On 6th February, when Koelnmesse will host ZOW for the first time in Bad Salzuflen we can all begin to judge how the event’s new owner is seeting out its stall.
With a new concept and a fresh branding, ZOW is relaunching for the exciting future that stands before suppliers to the furniture industry. Digitalisation, intelligent use of living space, lightweight construction and sustainable materials are just some of the trends that are giving the industry new momentum and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Exhibitors and visitors at this year’s ZOW are also driven by these questions. A line-up of 171 exhibitors will present solutions for the future.
“After a short, intense preparation phase, we’re delighted to be finally launching,”
says Matthias Pollmann, vice president trade fair management at Koelnmesse.
“We’re convinced that, by introducing the new concept and organising exciting events, we have revived ZOW’s original character: an ideas workshop for suppliers to the furniture industry. As a trade fair organiser, we firmly believe that today’s challenges are best tackled through collaborations and knowledge transfers, communication and a close dialogue within the sector but also with other fields of technology and industry. This is the idea behind ZOW.”
At the supplier fair, 171 exhibitors from 16 countries will present their products and concepts across 11,000m2 of exhibition space. Many market leaders are joining the ranks of the companies heading to ZOW. With this interest in the event, the industry is firmly indicating that East Westphalia and ZOW remain very important to it.
Special areas and events add even more dynamism to the trade fair concept: The innovative special area Tiny Spaces, where the focus is on clever solution ideas and design concepts for interior construction and furniture for small, indeed tiny, spaces.
The concept was created by design scout Katrin de Louw, the proprietor and public face of Trendfilter in Bünde, Germany.
The project has been realised by students on the Interior Design Master’s programme led by Professor Ulrich Nether and Ricarda Jacobi at OWL University of Applied Sciences in Detmold. This is the context in which Lena Klein-Erwig, Mascha Großmann, Jessica Neumann, Tessa Sieker and Celina Stiehl present their original, radically condensed furnishing and design ideas.
The lightweight construction showcase presented by the Lightweight Construction Association igeL will offer visitors the opportunity to touch and feel a range of lightweight materials, talk to igeL members about new technologies and work together on developing concepts for future lightweight furniture.
Issues such as Industry 4.0, virtual reality and the opportunities and challenges of digitalisation are the focus topics for the talks forum on all three days of the event. The organisers have secured leading industry experts as speakers.
The Career Day on 8th February is an ideal platform for employers and candidates to introduce themselves to each other in an informal atmosphere.
