DOMOTEX 2024: Internationality, sustainability and networking

DOMOTEX once again proved to be the most important and powerful driving force for business, trends and innovations in the industry. "DOMOTEX is not only the global meeting place for the industry, but also the home of the entire carpet and flooring world, thanks to its positive energy and its distinctly international character," says Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Global Director of DOMOTEX. During the four days of the show, about 18,000 visitors from 140 countries, met with around 1,000 exhibitors from more than 60 nations. "We are delighted that decision-makers from even more countries than before are coming to Hannover to learn about the latest trends and new products – including 170 debuts – and to make new business connections", continues Wedell-Castellano. 71 % of visitors come from abroad – 65 % from Europe, 18 % from Asia, 9 % from America, 4 % from the Middle East and the rest from Africa and Australia.

Visitors come to DOMOTEX to find out where the Industry's heading

Oliver Ginestier, Director of Communications at the European DIY Retail Association (EDRA), was delighted to "see the world of flooring meeting again in a vibrant atmosphere". At this year's show, he was able to meet many of the suppliers attending the association's Global DIY Summit, as well as many of the association's members. Martin Geiger, Managing Director of GEIGER, has been attending the world's leading show for many years to get an overview of the market at the start of the business year. "I was particularly impressed by the increase in the number of exhibitors – in its second year after the pandemic, the show has already grown significantly again. This underlines the importance of DOMOTEX for our industry.” Jamie Metrick, President and Chief Product Officer of the Toronto-based interior design company Elte appreciates the comprehensive market overview and adds: "Here at DOMOTEX, I can meet important global business partners, easily discover potential suppliers and find out about the latest trends and developments in the industry".

Carpets & Rugs and Flooring Exhibitors delighted with high level of Internationality & Visitor Quality

DOMOTEX offers the perfect opportunity to introduce new products to a global audience, says Theresa Paulig, Shareholder and Executive Partner of Paulig. "It is difficult to present our entire range of products internationally by travelling alone. At DOMOTEX, we can display the entire range of innovations to our existing customers in a short amount of time, deepen our relationships and make contacts with new customers from all over the world. This is what makes DOMOTEX unique for us." "Our main reason for exhibiting at DOMOTEX was to give our exports a boost – especially in Germany, the UK and Eastern-Europe. The first and second day were already excellent for us and we are happy about our decision to participate. We are pleased with the number, quality and internationality of the DOMOTEX visitors," reports Cathérine Vandepoel, Export Manager at Floorify. Markus Oberbauer, Managing Director of Kronoflooring GmbH, was also delighted with the large number of customers: "DOMOTEX 2024 was a great success for us. We are very satisfied. All of our major customers were here, and the international participation was particularly high. In total, we welcomed around 500 different customer groups to our stand who were interested in our innovations and our new logistics concept."

DOMOTEX goes vertical

Products for walls and ceilings were presented for the first time in the new RETAILERS' PARK in Hall 19/20. "All of our visitors – from retailers to craftsmen and architects – have to consider spaces as a whole to create a coherent interior design. That's why we've teamed up with DECOR UNION and the MEGA Gruppe to include paints, varnishes, wallpapers and more interior finishing and the premiere has already been a great success. The new special area for interior finishes, which is being organized in collaboration with DECOR UNION and MEGA, offers a genuine value for the trade and craft sector", explains Wedell-Castellano. One in three participants is already specifically interested in the new special show as the visitor survey reveals. This is why the global director of DOMOTEX can imagine expanding the show's portfolio to include more products for interior finishing in the future.

DOMOTEX is worth a visit

This year's edition of DOMOTEX offered all participants inspiring special displays, a diverse supporting program with conferences, live presentations and award ceremonies as well as numerous opportunities for networking. The trade fair once again focused on the megatrends of sustainability and circular economy. Visitors were able to experience the keynote theme FLOORED BY NATURE in particular at THE GREEN COLLECTION in Hall 23. In its second year, the special display once again offered extraordinary presentations of sustainable and environmentally friendly products, a tactile presentation of sustainable materials by raumprobe | Materialbank and the latest research projects from the German Research Institute for Floor Systems (TFI) Aachen. The sustainable focus was also reflected in the exhibitors' product ranges.

At DOMOTEX on Stage in Hall 23, speakers from the fields of architecture, interior design, the skilled trades, politics, associations, trade and trend scouts presented the latest market developments and trend topics. Other topics included the shortage of skilled workers and workplace culture. The conference program was complemented by the forums in the RETAILERS' PARK , the Mood Spaces and the Carpet Design Awards .

"This is my first time at DOMOTEX and I'm really impressed. The Mood Spaces offer a lot of inspiration for my everyday work," reveals Sophie Berger, interior designer at Rostock-based architecture office MZ Architektur Meier + Zeug. The trade fair also allows her to think "outside the box" and become familiar with new flooring solutions and suppliers in a short amount of time. Merle Queisner, architect at Bünenmann & Collegen, emphasizes the value of a live event: "Here at DOMOTEX, I don't just get detailed information about carpets and floor coverings. I can also experience the quality of the products first hand. I can take a close look, touch and feel the surface. That's simply not possible digitally."

The next DOMOTEX – Carpets & Rugs in Hannover will take place from 16 to 19 January 2025.