Heimtextil 2015

“This has been the most successful Heimtextil for many years and means we have not only extended our lead as the world’s most important event for home and contract textiles but can also confirm the positive outlook for the economic climate. The significant increase in the number of affluent buyers once again demonstrates the high power of attraction exercised by our exhibitors and their products”, said a delighted Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt.

The good figures were also confirmed by the very positive results of both the visitor and exhibitor polls. 95 percent of all visitors achieved their goals for the fair (an increase of two percent compared to 2014), which underscores the high standard of the companies exhibiting at Heimtextil.

The new Heimtextil ‘Theme Park’ in Hall 4.0 proved to be a highly popular highlight – in the heart of the fair. In addition to the main parts, such as the ‘Material Gallery’ and the ‘Colour Pavilion’, particular interest was shown in the themed installations, such as the seven-metre high foot spa for the ‘hospitality’ segment and a 3D printer for making carpets in the ‘Technology Lab’. Virtual-reality glasses for the retail sector also offered new perspectives by showing ways in which retailers can present textiles virtually and thus create a symbiosis between online and offline sales.

“The aim of Heimtextil was to show the trends in a more comprehensible way”, said Anne Marie Commandeur of stijlinstituut Amsterdam explaining the ‘Theme Park’ concept. The designer was responsible for the presentation of this year’s trend forecasts, which were prepared in advance of the fair by a Trendtable of renowned design agencies from six countries. The ‘Theme Park” proved to be a valuable source of inspiration for the many different visitor target groups at the fair. Continuing, Anne Marie Commandeur said, “Retailers and decorators found specific examples of how the latest textiles can be used and presented in a variety of settings, e.g., hotel rooms, living rooms and shop windows. Architects were fascinated by the proportions and the design of the rooms, and how exhibitor products could be used as part of the architecture.” The lectures and the cinema were also very well attended while the ‘Theme Park’ was a lively meeting place for everyone wanting to exchange ideas and information with their colleagues.

The premium products in Hall 11 were a source of exclusiveness, structure and orientation at Heimtextil 2015. The exhibitors in this hall made wonderful presentations and were able to reach their target group. Bert Sander, CEO of Sander GmbH & Co.KG, was no less pleased: “Four days at Heimtextil – enough material for a whole year! It is almost impossible to see all of the fantastic products at the fair. However, the small part I was able to see once again provided more than enough motivation and inspiration for the coming year. Against this background, the increased number of visitors is hardly surprising and I would advise anyone in the business to reserve at least two days for their visit, to benefit fully from the leading international trade fair for our sector.”

The busy Hall 3.1 once again offered a transparent and inspiring ambience for international wallpaper companies. A satisfied Philippe Desart, CEO of Arte NV, said, “It was good to be at Heimtextil 2015 because it is an important place to ‘meet and greet’ the wallpaper sector.” There, visitors encountered an incomparable selection of creative, innovative and exclusive products from the ‘wall’ segment. Customers have long since recognised that wallpaper is a very effective way of changing the whole atmosphere of a room for relatively little effort. Thus, the popularity of wallpaper is on an unstoppable upward curve.

Start-ups and young designers presented product ideas by the coming generation of designers in the ‘New & Next’ area of Heimtextil 2015. Their home collections in Halls 9.0 and 11 were distinguished by fresh ideas and original creations. In this connection, some companies are also using sustainable methods of production. “I am very pleased to have been able to show my work in the ‘New & Next’ area”, said Kirsten Wiegand of ‘Pude – sustainable home textiles’. “My products are sustainable from A to Z, from the production to the packaging. I think it’s very good that the Heimtextil fair provides facilities and orientation aids on this subject.”

The boom in the digital-printing segment continues unabated with the quota for digital textile printing expected to rise to five percent by 2017. In view of this, more room was made available for the subject at Heimtextil 2015. Thus, key players such as Epson Europe and Hewlett Packard, were located in an eye-catching, future-oriented setting in Hall 4.0 – in the heart of the Exhibition Centre and in the immediate vicinity of the new ‘Theme Park’ trend area. The product presentations by the various exhibitors were supplemented by the European Digital Textile Conference, which was held for the second time in cooperation with WTiN (World Textile Information Network). In this connection, digital printing still has an enormous potential and – thanks to its contribution to more sustainable production through faster printing processes, significantly better colour fastness, resource-friendly technology, dyes with eco-quality labels, e.g., GOTS – it is still in the early stages of market expansion.

Sustainability is nowadays an integral aspect of the products and services at Heimtextil. Both exhibitors and visitors appreciate the orientation aids provided, such as the ‘Green Directory’ and the ‘Eco Leaves’ on selected exhibitions stands, which help them find products with an ecological background. Heimtextil has also been making its own contribution to sustainability for many years via special presentations, lectures, a variety of publications and partnerships and a competition for newcomers to the sector. The ‘Young Creations Award: Upcycling’ spotlights an important subject in the modern textile and fashion industry. “The ‘Young Creations Award: Upcycling’ is a good opportunity for young designers wanting to become self-employed. And this is where the Heimtextil fair in Frankfurt helps”, explained Prof Jan Armgardt of Aachen University of Applied Sciences and member of the ‘Young Creations Award: Upcycling’ jury. “Young, up-and-coming designers are called upon to use production waste as the raw material for their ideas. The result is really interesting new products.”

The next Heimtextil in Frankfurt am Main will take place from Tuesday, 12 January, to Friday, 15 January 2016.

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