imm cologne Pre-Show Report

Furniture World News Desk on 10/28/2014

• Two thirds of the exhibiting companies come from abroad
• 100,000 pieces of furniture and other furnishing items will be exhibited

imm cologne and LivingKitchen reported that they will be open for business on January 2015, marking the first international interior design fair of the year. With approximately 1,300 companies from 50 countries, the imm cologne/LivingKitchen fair duo presents a wide-ranging, diverse display of
products in 2015. Two thirds of the exhibiting companies come from abroad. The most broadly represented visiting nations include Italy, Denmark,

the Netherlands and Asian countries also have a strong showing. And the visitors are as international as the exhibitors. The percentage of visitors from abroad is on average 42 per cent (based on Trade Visitor Days figures). Visitor figures from Asia, North America and Europe in particular showed a clear
increase in recent years. “imm cologne’s international flair is the object of particular praise from visitors. This feeling is certainly not only triggered by the many different languages to be heard but also by the exhibiting big brands’ impressive presence.” says Uwe Deitersen, Project Manager at imm cologne. All signs indicate that imm cologne will not only contribute to economic recovery next year, but will, due to its media influence, also have a positive effect on the public, says Arne Petersen, Head of Koelnmesse’s Living and Furnishing division.

In 2015, imm cologne together with LivingKitchen will occupy the whole of the more than 2.5 million square feet of the Cologne exhibition grounds. Over 100,000 pieces of furniture and other furnishing items will be exhibited, around a third of which will be presented to the international market for the first time at the Cologne exhibition. In total, around 150,000 visitors from all over the world are expected. For suppliers and buyers from all the important markets, imm cologne is the most important trade audience. The market-ready products of the exhibiting companies are brought together in one location and clearly divided into individual segments. The diverse selection of the products is unique to imm cologne in its breadth and depth. 

Segment Overview:

Pure – Halls 11, 10.1, 3.2, 2.2 and Hall 1

Pure is the format of design quality. At Pure, the brands stand on their own merit – their own design, their own philosophy, their own production quality, their own individual style. Because Pure is as international as the world of design itself, these elements extend far beyond national preferences and styles. Every stand is another world.

Companies represented at Pure are continuously inventing and reinventing themselves, developing new accents, creating an original feel and presenting new products, designers, fabrics and living concepts. Pure is characterised by the variety and diversity of its range of products and styles.

Global Lifestyles - Halls 2.1, 3.1 and 4.1

Global Lifestyles has established itself as an international marketplace, characterised by the diversity of its product range and its attractive value for money. The universal approach of the Global Lifestyles segment is an opportunity for manufacturers of living-room and bedroom furniture from (mainly Eastern) Europe and Asia to gain access to the central European markets.

Comfort - Halls 6 and 10.2

Comfort is the segment for the diverse culture of comfortable sitting and laid-back resting and quiet time – alone, in company, while relaxing, while enjoying a snack or a meal and for ad-hoc overnighting. The area of upholstered furniture reflects the individualisation of furnishing preferences as few other categories do. From individual seating, from sleek lounge armchairs to elegant couches to media-orientated reclining armchairs, there is a broad range of products enriching the selection on display.

Smart – Halls 7 und 8

The Smart segment unites the demands of contemporary living for younger people – practicality and versatility – with trendy design. Smart concentrates on the areas of living, flat-pack and ready to assemble furniture as well as bedroom furnishing. The range of original furnishing ideas using highly efficient batch production demands intelligent concepts. The buyer readiness of this particular segment means affordable furniture is required – furniture which allows for spontaneous, individual expression, an experimental furnishing culture which delivers on practical and fashionable demands. The range is correspondingly colourful and stylistically diverse. The name of the segment reflects this and also refers to companies’ use of the e-commerce sales channel in this segment.

Sleep – Halls 9 and 5.1

High-tech in a compact package! The mattress and sleeping systems, box-spring beds and waterbeds within this segment offer innovative sleeping comfort, enhanced by decorative bedding and accessories. The range of products on display at Sleep is in a class of its own. No other segment is so grounded in evolution through technical innovation as much as Sleep is. The Sleep segment is thus more of a laboratory than a showroom – a platform for the segment at imm cologne which probably requires the most information and explanation. The segment’s greatest strengths are the continuity of its participating companies and the culture of innovation of its manufacturers.

Prime – Halls 5.1 and 10.1

Prime reinterprets traditional, family-orientated home decoration with a modern- cosy, stylish aesthetic and consistently high-end quality for all ranges of tables, chairs, wardrobes, cupboards and beds. A practical and ecological grounding unites quite naturally with the style-conscious. Elegant and classic design conventions, clear characterized by harmony in all areas of living.

Next year, Cologne will not only be the focus for all things related to furnishing. It will also be a magnet for the kitchen industry as in 2015, with almost 200 exhibitors, the international kitchen event LivingKitchen will once more take place in parallel with imm cologne. The third edition of LivingKitchen promises to be a kitchen exhibition the like of which has never been seen before! Global market leaders will face stiff international competition when jostling for position in Cologne – this is the premier league of the kitchen furniture and built-in appliances industry, on display in the birthplace of the built-in kitchen! The exhibition will present the kitchen in all of its facets: Nowhere else will you experience the modern kitchen presented at this level of depth, thoroughness and variety. Alongside kitchen furniture, international manufacturers will introduce kitchen appliances, sinks, fittings, expertly-finished worktops, lighting solutions and accessories.

The next trade fair duo: imm cologne // LivingKitchen will be held from 19 to 25 January 2015


About Koelnmesse: For 90 years, Koelnmesse has been bringing people and markets together. The success story of Cologne trade fairs began in 1924 with the opening of the first event on the exhibition grounds in Cologne-Deutz. During the "economic miracle" of the post- World War II era, the "Rheinische Messe" became a global trading center. Today Koelnmesse has the world's fifth-largest exhibition complex and organizes approximately 75 trade fairs in Cologne and all over the world. During its anniversary year of 2014, Koelnmesse is bringing its history to the public’s attention through numerous activities, publications, and exhibitions. For more information visit http://www.imm-cologne.com.