imm Cologne reported a positive overall outcome at imm cologne 2009. Last week around 100,000 visitors attended the show to see what 1,057 companies from 49 countries had to offer. The emotionalised settings in the exhibition halls of Koelnmesse aroused plenty of interest in the visitors on the topic of furnishings, providing some lasting economic stimuli in the industry. Exhibitors declared themselves to be "satisfied to very satisfied" with the sales that they achieved. "I am convinced that under the prevailing circumstances we have had a good furniture trade fair. For seven days, the realistic optimism of the industry was reflected in the exhibition halls," said Gerald Böse, CEO of the Koelnmesse Executive Board. This was also confirmed by Dirk-Uwe Klaas, Managing Director of the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM): "The high level of order activity and the many trade buyers from all parts of the globe confirm our optimistic forecasts to the effect that 2009 will be a good year for furnishings, despite the global economic crisis."
imm cologne was accompanied by a wide range of ‘off program’ events in the 'Passagen', offering plenty of opportunities to ‘chill out’, particularly in the evenings. With a total of 250,000 visitors in the course of the Cologne Design Week, i.e. to imm cologne and the 'Passagen' program, the entire quarter was transformed into a veritable 'Who's Who' of the design scene. "Cologne has reconfirmed its reputation as a location for design, art, fashion and the media," said Gerald Böse.
With around 100,000 visitors from over 100 countries, including around 23,000 visitors on the two public open days, imm cologne recorded a slight fall in visitor numbers. But the domestic market was shown to be significantly more stable than the foreign market. The fall in the number of visitors from abroad is explained by the globally tense economic situation. There were significant falls in particular in the numbers of visitors from the states of the so-called growth markets. The trade fair recorded a distinctly smaller decrease among visitors from the EU. This was also confirmed by Heiner Goossens, Chairman of the Board of Management at Rolf Benz AG & Co. KG: "We are happy with the way the fair went. Even though there were fewer international visitors – especially from Asia and Eastern Europe – the ordering behaviour of the visitors from Central Europe was good." In all, around 40 % of the trade visitors to imm cologne 2009 came from abroad.
"There may have been fewer visitors, but the right ones were here," was the opinion held by the vast majority of the exhibitors. Wolfgang Kettnaker, a furniture manufacturer from Baden-Württemberg, reported that his fingers had been "on fire" from writing orders. Even if not all the exhibitors were quite so euphoric, the overall feeling was that imm cologne had been a good trade fair, taking into account the current economic conditions. "We are extraordinarily satisfied. Because both the frequency and the quality of the visitors were as good as we have been used to in previous years. This year we actually welcomed significantly more international visitors on our stand," stated Volker Meurer, Executive Partner of Wellenmöbel GmbH. Karl Sommermeyer, CEO of Polstermöbel GmbH, summarised the situation in a similar way: "We are very happy with the way the trade fair went. The quantity of visitors was indeed rather lower. But that meant that we had more time for the ones who did come, and they were of a very high quality. To that extent the outcome was genuinely satisfactory."
At imm cologne the industry in Cologne met up with German and international dealers who, unlike at similar events, are very interested in getting down to business. Patrice Bert, General Manager of Roset Möbel GmbH, summed up the significance of imm cologne: "We need a good trade fair every year." A clear indicator of the businesslike nature of the event is the high quality of the trade visitors, which was particularly emphasised by the exhibitors. It was obvious that fewer visitors came from abroad to Cologne this year, but the quality of those that did come was described as very good. Around 80 % of the international visitors were directly involved in the decision-making process of their companies.
"One finding arising from this week has been that at a time when the growth markets in particular are receding, the German market is once again moving more clearly into the view of international visitors," according to Udo Traeger, Vice President Furniture, Interior Design & Textiles at Koelnmesse GmbH.
The success of the Cologne Design Week lay in the connection between city and trade fair. Three extraordinary events succeeded for the first time in bridging the gap between trade fair and city, between business and experience. Throughout the week the COLOGNE GUESTHOUSE exhibition, put together by young designers, and the installation THE PLACE by Arik Levy in hall 11 in the Rheinauhafen, were very well received by the public. Event manager Rüdiger Sprave described the stampede on Saturday, 24 January 2009, as positively titanic: "The first people were already standing at the door with sandwiches and coffee at six o'clock in the morning, waiting for us to open up." Under the motto CHAIR-ITY, on the day in question the visitors were able to swap a chair that they had brought along for a designer chair, for a donation of EUR 100. All receipts went to the Cologne aid project, "wir helfen" [we help].
The trends at imm cologne 2009
•The merging of living areas, previously familiar from the "cooking-eating-living" theme, is now moving into the bedroom and bathroom areas.
•The styling of the upholstered furnishings is becoming more feminine overall. Rounded shapes confirm the desire of people for inviting cosiness.
•White remains a mega-colour. Baroque ornamentation as design in upholstery materials is the trend-setter for the coming season.
•Men are discovering the theme of "House and Home" for themselves. Furnishings with technical refinements are highly desirable to them.
•Eco-friendly furniture is also in demand in all sectors. Renewable raw materials and the possibility of recycling the materials used are important purchase criteria for a growing number of consumers.
The next imm cologne will take place from
18 – 24 January 2010
For more information: www.imm-cologne.de. or www.imm-cologne.com