- Heimtextil motivates the sector!

- Visitor numbers achieve last year's level

- Exhibitors satisfied with the concept, visitor quality and internationality of the Heimtextil

- Heimtextil Performance celebrates the textile universe

"The Heimtextil sector is ready for a positive turnaround in the market place", says Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt GmbH. "This is particularly evident among the German and European companies." Following declining sales in recent years, manufacturers of home and household textiles are now looking forward to an increased propensity to consume and an economic upswing. Accordingly, there was a positive atmosphere in Frankfurt's exhibition halls throughout the 36th Heimtextil. The international trade fair for home and commercially-used textiles opened the trade-fair year from 11 to 14 January 2006 when 2,810 exhibitors from 73 countries presented their latest and most fashionable products under the motto 'The art of home fashion'. With a total of 89,073 trade visitors, it attracted almost the same number of visitors as in the previous year (2005: 90,346) whereby the number of foreign visitors rose to 53,205 from 51,848 in 2005 while the number of German visitors fell to 35,868 from 38,498 last year.

"New marketing ideas and impulses are decisive nowadays and our exhibitors made an enormous contribution in this respect", says Detlef Braun. "Moreover, with the new event character generated by the Heimtextil Performance in the 'Festhalle', the Trend Forum as the design heart of the fair, the Trend Satellites, 'bed + more' and the interior-decoration campaign in downtown Frankfurt, Messe Frankfurt offered a broad spectrum of well-attended communication forums. "Thus, the first trade fair of the year was a great success for the sector and, therefore, for us!" adds Braun. This assessment was confirmed by Reinhard Backhausen, President of Backhausen Interior Textiles, who said, "There was a fresh wind blowing and the atmosphere was extremely good on both the exhibitor and customer sides. There were no complaints. People spoke very positively about the results of the fair and are taking a very optimistic view of 2006."

The ten best-represented visitor nations after Germany were Italy, followed by the USA, Great Britain, Spain, Turkey, Greece, China, France, The Netherlands and Belgium/Luxemburg. Particularly striking in this connection was the roughly 17 percent increase in the number of visitors from Europe and 13 percent from the USA. Altogether, the visitors came from 124 countries, which once again confirms the position of the Heimtextil as the world's biggest international trade fair for home and household textiles.

The exhibitor and visitor polls were also distinguished by extremely good results: the overall level of visitor satisfaction exceeded 93 percent. Significantly improved this year was the degree of satisfaction among German exhibitors with the ratings given to visitor quality, order propensity and economic outlook being significantly higher than in the past.

Home textiles in Germany

How German consumers furnish their homes and what factors are important to them when they go shopping for home and household textiles is the subject of a study entitled 'Heimtextil Monitor GfK 2006 – Home Textiles in Germany'. "Textile furnishings in Germany's homes are getting on the old side", says Oliver Schmitz, Research Manager of market-research institute Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK), commenting on the result of the study that, although it offers hope for suppliers of home and household textiles, leaves German consumers looking rather out of touch when it comes to trendsetting. In other words, there is a great potential for sales in the field of the home and furnishing. Messe Frankfurt commissioned GfK with the study in advance of the Heimtextil and it was published during the fair.

'gloBAL' – Heimtextil Performance in the Frankfurt 'Festhalle'

Completely new was the integration of the 'Festhalle' into the Heimtextil concept. Here, star interior designer Jamie Drake from the USA created a textile universe using more than 3,000 square metres of wonderful fabric. "I was delighted to have this chance to contribute my ideas and offer the highly creative textile sector an additional design highlight at the world's most important marketing platform," said Drake. Thus, the concept reinforces the variety in the textile world, the different cultures and countries where textiles are produced. The individual textile planets were sponsored by Heimtextil exhibitors. "Attractive textiles can make a great contribution to an enchanting ambience and to the creation of a positive atmosphere", said Drake during a meeting with the press. That he was successful in this was confirmed by numerous visitors and exhibitors who used the Heimtextil Performance as a place of inspiration, a place for sharing industry information and a venue for evening events.

