Domotex, a leading trade show for carpets and floor coverings, has announced that Domotex 2021 will be held from May 19-21, as a digital-only event due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The Domotex Digital Days consist of a live conference programme on May 20, which will address current and trendsetting topics in the international floor coverings industry.
The live programme is framed by two days of business dating, networking and exchange for participants. This year’s Domotex thus offers an alternative, digital trade platform that is open to all participants for three days. According to trade fair’s press release, nine weeks prior to its launch the event is looking at a positive registration. Exhibitors and long-standing partners such as Ipek – A Ipektchi, Battilossi and Theo Keller from the handmade carpets segment, as well as Neuhofer Holz and Unilin Technologies will be there.
“The Domotex Digital Days are a meeting point for the international community, offer business dating and live chats among all participants and much more. Participants can already look forward to this digital event and its exciting conference programme. Including all the latest developments and trends, feature programming will focus especially on the three subject areas future of retail, future trends in interior flooring, and sustainability and healthy living,” Sonia Wedell-Castellano, global director Domotex, Deutsche Messe, said in the release.
“Domotex last took place in January 2020. Since then, the world has been preoccupied with the effects of the pandemic and trade fairs can no longer take place as usual. With the Domotex Digital Days, we provide a virtual platform to the carpet and flooring industry for exchanging ideas, offering networking opportunities and the chance to showcase product innovations to an international audience. The Domotex Digital Days can certainly not replace the Domotex trade show experience but offer a great way of staying in touch with the flooring community virtually until we meet again in January 2022,” Wedell-Castellano said.
Participating companies welcome the virtual platform, which offers them the opportunity to stay in touch with the industry, present products and innovations and make new contacts on the customer and partner side despite current travel restrictions.
“We are very much looking forward to the Domotex Digital Days. Direct and personal exchange within the scope of an on-site trade show is of course not comparable to maintaining digital contacts. However, in times like these, it is important to break new ground. We are pleased that the show can take place in any form at all. Since there is the possibility of a live presentation, we can make our innovations and our vision 2025 accessible to a broad audience,” Franz Neuhofer, owner and managing director of Neuhofer Holz GmbH, said in the release.
“We are thrilled that the Domotex is once again offering a platform to reach out to the entire flooring industry. Of course, it is nice to meet in person, but that doesn’t stop us from planning to introduce some new technologies during the event, as well as taking part in many video meetings with licensees, buyers, importers and distributors from around the world. Our team is looking forward to exploring the benefits of full digitisation this time round,” Floris Koopmans, business development manager IP at Unilin Technologies said.
According to Domotex, the live conference programme includes lectures, panel discussions as well as product and innovation presentations with live discussions, top-class speakers and experts from the world of floor coverings. In addition to the three subtopics of the keynote theme Cover New Ground Balanced Living, Sustainable Living and More than Floor, the focus will primarily be on future trends in retail. Under the title “The Future of Retail – Lessons learned in the crisis”, topics such as the digitisation of brick-and-mortar retail will be addressed; the pros and cons of digitisation in the flooring industry will be examined. Experts and trend researchers will provide answers to current questions in the interior flooring sector such as “What comes next after the current trend of cocooning?”, “What impact will Corona have on the flooring industry?”, “Are the craftsmen the big winners of the pandemic?” and many more.
The Covid-19 pandemic is forcing trade fair organisers to rethink, organisers stated in the release. Due to travel and contact restrictions, numerous trade shows over the past year have been held exclusively digitally. Trade show organisers are responding to the popular demand of the markets to offer alternative business and trading platforms, despite all the restrictions. With the Domotex Digital Days, Deutsche Messe offers such an alternative platform and at the same time makes a contribution to the increasing importance of online channels in the flooring industry as well. The next Domotex is planned as a hybrid event from January 13-16, 2022 at the Hannover Exhibition Grounds.
