Design & Marketing Trends From Recent imm cologne Show

Furniture World Magazine

imm cologne announced that their January 2007 show in was an unqualified success despite the effects of hurricane Kyrill. Over seven days 1,301 participating companies from 57 countries presented a comprehensive spectrum of top-quality furniture representing all style categories and price points. Foreign exhibitors represented 66 percent of exhibitors at the 2007 show reflecting the global nature of the event. Approximately 115,000 visitors attended the show. This included 34,000 consumers that visited the show on the "general public days" to learn about the latest furniture trends and new products. This meant that despite the difficult travel and transport situation caused by hurricane Kyrill, imm cologne matched the previous year’s visitor figures while there was a slight increase in the number of visitors from Germany. 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. As a result, exhibitors reported an increase in the amount of contract business transacted. “The emotional presentations 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. 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 its new 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 creative ideas for 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. An exciting contrast to the exhibitors’ home furniture and furnishings concepts was provided 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. Important design trends were revealed at imm cologne 2007. In general, the priority for the 2007 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. Lilac emerged as an important trend colour for new upholstery -- frequently matched with dark wood in striking combination. Modern wall units that incorporated flat screen technology emphasized lightness and flexibility. A popular feature seen at the show was a concealed flat-screen which emerged from a sideboard at the touch of a button. In general, there was a departure from an emphasis on low-price products. Instead, the outer and inner values of a piece of furniture were featired. Quality emerged as a top priority. Qualitative growth at imm cologne 2008 Starting in 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 recognizes that kitchens have increasingly become an important component of consumer's living spaces. There is also good news from the tables and chairs sector. At a working session, companies that last participated in the SiTTable special presentation in 2004, once again expressed their support for a comprehensive presentation at the Cologne venue. The next imm cologne will be held from 14th to 20th January 2008. Prior to this date, the furniture supply and supporting industries will show from 9th to 12th May 2007 at interzum in Cologne.