Domotex 2005 Draws 43,500 Attendees

Hannover, Germany, January 20—-Domotex 2005, according to show organizers Deutsche Messe AG, has reached new heights as a trendsetter, global marketplace and information platform of choice for high-level decision-makers. At the close of the four-day event, participating carpet and floor covering exhibitors were full of praise for their flagship trade fair, especially its high rate of international attendance. At an impressive 43,500 attendees, turnout was much higher than expected. With its 89,544 square meters of displays, the show treated trade visitors from around the globe to pioneering innovations, practical demonstrations, creative product presentations and holistic interior design concepts. The 12 exhibition halls dedicated to DOMOTEX 2005 (halls 2–9 and 14–17) covered the entire spectrum of the international floor coverings industry, including hand-made carpets/area rugs, machine-made woven carpets, textile and resilient floor coverings, parquet and other wooden flooring, laminated floor coverings, fibers, yarns, textiles, natural stone and ceramic tiles. Attendee response was equally positive in the area of contract flooring, application technology, installation equipment, cleaning and maintenance. for successful sales talks, setting the scene for more post-show business than ever before. The carpet and floor coverings sector is counting squarely on its flagship fair. In fact, almost 36 percent of all exhibitors do not participate in any other how apart from DOMOTEX — a good four percent up on 2004, itself a record year. 85 percent of this year’s exhibitors have already confirmed their plans to take part at DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2006. Forty one percent of exhibitors reported having a strong export focus. Exhibitors at the Turkish pavilion were also pleased with the outcome of the show, reporting overseas orders which they had received "by the container-load." DOMOTEX 2005 saw a marked increase in visitor figures, particularly from the Netherlands (up 26 percent) and Turkey (up 36 percent). Visitor make-up was also extremely satisfying, with over 90 percent playing an advisory-to-decisive role in their organization's purchasing decisions. Twenty four percent of all visitors were skilled tradespeople, i.e. interior furnishers, floor layers, including parquet layers, plus painters and finishers. A further 24 percent were from the floor coverings retailing sector. Visitors from all industries showed a clear focus on DOMOTEX as their primary exhibition showcase, with around 44 percent indicating they do not attend any comparable trade fairs. The sector of Natural stone and ceramic tiles has established itself at DOMOTEX. Tiles are turning into intelligent elements, and their properties and textures are continually being improved. A particular highlight at the show involved the interaction of light and tiles, as LEDs made out of tiles proved an impressive design element. "contractworld 2005," for decision makers in the contracting business, ran under the motto "Visions for Offices, Hotels and Shops," and targeted decision makers in the contracting business. Architects from around the globe converged on Hannover, offering ample opportunities to forge promising new contacts, particularly for newcomers. The lively mix of project presentations, networking events, seminars, workshops and informal get-togethers lived up to its reputation. For the first time ever, the Association of German Interior Designers participated at this year’s show with its "Raumwandel" ("Changing Rooms," or lit "room transformation") concept.