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On with the show

Published: 17-Mar-2009

Shows are a vital part of the interior design industry but, in the present economic climate, are exhibitors and visitors likely to be cutting back on the events they attend? idfx talked to the organisers of major design shows around the world about the current situation, their competitors and their future plans.

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Habitat Valencia — 85,000 visitors (12 per cent from overseas), 1,283 exhibitors

Habitat Valencia started in 2006 when the FIM furniture fair, FIAM lighting fair and Deco accessories fair were integrated. ‘Our new concept makes us outstanding,’ says show director Ignacio Mateu. ‘This concept has been positively valued by both exhibitors and professional visitors. We refuse to be a stuck in a rut because the sectors develop and the fair needs to develop with them.’

The aim of the fair is to raise the profile of Spanish design and to boost exports, for example, the organisation recently took a delegation of 15 companies to Index in Dubai. ‘We want to help companies develop their business,’ says Mateu. ‘Feria Valencia is working internationally to discover new markets and consolidate the ones that already exist. Our international promotion focuses on India, Eastern Europe, Arabic countries and potential markets such as Angola and South America.

‘Habitat Valencia will reflect all that “made in Spain” represents — its personality, trends and ideas. The professionals who visit our fair will find innovation, design and the latest trends.’

ICFF — 25,880 visitors (10 per cent from overseas), 642 exhibitors

Show director Phil Robinson is concerned stands at this year’s ICFF are not selling as quickly as they usually do. ‘We are not as heavily retail weighted as other shows so the diversity of our market will help us. But our clients are having to make tough decisions and we find ourselves having a bit more of a conversation with prospective customers about the merits of exhibiting,’ he says.

Areas such as kitchens and outdoor furniture are still relatively buoyant so there are plans to give them greater space. There will also be a focus on new materials that are of particular interest to architects and designers. Although Robinson feels ICFF is as important to the North American trade as Milan is to Europe, he says: ‘We don’t compete for the same attendees.’ In addition to the US market, ‘we draw very well from Canada, the Caribbean and South America’, he adds.

I Saloni Milano — 348,452 visitors (60 per cent from overseas), 1,848 exhibitors

According to managing director Manlio Armellini, it is business as usual. ‘We do not have any special plans because, in reality, we are not feeling the crisis at the moment. The crisis is a reality but we believe that since the Saloni is the most important event of the year, companies and visitors will make a sacrifice to participate because it will be worthwhile.’

He continues: ‘Exhibitors feel that it is very important to be at the Saloni because it is the reference point of the sector — an exclusive showcase for exhibitors to present new products. Specialist operators regard it as a must in terms of refreshing their ideas and keeping up to date with innovation, technology, project culture and trends. We don’t need to try to attract designers to visit the show — they come because they are attracted by the good quality and the variety of the exhibited products. This is why we are strongly selective in choosing the exhibitors.

‘For many years Cologne was our main competitor but in the past 10 years we have surpassed it, becoming international while Cologne remains a fair of local reference.’

IMM Cologne – 100,000 visitors (40 per cent from overseas), 1,057 exhibitors

‘IMM Cologne is certainly in competition with Milan but also with Paris,’ says Udo Traeger, head of Koelnmesse’s furniture, interior design and textiles division. ‘Our trade fair has the world’s most international range of offerings. Business is at the forefront of IMM Cologne. We present innovations that are ready for the market — we don’t promote prototype-hype like other trade fairs do.

‘Cologne attracts German and international traders, who, unlike at similar events, are very interested in getting down to business. More than 70 per cent of visitors are directly involved in making decisions at their companies. We anticipate more than 100,000 visitors from more than 100 countries.

‘The extremely tense economic climate is affecting the furniture industry and IMM as an international industry meeting place. But the German furniture industry is looking to the future with optimism and this is reflected in the companies that are exhibiting.

‘IMM Cologne will update its offerings and presentation constantly to reflect the changes taking place in the market.’

Maison et Objet — 75,755 visitors (42 per cent from overseas), exhibitors figure not supplied

Director of Communications Philippe Chomat hopes that the diversity of the show, which runs alongside Meuble Paris in January, will protect it from the worst of the downturn and says exhibitor numbers are stable.

‘It’s not just a furniture show. Maison et Objet is a concept show with a lot of sectors so there’s not much impact at the moment — but we don’t know how it will be in September,’ he says.

