring measures have made DOMOTEX even more efficient than ever.”

contractworld was completely reworked for DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2010, now with a stronger focus on exhibitor and visitor networking. Lectures and discussions took place at various points throughout the showcase, rather than being concentrated at a central place. This helped to boost face-to-face dialogue at exhibitor stands. Theme-based forums, guided tours for architects and high-impact product presentations gave businesses even more room for individual, targeted presentations of their products, as well as for direct interaction with potential customers. The response from exhibitors was again clearly positive: “The new concept for contractworld has succeeded nicely. In particular, the new structure overcomes the reluctance of architects to approach companies. Our location in the hall has given our companies good access to our typical visitor groups as well as the architects in attendance here,” enthused Stephan Naacke, General Manager of Findeisen GmbH, Ettlingen, Germany.

Apart from the elaborate presentations by exhibitors, the special shows, lectures and trade events also attracted big crowds, providing a mix of information and inspiration. One of the standout attractions was “Souk Deluxe”: This new trend forum for hand-crafted carpets in Hall 20 proved a magnet for interior decorators and wholesalers/retailers alike.

DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR and DOMOTEX Middle East
Deutsche Messe now also stages its international DOMOTEX events in some of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions, opening a window to some highly attractive markets for carpet and floor covering manufacturers. The twelfth DOMOTEX asia/Chinafloor – Asia’s largest international flooring tradeshow – will take place again in Shanghai from 23 to 25 March 2010 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. DOMOTEX Middle East runs from 10 to 12 May at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center.