There are lots of good reasons to exhibit at ZOW in Bad Salzuflen and immerse yourself in the unique workshop atmosphere of the supplier fair for the furniture and interior design industry: the astutely chosen date in relation to ordering cycles, the location of the business event right at the heart of one of the world’s largest and most successful clusters in the furniture industry, the clear link to the region, the high concentration of company presentations, the greatest possible degree of transparency and the focus on the essentials, the clever mix of networking, communication, presentation, product development and ordering – and these are just some of the factors that underline ZOW’s unique position.
For many years, the event has been supported by an intelligent, continuously developed concept that gives entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and start-ups the same market opportunities as hidden champions or even global players and large corporations.
ZOW puts the same focus on joint product developments as it does on face-to-face dialogue – which means that the small but revolutionary solutions lead to the right decisions quickly and ensure exclusivity as well as securing competitive advantages for the upcoming furniture season and beyond.
Designer and trend scout Katrin de Louw will be presenting three layouts in a special exhibition area intended to provide lasting inspiration for increasingly sought-after tiny and shared spaces. Urbanisation and gentrification are processes that have an immediate impact on social structures, communal living and, not least, domestic life.
This has direct consequences for urban planners and architects – not forgetting the interior design sector. The furniture industry and suppliers are increasingly turning their attention to this topic, offering product solutions that are both high-quality in design and perfected in terms of technology.
The Materials & Nature segment, which presents surfaces, solid wood, veneers, solid-surface materials, edge trims, adhesives and metal plates, will feature the decor printers Impress and Interprint, as well as Hornschuch Continental, Möbelfolie Biesenthal and Swiss Krono.
Although all these companies have an international orientation, they value the limited stand sizes at ZOW because this means that “companies can present their offerings on an equal footing – whatever their size”, as Head of Decor Management Sascha Kostros (Impress) puts it.
The “Functions & Components” specialist area brings together ZOW exhibitors working in the fields of lighting, decorative and functional fittings, components and semi-finished products. In February, companies Kalb, Klebe, Thebo, Wessel and Weico will provide “illumination”. Highly rated fittings manufacturers like D-Beschlag, Furnipart, the German branch of Arturo Salice, Siro Camar and Vonsild from Denmark will be there to showcase their latest product solutions.
Plastics and profiling specialist Paul Henke will also be making an appearance at ZOW. The company’s Managing Director, Roger Henke, says: “Dialogue with decision makers from the industrial sector and the wholesale trade, both in Germany and around the world, is immensely important for the future of Eastern Westphalia as a centre for technology. (...)
The trade fair must therefore occupy a permanent slot in decision makers’ diaries again.” Processors of metals and plastics Eureka from Italy, Elco, Hailo, Oskar Lehmann, Multiprofil and Schüco International also confirmed their participation in the Bad Salzuflen event some time ago, along with other companies in this segment.
Furniture manufacturer Hunger Möbelproduktions GmbH from Bünde will be present in Bad Salzuflen, as it has been for many years before, and will draw substantial attention to the subject of “lightweight construction” at the event.
This brings us on to the special presentations, the largest of which will be dominated by the well-known lightweight construction initiative igeL e. V. and its member companies. Metalwares supplier Würth will, of course, be among them.
Traditionally, however, ZOW’s support has not been limited to new ideas and concepts developed in cooperation between companies. It also gives young businesses a chance to present themselves by offering publicly funded exhibition opportunities.
Since ZOW was first included in the Young Exhibitors Funding Programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), between five and fifteen newcomers from various product areas have taken advantage of the opportunity to participate at every event and present themselves to an interested, open-minded trade audience in Bad Salzuflen.
By convening its technology and standardisation working group at ZOW 2020 – which is responsible for fundamental technical harmonisation in the kitchens industry – the Mannheim-based industry association Arbeitsgemeinschaft Die Moderne Küche e.V. (AMK) highlights the fact that ZOW is not only a showcase for premieres, a market platform, development workshop or communications event, but also a popular meeting point for seminars or conferences on subjects relevant to the furniture industry.
And so, although it’s not possible to list all of the interesting exhibitors, there are many good reasons to attend ZOW as a visitor, too. Nevertheless, in just a few days – from 4 to 6 February 2020, the work trade fair “with a heart” will become a mecca for the industry once again – it’s practically a must-attend event for every successful player in the industry, as well as those seeking future success.
It’s especially important in view of the fact that trade in furniture ‘made in Germany’ will be more challenging in the future – both domestically and in most export markets.
