interzum – ZOW: two trade fairs with one goal – to present the issues that are driving the industry today and will give it momentum tomorrow. As a hotbed of innovation, the supplier industry is constantly developing new products and processes. ZOW gives companies the opportunity to present their product innovations in the years when interzum is not hosted. The preparations for ZOW are therefore currently in full swing. “Our goal of recruiting more than 250 exhibitors for ZOW 2020 in Bad Salzuflen may be ambitious, but given the furniture cluster in East Westphalia and consumer interest in furniture, I think it is absolutely realistic. At this point in time, I expect that we will have cleared the first hurdle of recruiting around 100 exhibitors by the time the summer holidays end at the beginning of September,” says Matthias Pollmann, Vice President at Koelnmesse GmbH, who oversees the furnishings and interior design trade fairs.
What makes ZOW so special is its condensed product presentations – without show and spectacle. Providing objective information is the priority. ZOW’s overriding objective is not to be a product showcase. Instead, it aims to foster a constructive exchange of ideas, trends and opinions. In ZOW’s unique workshop atmosphere, exhibitors and visitors from the local region and neighbouring European countries can focus entirely on their discussions, share their knowledge with peers, discuss industry developments and develop applications in furniture and interior design. As ZOW is hosted in the heart of the German furniture industry in East Westphalia, it is not just aimed at decision makers – the event is specifically targeted at developers, users and product managers from regional furniture manufacturers as well as interior designers and the specialist trades.
Timed to coincide with the sample cycle in the supplier and furniture industry, the forthcoming edition of ZOW will present the Materials & Nature segment, which covers everything from decorative surfaces and solid woods to solid-surface materials and edge bandings right the way through to adhesives and pressed sheets. The Functions & Components segment focuses on lighting, decorative and functional fittings, locks, built-in parts and semi-finished products for furniture and interior fit-outs. For the first time, the Textiles & Machinery segment, aimed at visitors from the upholstered furniture industry, will be joining ZOW. Alongside the considerable numbers of companies in this sector in Upper Franconia, there is also a large concentration in East Westphalia, ranging from companies with strong artisanal traditions all the way to global players with an international outlook.
ZOW visitors from the industry and the trades as well as architects and designers will be able to discover a number of special presentations that address key future issues and trends for tomorrow’s home living. This includes a special event that explores three major questions about how we will live in the future: living in tiny spaces, the merging of different areas of the home and multifunctional use of space. ZOW 2020 will also present lightweight furniture, an area that is currently of clear interest in the automotive industry for vehicle fit-outs. But the importance of lightweight design is set to grow in other fields as the sustainability debate continues.
The trade fair for the supplier industry therefore has plenty in store for sector professionals next February: ZOW is and will remain in the heart of the action in the furniture industry.