The presentation of the international home-fashion trends for 2006 / 2007 in the Forum once again exercised a magnetic power of attraction on both visitors and exhibitors. As in the past, the trend philosophy has been developed by renowned trend expert Gunnar Frank, The Netherlands,. This year, it is called 'Materials – Heart and Soul' and takes visitors from the individual home worlds to the materials. Frank speaks of types of material, which stand for four home-trend themes: 'Emotions in Wood', 'Reflections in Metal', 'Elegance in Textile' and 'Dynamic in Plastic'.

Innovations generate new impulses for the sector

"The jury was particularly impressed by the great willingness of the participants to experiment", said Prof. Zvonko Turkali commenting on the broad response to the Textile and Contract Innovation Prize, which was presented for the third time on the occasion of the Heimtextil by AIT, the newspaper for architecture and interior architecture. The prize goes to textiles that meet architectural requirements to a very high degree, e.g., functionality, design quality, material authenticity and variety of potential applications. A jury of seven renowned architects and interior designers debated the quality of the 29 entries and decided to award nine prizes. The highest category of prize, the 'Textile and Contract Innovation Prize' was awarded twice: to Hybrids and Fusion for 'Timeout', their laminated 3D spacer fabric, a new kind of textile that bridges the gap between tradition and modern; and to Kvadrat in cooperation with Tord Boontje for the Tord Boontje & Kvadrat Collection, which is distinguished by high quality in terms of technical and handicraft processing as well as high-grade design. All products were exhibited at a special show during the fair.

Also to be seen in a special show were the eight products awarded the Swiss Design Prize 2005, the aim of which is to honour outstanding examples of innovative design and to promote Swiss design beyond the country's borders. The prize-winning works included, for example, a fabric with integrated lighting elements by Création Baumann Lufilo, a felt carpet made using laser technology by Ruckstuhl AG and storage furniture covered with textiles by Nils Holger Moormann and Jörg Boner.

'Campus – the design of the future' was well received by visitors for the second time. Four German art academies – Burg Giebichenstein, Hochschule für Kunst und Design in Halle, Fachhochschule Hof, Hochschule Reutlingen and Kunsthochschule Berlin Weissensee – offered an impressive demonstration of their creativity. "We show visitors not only developments but also an idea or an experiment that catches the eye and gives the onlooker new impulses. A good example of this is the 'audible textile', a fabric made of magnet tape and yarn", says Prof. Gisela Lorenz of Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weissensee, Berlin. All academies presented exhibits for textile interior design, including new developments, textile-covered home accessories and small items of furniture.

bed + more for bed and furniture dealers

bed+more, International Trade Fair and Forum for High Quality Sleeping Comfort, was held for the second time within the framework of the Heimtextil and brought the entire 'sleep & dream' product segment, as well as the 'sleep & dream' Trend Satellite with its trend outlooks and new products, together with the 'Dreamland' premium segment and a lecture forum for individual lectures.

For two days, brief lectures under the heading '15-minutes profit – tips for success in the bed trade' ensured an efficient exchange of information. Experts with close ties to the bed market gave visitors tips and assistance for their daily work in the trade. "I attend the European Bed Forum regularly and take advantage of every opportunity to obtain information that will help me develop my business", says Helmut Schmidt, proprietor of Betten Schmidt in Giessen. "The lectures are good because they are brief and to the point. They show new perspectives for me and prompt me to think about the concept of my assortment."

Participants of the brief lectures had the chance to enter a draw for one of six free admission tickets (three including overnight hotel accommodation) to the 5th 'bed + more – European Bed Forum' congress in the summer, which will be held parallel to the Collectione trade fair in Frankfurt am Main on 13 and 14 June 2006. The winners are representatives of Kohler Schätzle, Paradies GmbH, texpoint J. Martini-Sommer GmbH & Co. KG, Braun Flein, home bed collection and Raumausstattung Rüger.

