DOMOTEX set for a compact restart in 2022
DOMOTEX, the leading trade show for carpets and floor coverings, is set to restart in 2022. The flooring industry’s first live event since the pandemic will be staged in the southern part of the Hannover Exhibition Center from 13 to 16 January 2022, with various virtual participation options also available. As a compact trade show staged in halls 11, 12 and 13, DOMOTEX 2022 will give the global DOMOTEX community the first chance to reunite and explore the latest products and trends since the start of the pandemic roughly two years ago. To make this possible, admission is governed by “3G” regulations (“3G” is a German acronym standing for proof of vaccination, proof of recovery or a negative COVID test result) and strict health and hygiene measures in place throughout the site.
“Many of our exhibitors and market partners are keenly interested in getting together again to kick things back into high gear. Others are still facing pandemic-related challenges and risks that they regard as possibly limiting when it comes to on-site participation. And various prevailing circumstances such as unresolved political and economic issues affecting parts of the world are creating market uncertainties. This means that many exhibitors have decided not to take part in DOMOTEX again until January of 2023,” explained Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Global Director DOMOTEX at Deutsche Messe, adding: “Despite this, we have opted to take a confident and forward-looking approach by staging DOMOTEX in 2022. The show will be concentrated and compact, with adjustments made to the hall and site layouts. We will now discuss this adjusted concept with the exhibiting companies in the next few days. After all, more than half of the show’s exhibitors stand committed to taking part in the upcoming DOMOTEX. So we are teaming up with the common goal of restarting the event this coming January.”
On-site event with options for virtual participation
Two of the show’s display categories – namely for handmade carpets and rugs and for machine-woven carpets – are being brought together in halls 11 and 12. All of the special formats promoted so far will be staged as planned, at locations in either Hall 11, 12 or 13. The exhibitors assigned to halls 11 and 13 thus remain unaffected by the changes. Exhibitors of installation and application technology will now be in even closer proximity to their customers in Hall 13.
For both exhibitors and their guests from around the world, the new hybrid tradeshow concept for DOMOTEX gives rise to a wide array of new digital services and virtual participation options. All those unable to travel to the show in person will be able to take part virtually. For example, the DOMOTEX TV format launched at the previous DOMOTEX has been expanded and now includes an online conference program for the entire duration of the show, featuring live presentations, interviews and panel talks. The conference program to be moderated by Berlin-based TV presenter Yasmine Blair will be streamed live from Hall 12. In an upbeat setting featuring multiple stages and a catered networking lounge for attendees, engaging in fruitful dialogue will be even more enjoyable for all concerned.
Flooring-industry support
This enthusiasm is also shared by prospective visitors. In the words of Wernfried Fesenberg, director of Schlau Heimtex Einkaufs GmbH: “We’re thrilled to have DOMOTEX going live again in 2022. Trade fairs are vital platforms for identifying and buying new products for our range and networking with industry peers. Over the last 18 months, we’ve been starved of opportunities for face-to-face communication, so we and our buyers are really looking forward to attending DOMOTEX this January.”
Knutzen Wohnen GmbH will also be coming to the show. Director Peter Knutzen explains why: “We’ll be there because DOMOTEX is an important platform for us, and one where we can see all of our suppliers at once. DOMOTEX gives us the easiest way possible to get a handle on the entire market. We get to see the latest innovations and experience new products in context, which is not the case when suppliers come to visit us. And at the moment, attending in-house exhibitions on offer by our suppliers is only possible to a limited degree.”
These sentiments are shared by Sabine Wiegand, CEO of industry association Fachhandelsring GmbH. “Over the past few months, we’ve all seen that while digital communication works just fine, it’s no substitute for face-to-face dialogue and real gatherings. So, it’s great to know that DOMOTEX 2022 is going to be a person-to-person event. We’ve been attending DOMOTEX for many years because it’s an international flooring industry hub where we can get an overview of all the latest products and trends and expand our networks. And we also really value the ability to engage in constructive, face-to-face dialogue with our partners. We are therefore encouraging our FHR partners to attend the show, where we will be providing support in the form of special FHR meeting points where they can gather and network.”
Hygiene and infection prevention measures
For every aspect of the DOMOTEX experience, measures are in place to ensure the health and wellbeing of all participants at on-site restaurants, throughout the exhibition halls and even at hotels. Admission to DOMOTEX will be subject to presenting either proof of immunization against or recovery from COVID-19, or else a recent negative test result. The measures in place are referred to in Germany as “3G”, which stands for “geimpft, genesen, getestet” (vaccinated, recovered or tested). All persons on site will be required to provide their details for contact tracing purposes, and to keep a distance of at least 1.5 meters from others at all times. To facilitate compliance with distancing regulations, ample space will be provided in all entrance areas, exhibition halls and conference and meeting rooms. Hand sanitizer dispensers will be strategically placed throughout the grounds. Door handles, handrails and other frequently touched surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected at regular intervals, as will restrooms. All persons will be required to wear medical-grade face masks (FFP2 or OP) while indoors. All entrances, exhibition halls and conference rooms will be continuously ventilated using state-of-the-art technology. Everyone attending the event in person will be instructed on the applicable hygiene and safety do’s and don’ts (e.g. cough and sneeze into your elbow, wash your hands regularly, don’t shake hands, don’t touch your face).
Deutsche Messe is staging the event in close collaboration with the responsible health authorities. Medical professionals will be on site around the clock.
DOMOTEX Worldwide
DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR (Shanghai, 25–27 May 2022), the international trade fair for carpets and floor coverings in the Asia-Pacific region, will be held in May instead of March due to an overlap with official government events. The venue will be the NECC exhibition and convention center. DOMOTEX Turkey (Gaziantep), the leading tradeshow for carpets and floor coverings in the Middle East, is tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2022.
