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Essen and Cologne, 9 January 2019: Submissions for the interzum award: intelligent material and design 2019 have opened. From today, exhibitors at interzum – which this year celebrates its 60th anniversary – can enter their products, further developments and innovations into the competition. The international furniture supplier industry is invited to face global comparison by registering by 8 March. The best designs from the sector will be crowned by a panel of expert judges – with “Tiny Spaces” among the categories for the first time.
interzum 2019 – the leading international trade fair for furniture production and interiors
From 21 to 24 May 2019, more than 1,800 exhibitors from all over the world will present their innovations at the largest international industry event. In doing so, they will be sources of inspiration for the design of tomorrow’s living spaces. At Cologne’s interzum, the leading international fair for the furniture and interior construction industries' supplying sections, visitors from the worlds of industry, skilled trades and retail find out about the latest standards, technological innovations, advanced materials and exciting product debuts.
Participation in the interzum award 2019 is free of charge
Whether a finished product or just part of one – to achieve long-term commercial success, it’s important for companies to stand out from the competition. The interzum award: intelligent material and design offers a professional opportunity to do just that. This is the tenth year that the competition is being organised by Koelnmesse in cooperation with Red Dot. It offers exhibitors at interzum a contest into which they can enter their innovations and custom solutions – one product or several at once – free of charge from today.
The categories for which products can be registered are just as diverse as the furniture supplier industry and the interior construction sector themselves. They include “Materials and Surfaces”, “Fittings, Glass and Lighting” as well as “Upholstery Manufacture and Bedding”. Impressive designs are also sought from the field of “Mobile Spaces” and, for the first time, in the “Tiny Spaces” category too. With the introduction of this new category, Koelnmesse is following the current trend for living in small spaces.
Jury of six to judge submissions
A jury of specialists will evaluate all the competition entries on the basis of the quality of their design and their innovative potential. Only those products that impress the experts will receive awards. The group of six jurors will make joint decisions on the submissions after they have been tested and discussed live and in person. Criteria such as the degree of innovation, quality of materials, design, functionality and sustainability will be taking into account.
Judging the innovations alongside Dutch designer Dick Spierenburg will be Professor Danny Venlet, Belgian designer and professor at the Royal College of Arts in Ghent. Professor Martin Stosch (Dipl.-Ing.), lecturer in wood technology at the University of Applied Sciences Ostwestfalen-Lippe, and designer Winfried Weber from design house hülsta are also on the jury. The final members of the panel will be Professor Martin Beeh, materials expert and university lecturer in design management, and Professor Peter Zec, founder and CEO of the Red Dot Awards. They will jointly award the prize for “High Product Quality” and recognise outstanding achievements that set new standards with the “Best of the Best” award.
From competition to competitive advantage
Those entrants selected as winners by the jury gain a powerful PR and marketing tool from which they can benefit even during interzum 2019. The coveted industry label helps them to communicate the excellent quality of their products in such a way as to attract the attention of international decision makers and influencers. It sets them apart from the crowd and proves the outstanding design quality of their prizewinning innovations as well as their competitiveness.
The awarded products are showcased to the public during the trade fair as part of a lavish special exhibition. They are also permanently presented online on the interzum award website. The proud winners will be honoured on 20 May. The awards ceremony thereby marks the opening of interzum 2019.
Dates for your diary – interzum award: intelligent material & design 2019
- Registration deadline: 8 March 2019
- Adjudication: 28 March 2019
- Notification of results: in April 2019
- Awards ceremony: 20 May 2019
- Special exhibition: 21–24 May 2019
