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Tuesday, 23 January 2007 | Levent OZLER
imm Cologne: Upturn is Continuing
imm cologne got the 2007 furniture year off to a successful start. Earlier than anywhere else, with a fresher approach and greater internationality, this event, the world's leading furniture fair, presented the home furnishings and furniture trends for 2007. Furniture is back "in" again for the consumers - that is the conclusion after the fair. "The emotional presentation by the exhibitors really put people in the mood for the theme of furnishings and furniture thus ensuring sustained and permanent business impulses in the sector", said Wolfgang Kranz, Executive Director Koelnmesse, in summing up the event. This was also confirmed by Dirk-Uwe Klaas, Executive Director of the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM): "The good order-placing level and the many trade buyers from all corners of the world have put us in an optimistic and hopeful mood that 2007 will be a successful business year for our companies. Home furnishings and furniture are further extending their importance in the consumers' list of priorities. Once again imm cologne has made a key contribution to this", Klaas said.
The fact that imm cologne is a global marketplace has once again been impressively confirmed by this year's event. Over seven days 1,301 participating companies from 57 countries presented a comprehensive spectrum of top-quality design furniture right up to classic home furnishings worlds. With a foreign share of 66 percent among the exhibitors the event reflected the global markets. A total of around 115,000 visitors (incl. estimates for the last day), of these 34,000 end-consumers on the two general public days, informed themselves about the trends and new products in the sector. This meant that despite the difficult travel and transport situation caused by hurricane Kyrill from Thursday, imm cologne matched the previous year's visitor figures while there was a slight increase in the number of visitors from Germany.
Even if the forecasts for the domestic market are very good, the growth motor in the sector is currently exports. In this field of tension the level of internationality at imm cologne is of decisive strategic significance. Around 40 percent of the trade visitors at imm cologne 2007 came from abroad. With somewhat declining figures in the number of visitors from the EU, this time more buyers from America, Asia, Russia and the Middle East were registered - and as a result from those markets in which Contract Business is playing an increasingly greater role. Not least for that reason the event's increased focus on contract business was positively assessed by exhibitors and visitors alike.
imm cologne set new highlights for architecture, design and interior concepts with the first-time staging of its "Architecture Code Cologne" and renewed presentation of ideal houses cologne. With the no doubt exceptional and new event format, "Architecture Code Cologne" attracted great interest from designers, architects and cultural designers right from the very first day.
Entitled "The Architect and the Poet", top architect Zaha Hadid and design poet Naoto Fukasawa presented their creative ideas for the home furniture and furnishings of the future in the two ideal houses cologne. At their new location - in the northern section of the Trade Fair Boulevard which links all the exhibition halls - the large red cubes, which are the trademark of the "ideal houses", became an integral part of the very lively, busy North-South axis thus ensuring controversial and stimulating discussions among the visitors and journalists.
An exciting contrast to the exhibitors' home furniture and furnishings concepts was provided by the creative home furnishings ideas presented by young designers in the [d3] design talents sector. There, with inspired by cologne, future point and "NRG" (energy) - three exclusive events provided interested visitors with innovative solutions for the future of design.
Trends and Tendencies at imm Cologne 2007
In general, the priority for the 2007 furniture year is clear design. Round, organic, soft forms are producing sofas and easy-chairs with a cuddle factor - lazing around is popular again. As far as new cover fabrics are concerned, an increasing number of woven fabrics are being used with texture-like surfaces. High-quality leather has been able to further extend its status. The trend colour of the new upholstery furniture generation is lilac. In connection with dark wood applications a very exquisite character is produced. Modern wall units impress through their lightness and flexibility. In this context a contemporary, state-of-the-art flat-screen is a must. Technology most certainly plays a big role. A popular feature is concealed flat-screens which emerge from a sideboard at the touch of a button. In general, there is a departure from focusing entirely on low-price products towards the outer and inner values of a piece of furniture. Quality is right at the top of the list of priorities.
Qualitative Growth at imm Cologne 2008
From 2008 premium kitchens will be an annual component of pure, the sector at imm cologne, in which design and architecture play a special role. With this concept imm cologne is taking account of the trend whereby kitchens are increasingly becoming a component of living space.
There is also good news from the tables and chairs sector. At a working session, the companies which had last participated in the SiTTable special presentation in 2004, once again expressed their support for a comprehensive presentation at the Cologne venue.
There were also positive signals from the bedroom suppliers, who were recently no longer comprehensively represented at imm cologne. As a result, all the indications now already point to a strong imm cologne 2008.
The next imm cologne will be held from 14th to 20th January 2008. Prior to this date, the furniture sector's supplying and supporting industry will come together from 9th to 12th May 2007 at interzum in Cologne.
Interzum Cologne: http://www.dexigner.com/directory/detail/7839/
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