Visitor numbers reached a record level in January 2008 when the show was joined by Meuble Paris for the first time. However, figures for the standalone Maison et Objet in September 2008 were 6 per cent down and, speaking just before the January 2009 show, Chomat was prepared for another drop of 5 to 10 per cent. ‘If companies are having problems, they will come with fewer people and stay perhaps for just two days instead of three to keep costs down,’ he explains.

‘The major show in Europe competing with us is I Saloni, the other is Cologne. Tendence in Frankfurt used to be a very big show but it has lost a lot of exhibitors.’

Interiors Birmingham — 26,456 visitors (10 per cent from overseas), 630 exhibitors

Events director Andy Vaughan has a three-year plan to improve Interiors Birmingham by grouping high-end products together more clearly and categorising the rest more effectively. ‘This year will be a smaller event — it takes time to build up the halls and it won’t be perfect until about 2011,’ he says.

‘We are fortunate that we are thought of as a commercial show — you go to the NEC to place orders. We haven’t had a lot of people leave the show but a lot have reduced the size of their stands and we are helping by not charging cancellation fees for that.

‘We used to try to compete with shows like Cologne and Milan but we are on an island and we can’t compete. Our uniqueness is the manufacturing skills of the British companies that exhibit here but don’t do any other shows. If people want British cabinetry, this is the only place to get it. I want the show to revitalise our industry’s sense of pride.’

100 Per Cent Design — 25,120 visitors (17 per cent from overseas), 450 exhibitors

‘Recessions force change,’ says Peter Massey, exhibition director of 100 Per Cent Design, which is now in its 15th year. ‘But our industry is obviously very creative and it will innovate. With the pound as it is, there are lots of opportunities to export so we will be focusing on increasing our international visitors and giving real support to British design.’

For the 2009 show, Massey is working with UKTI to arrange inbound trade missions and boost visitors from the UAE and elsewhere in the Middle East and Asia, while continuing with mass-marketing campaigns in Europe, the US and Russia. He is also intending to gear the show particularly towards areas of the UK economy that are still fairly buoyant, such as health and education projects and boutique hospitality.

Bookings for September are on track so far although Massey anticipates more companies will share stands or take less space. ‘We are expecting fewer fringe events at London Design Week but there’s confidence in being part of something bigger and London is a global powerhouse of architecture and design.’

Decorex — 9,090 trade visitors (14 per cent from overseas), 280 exhibitors

Cathy Oates has been event and business development director of Decorex since it was bought two years ago by CMP, which also owns Interiors Birmingham. ‘Decorex is the crown jewels and we bought it to cherish it,’ she says. ‘It’s an indicator of the strength of the show that we had a waiting list for exhibitors.’ And September’s show had a 4 per cent increase in visitors, which Oates attributes to CMP’s databases and marketing.

‘We don’t know how this recession is going to behave — people’s businesses are under pressure — but we have the power of a brand that has really cornered the high-end market. Decorex is unique — it is not like a traditional show, it’s like a really exclusive club. But the beauty of it is that you don’t have to buy a huge stand and crucify your business to get in. It’s cost effective.’

Oates is promoting Decorex by taking selected companies to a Decorex pavilion at Interiors UAE in Abu Dhabi this month. She plans to promote the show heavily in the UAE, US and Russia.

Stockhold Furniture Fair — 36,001 visitors (15 per cent from overseas), 751 exhibitors

Cecilia Nyberg, event manager for sales and exhibitions, is concentrating on boosting foreign visitor numbers. The fair has agents in Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland and the UK and has a programme that funds visits from the international press and leading buyers and architects.

‘You can’t compare Stockholm to Milan,’ she says. ‘We are much smaller, which is why we have integrated the fair as part of Stockholm Design Week. Visitors don’t come just to see the fair, we have around 50 events and exhibitions going on in Stockholm at the same time. People aren’t going to be choosing between Milan or Stockholm but they won’t find so many Scandinavian companies anywhere else. We want to be an international fair where visitors from all over the world come to see Scandinavian design.’

Stands were fully booked this year. An extension to the hall will increase the size of next year’s event, which will have a revised layout, new entrance and will run from Tuesday to Saturday to encourage trade visitors.

All statistics are taken from the latest shows.

This article originally appeared in idFX magazine