International Furniture Fair In Cologne: Meeting Place For The Furniture And Furnishings Sector 18th To 24th January 1999

Furniture World Magazine

Around 1500 suppliers from about 50 countries will attend the International Furniture Fair from January 18 to 24th in Cologne. 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 almost 250 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.