Home Lighting at the INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR in Cologne:

Furniture World News

Around 1,500 suppliers from about 50 countries will participate at the INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR from 18 th to 24 th January 1999 in Cologne, the pilot fair for the furniture and interior design sectors. All the export-oriented manufacturing countries will be represented. 60 percent of the exhibiting companies - i.e. around 900 suppliers - come from abroad. No other furniture fair worldwide comes even close to matching this level of internationally. The market leaders from Germany and abroad will be almost entirely represented in Cologne. For example, about 280 suppliers from Italy, over 70 from Spain, about 60 from France, around 150 from Scandinavia and more than 80 from the Asian region regularly participate at the INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR. The US furniture industry, which is represented in Cologne with about 20 companies, also successfully makes use of the INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR for opening up international markets. In Cologne, the manufacturers are brought together with the demand represented by buyers from about 100 countries. The concentration of international supply and demand makes the fair in Cologne the hub for the furniture sector and the latest home furniture and furnishings trends. The INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR is also the trade platform for multilateral, bilateral and national business. The new home lighting sector at the INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR in Hall 14.1 is ready for the start signal: the "Lighting Centre" will present manufacturers of home lighting from Germany and abroad, including numerous renowned companies with design-oriented and quality lighting in the medium and upper market sectors. The home lighting sector is already fully booked. With approx. 230 exhibitors in this sector, the INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR has become one of the largest and most important events in Europe on this theme. The furniture and lighting ranges will be presented in the immediate proximity of each other. This concentration of two ranges which complement each other, makes the INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR equally attractive to the home furniture and furnishings trade and the specialized lighting trade. Over 60 percent of turnover in the home lighting sector is achieved in Germany by the specialist furniture retail trade. In future, home lighting will be presented every two years in Cologne - in alternation with kitchen furniture, which will be represented once again in the year 2000. For five days open to trade visitors only The INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR 1999 will be open from Monday, 18th to Sunday, 24th January 1999, daily from 09.00 to 18.00 hrs. From 18th to 22nd January, admission is open to trade visitors only. These include persons who are professionally involved in the production or sale of furniture, lighting and furnishings. Also classed as trade visitors are architects, interior designers and designers who are professionally involved in design, planning and production in these specialist areas. Proof of such professional involvement must be shown when purchasing admission tickets. On Saturday, 23rd and Sunday, 24th January, the INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR will also be open to end consumers. These days open to the general public provide interested consumers with the opportunity to inform themselves about the latest furniture ranges and the international range of home lighting and to obtain ideas for subsequent purchases from the retail trade. No sales to end-consumers are made at the INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR.