‘Best ever’
interzum 2017 a record-breaking event
- 19 percent increase in visitors
- 13 percent increase in exhibitors
- 15 percent increase in exhibition space
Interzum ended May 19 with record results. A total of 69,000 visitors from 152 countries attended the world’s largest trade fair for furniture production and interior construction.
“It was the best interzum ever,” said Katharina C. Hamma, chief operating officer of Koelnmesse GmbH, who was delighted with the results.
“With this year’s interzum, we offered the industry a unique event. interzum has reached a new level with the rises in visitor figures, the growth in exhibitor numbers and the increase in floor space, combined with measures to enhance the event’s quality,” Hamma said.
Some 1,732 exhibitors from 60 countries – up from 1,537 in 2015 – presented their innovations at interzum 2017. Foreign exhibitors accounted for 79 percent of the total.
John Aufderhaar, president of Bedford Falls Communications and publisher of Surface & Panel, attended interzum with his vice president of sales and marketing, Ryan Wagner.
“Interzum was one of the most exciting shows I can remember,” Aufderhaar said. “The decorative surfaces category—mostly in Hall 6—garnered a great deal of attention. I think the orchestration among plate designers, decor printers, HPL and TFL producers reached a new level.
“The most outwardly identifiable quality of great products are surface materials. Everyone’s goal is to achieve a new level of realism, challenging natural materials. To achieve it requires cooperation from everyone in the channel. As a category, they did not disappoint. Textures, print fidelity and finishes were magical. Digital print shows amazing promise for our industry for short runs, custom designs and wide formats.”
More international visitors
Interzum's international reach is not only increasing among exhibitors. The trade fair also attracted growing numbers of international visitors. The proportion of foreign visitors rose to about 74 percent, compared to 71 percent two years ago. Overall, more than 51,000 visitors came from outside Germany. Within Europe, noteworthy increases in visitor figures were recorded from the Netherlands (up 26 percent), Spain (up 25 percent), Italy (up 20 percent) and Eastern Europe (up 46 percent). Visitor numbers from Poland and the United Kingdom also rose.
Trends for tomorrow's living spaces
This year interzum addressed exciting themes and ideas for trade visitors. It demonstrated that outstanding innovations in furniture production and interior construction are constantly being developed.
New materials, technologies and design approaches were some of the key areas that the trade fair focused on. The products on display ranged from fittings, surfaces and decors to textiles, glass and lighting, all the way through to innovative materials.
The wide-ranging special events at the trade fair examined global trends such as sustainability, digitalization and mobility. The special Mobile Spaces event area explored how a new understanding of mobility will influence vehicle interiors. With events such as this, interzum underscored its focus on groundbreaking ideas and highlighted their importance to exhibitors.
Many of the innovations presented in Cologne can be used in both stationary and mobile spaces.
The next interzum will be May 21-24, 2019.
interzum 2017 in numbers:
- 1,732 companies from 60 countries
- Exhibition space covering 2,017,156 square feet
- 368 exhibitors from Germany and 1,364 foreign exhibitors
- 69,000 attendees from 152 countries, with foreign visitors accounting for about 74 percent (