'Heimtextil goes City' takes the latest trends into the city

How the latest trends can be transposed into Germany's homes without delay was shown by 32 of Frankfurt's interior decorators, furniture, home-textile and bed dealers on Saturday, 14 January 2006, when the trends were transported for the second time from the Exhibition Centre into the city under the motto, 'Heimtextil goes City'. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., customers were invited to gain inspiration for new home ideas. "And this they did not only in large numbers but also in an extremely well-prepared way", explained Michael Schwarz, proprietor of Raumdekor Schwarz GmbH and spokesman of the Interior Decorators' and Saddlers' Guild (Raumausstatter- und Sattlerinnung), Frankfurt am Main. "The campaign was very well received by both consumers and dealers. And the growing number of participants positively calls for it to be continued in the future!" The trade showed how the latest trends can be interpreted in practice and, of course, customers also had the chance to buy the new products there and then: all of which means that the study's rather dowdy image of the Germans is set to change – at least in Frankfurt.

The next Heimtextil will be held in Frankfurt am Main from 10 to 13 January 2007. The 5th European Bed Forum follows as usual this year at Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre on 13 and 14 June 2006.

Additional exhibitor comments:

Ulrich Welter, proprietor, Welter Manufaktur für Wandunikate, Berlin, Germany

"This was our eigth time at the Heimtextil and I can say that it has been the most successful of all. Dealers are once again looking for extraordinary and expensive products. This time, they didn't begin to cry when we got round to discussing prices. Luxury is back in demand. Customers want to set themselves apart and are looking for products that express their individualism. Particularly in demand are metal and gold."

Andreas Dotzauer, Design Director, Amorim Revestimentos, S.A., Portugal

"For us, the Heimtextil was a success and much better than expected. Although this was our first time here, we welcomed numerous customers to our stand – and there were many new customers among them, which has made us very happy! The Heimtextil is a very international trade fair and this makes it very interesting for us to be here."

Christian Schirner, Sales Director, Sahco Hesslein GmbH & Co. KG, Germany

As a premium supplier, the decision to take part in the Heimtextil was a good one, even if the amount of exhibition space had to be reduced. In other words, events proved us right. Particularly striking was the high degree of internationality, especially in terms of East European visitors, who we never see elsewhere. We had plenty to do and hardly had time to leave our stand."

Reinhard Backhausen, President, Backhausen Interior Textiles, Austria

"The Heimtextil Performance was super – it is an extremely creative project. The working relationship was very pleasant and constructive. The number of customers who came to our stand was excellent. We are more than satisfied. We very much hope the positive start to the year at the Heimtextil in January will be continued."

Thomas Gehler, Sales Manager, Indoor Sales Force, Fuggerhaus Stoffe GmbH, Germany

"We were very pleased with the result of the Heimtextil Performance and hope it will be integrated into the fair as a permanent and eagerly anticipated feature in the future. For us, the Heimtextil is an important tool for attracting new export customers and we see a great potential and new chances in this connection. For us, Russia, China, Asia and Eastern Europe are the most important markets we encounter at the fair."

Jürgen Seipel, General Manager, Sales, Tempur Deutschland GmbH, Steinhagen

"The Heimtextil is an indispensable forum for us and, without it, we would not be able to serve our customers properly. We are extremely satisfied with the course of business at the fair. For the bed trade, the Heimtextil is immensely important because every dealer must come to Frankfurt, alone for the soft goods, etc."

Mark Vervaeke, General Manager, Febeltex Interior Textiles Division, Belgium

"What a good Heimtextil that was! Our exhibitors operate mainly in the high-grade and middle segments and all were very pleased. Both exhibitors and visitors were significantly more optimistic than last year. I am convinced that, providing there are no untoward external influences, the new business year will be better than the last. All in all, the Heimtextil gave the impression that it has become even more international on the visitor side."

Juan Climent, General Manager, Alhambra Internacional, Spanien

"Heimtextil 2006 was one of the best trade fairs ever in the last 20 years, since we have been taking part in the Heimtextil. Our new products were very well received by the customers who came to our stand – we are very pleased with the orders taken during the fair – and, generally speaking, the mood among trade visitors was extremely positive!"

Beatrice Kleiner, General Manager, Schlossberg Textil AG, Switzerland

"The Heimtextil represents a good start to the current business year, in which we expect our revenues to reach at least last year's level. I was particularly impressed by the large number of highly motivate Heimtextil visitors with a positive outlook this year. The visitors to our stand came from all over the world and we are going home having fulfilled all our expectations."

You will find more information and reproduction-quality photographs for downloading at:
www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com