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imm cologne 2025: Trade Fair Takes a Break in January

Furniture World News Desk on 10/8/2024


 

Together with the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM) and the German Furniture and Kitchen Retailers Association (BVDM), Koelnmesse has decided to skip the imm cologne's January 2025 edition. This joint decision was taken following intense discussions and reflects the challenging conditions the furniture industry is currently facing, particularly in Germany.

This step was taken primarily due to the fact that the German furniture manufacturers are facing recent scarce domestic demand for furniture.

"We're extremely sorry to be skipping the imm cologne, but ultimately, this is a necessary, and the right step," says VDM president Leo Lübke. "Like many other industries, the furniture market has also changed considerably over the past few years - and along with this the demand for trade fairs. Unfortunately, the industry's current situation is forcing many companies to change course. As an industry, we are working intensely with Koelnmesse on the development of new concepts tailor-made specifically for the individual furniture segments. As Europe's largest furniture nation, we need our central industry shows, and believe in the Cologne venue's furniture expertise."

BVDM president Markus Meyer agrees: "I understand the decision to skip next January's trade fair, and I'm sorry that the industry did not lend better support to its leading international trade fair. The imm cologne has been an important meeting place for the industry for decades. By taking a break next year, we will not only lose a central platform for innovation and exchange, but also an important stage for serving the international market. All of the industry's stakeholders are now urgently tasked with getting together and finding joint solutions. More than ever before, we must now concentrate on securing and strengthening our position. The industry needs a strong platform like the imm cologne in order to restructure itself in a way that ensures its future viability."

The chairman of the Koelnmesse management board is also looking towards the future: "Pausing the imm cologne at this point in time is a logical decision, in view of the situation the industry currently finds itself in," says Gerald Böse. "It was an extremely difficult decision to make, but it was also unavoidable in order to show our international customers some consideration. Due to its January date, the imm cologne did not take place three years in a row during the pandemic. This lack of continuity, coupled with the current economic environment, makes it impossible for us as event organisers to guarantee an attractive range of exhibitors for the retailers in Cologne in January 2025. We still intend to offer the furniture industry an international stage in Germany in future. We are already jointly developing very promising concepts that meet the changed requirements of all stakeholders as best as can be. Koelnmesse is the world's number one in interiors, as impressively proven by the ORGATEC, the interzum and the spoga+gafa. We must now steer our flagship back on course, together with the furniture industry!"

 

About Koelnmesse: Koelnmesse is the world’s top trade fair organiser for Living, Contract and Public Spaces. Alongside imm cologne and interzum, other event formats hosted at the trade fair hub of Cologne include ORGATEC, spoga+gafa, FSB and aquanale which are among the most internationally renowned and established industry gatherings.

These fairs comprehensively represent the interior and design segment, the furniture and interior construction industries' supply industries, the kitchen world, all topics for the modern working world, garden lifestyle as well as modern work environments, the garden lifestyle, public spaces, sports and leisure facilities, along with saunas, pools and wellness centres.

To complement the events in Cologne, Koelnmesse is  strategically expanding its portfolio in key growth markets around the globe. Its foreign trade fairs include ORGATEC TOKYO in Japan and the events in the interzum brand family: interzum guangzhou in China, interzum bogota in Colombia and interzum forum italy in Italy. Koelnmesse recently added a cooperation between imm cologne and an established design trade fair in Colombia to its portfolio. This event will be hosted under the name La Feria De Diseño Medellín powered by imm cologne.

Upcoming events include: 

  • ORGATEC - New visions of work, Cologne 22.10. - 25.10.2024
    interzum - Furniture Production Interiors, Cologne 20.05. - 23.05.2025
  • ORGATEC TOKYO - SHIFT DESIGN - The leading international trade fair in Asia for the modern workspaces, Tokyo 03.06. - 05.06.2025
  • spoga+gafa - The world’s biggest garden and BBQ trade fair, Cologne 24.06. - 26.06.2025
  • FSB - International Trade Fair for Public Space, Sports and Leisure Facilities, Cologne 28.10. - 31.10.2025
  • aquanale - International Trade Fair for Sauna.Pool.Ambience., Cologne 28.10. - 31.10.2025

Further information can be found at  https://www.imm-cologne.com/trade-fair/imm-cologne/industry-trade-fairs/