Domotex 2008: The 20th Domotex Hannover set new records

The 20th DOMOTEX HANNOVER set new records, with 1,442 exhibitors (2007: 1,336) occupying some 97,083 square meters of display space (up from 91,757 square meters in 2007). Never before had so many exhibitors - from over 60 different nations - appeared at this global showcase for carpets, textile and resilient floor coverings plus laminate and parquet flooring; never before had they booked so much display space. Their exhibits expressively highlighted tomorrow's trends, featuring new materials and creative designs, including the latest colors and patterns.

DOMOTEX surpassed all expectations as well as last year's figures, drawing attendance by more than 47,000 trade visitors (2007: 43,538) from a total of 80 different countries, and successfully reflecting the current positive trends in virtually every segment of the carpet and floor coverings industry. 'DOMOTEX once again demonstrated its model role for the industry,' declared Stephan Ph. Kühne, Managing Board Member at Hannover-based Deutsche Messe AG. 'The excellent overall quality of this year's DOMOTEX represented yet another sizable improvement on past events in terms of the professional caliber of our visitors, the appeal of our special shows, and the outstanding presentations of exhibitor products and trends.'
Kühne emphasized the highly international character of the event: 'Over 78 percent of all exhibitors and around 56 percent of the show's 47,000 trade visitors came from abroad. This once again confirms the leading position of DOMOTEX as the world's most international floor coverings show.'

This year's DOMOTEX also met one of its most important strategic goals by significantly boosting attendance by skilled tradespeople. One in every five visitors was from this sector, with particularly impressive growth in attendance by interior furnishers. Trade visitor numbers from the furniture and home furnishings retailing sector were also up around 50 percent.
Exhibitors and trade associations both awarded DOMOTEX 2008 top marks in the closing survey. Ludger Schindler, President of the European Association of Laminated Flooring Manufacturers and Sales Director at MeisterWerke Schulte GmbH, described DOMOTEX as 'the most important tradeshow for us, which we use mainly as a platform to reach international export customers. This year's event separated parquet and laminate flooring for the first time, enabling each segment to communicate more effectively. The mood at DOMOTEX 2008 has been good. We never had such a wide range of laminate floors on display. Many customers are now quite prepared to pay more - for environmentally friendly products, for example.'

The parquet sector was also happy with the run of the show. According to Ralph Plessmann, President of the German Parquet Industry Association, 'the mood has been upbeat, if not euphoric. Wooden flooring is likely to continue to gain market share. DOMOTEX is the flagship tradeshow for floor coverings. This is definitely one of the most important trade fairs for the German parquet floor industry, for both the domestic and export markets. Presenting parquet and laminate floors in separate halls has helped boost the profile of wooden flooring versus other types of floor covering. This has further enhanced the value of DOMOTEX for our industry.'
Johannes Schulte, President of the Association of European Carpet Manufacturers (ETG) as well as the German Home Textile Industry Association, was also very upbeat on this year's DOMOTEX: 'The upswing in the economy last year has been reflected in the commercial sector. Major companies in the contract sector, especially those with a strong international focus, have done particularly well. A clear trend in the residential segment involves enhanced customer expectations in terms of product quality. As a result, high-end manufacturers are doing very well.'

Dr. Ali R. Ipektchi, Chairman of the European Carpet-Importers Association (EUCA), remarked: 'DOMOTEX is a definite must for anyone who wants to get ahead in the flooring business, and there can be no doubt about that. The area rug sector simply cannot afford to miss out on DOMOTEX.'