imm cologne Calls for Entries for the 17th Pure Talents Contest

Furniture World News Desk on 7/8/2019

imm cologne announced that it is now accepting entries for the 17th edition of the Pure Talents Contents. The Pure Talents Contest is one of the most renowned contests for young designers worldwide. Students and young graduates are invited once again this year to submit their designs for contemporary, sustainable living objects. The best 20 among them will be invited by the organizer to present their prototypes to the trade world at the international interiors trade fair imm cologne 2020.

Young creative people from the whole world (926 products by 756 designers from 69 nations were submitted last year) are invited to submit their solo or group works from the most varied furniture categories. The contest is addressed to design students and graduates whose graduation is no more than 3 years behind them.

High Quality International Jury

In keeping with its high standards for quality and internationality, the jury of the Pure Talents Contests 2020 demonstrates its usual high calibre with the designers Sebastian Herkner (Germany) and Philippe Malouin (United Kingdom), the Art Director of Cappellini, Giulio Cappellini (Italy), the IDEAT editor Johannes Hünig, and the head curator of the Design Museum Helsinki, Suvi Saloniemi. Designer Sebastian Herkner from Offenbach is already supporting the Pure Talents Contest for the third time as a member of the jury: "The Pure Talents Contest is a very special event at imm cologne for the young designers, for us as jurors and for visitors. ´The most recent competition showed how high the level of submissions is in the meantime. The product maturity of many designs is often highly advanced. That is remarkable. I am already very much looking forward to the new submissions and am pleased to once again be part of the jury." 

The submission phase of the Pure Talents Contest 2020 ends on September 12th, 2019. The jury will then view the submissions and select the 20 best products. These will be exhibited during imm cologne (January 13 - 19,  2020) in hall 2.1. The young designers are provided the opportunity to present themselves to a broad audience in an attractive and high quality environment, and to establish initial contacts with manufacturers and media representatives.

New: Audience Prize via Instagram

The three best designs from among the products presented will be honored on the first day of the trade fair. A first, second and third prize will be awarded, each endowed with 3,000, 2,000 and 1,000 Euro respectively. In addition to this, an Audience Prize will also be awarded for the first time for the Pure Talents Contest 2020, the winner of which will be determined through a people's vote via the social platform Instagram, and which will also be endowed with €1,000.     

Participation in the contest, as well as potentially in the Pure Talents special exhibition is not subject to any charge for the designers. Those interested can find all information on the contest, the general conditions of participation, as well as on the former participants and their submissions under https://www.imm-cologne.com/events-and-congresses/events/pure-talents-contest/pure-talents-contest.php

More about Koelnmesse: Koelnmesse is the world’s top trade fair organizer for the areas of furnishing, living and lifestyle. At the trade fair hub of Cologne, the leading international fair imm cologne as well as the trade fair formats of LivingKitchen, ORGATEC, spoga+gafa, interzum and Kind + Jugend rank among the internationally renowned and established industry meeting places. These fairs comprehensively represent the upholstered and case furniture segment, the kitchen industry, the office furniture sector and outdoor living as well as the innovations of the furniture supply industry. Over the last few years, Koelnmesse has specifically added international fairs in the most important fast-expanding markets to its portfolio. These include the LivingKitchen/CIKB in Shanghai, interzum guangzhou in Guangzhou and Pueri Expo in Sao Paulo. With ambista, the network of the interior decorating industry, Koelnmesse offers direct access to relevant products, contacts, competence and events. For more information, visit http://www.global-competence.net/interiors/