Business is done between people

This time it’s certain: Domotex will be taking place, namely in Hanover from 12 to 15 January 2023. Past press releases on the floor coverings trade fair provide an impression of the emotional ups and downs that both the organisers as well as the exhibitors and visitors have gone through in the past two years: “Postponement of Domotex 2021 from January to May”, “Domotex 2021 is now Domotex Digital Day”, “Domotex Digital Days 2021 will not be taking place”, “Domotex - compact to restart 2022”, “Domotex in January 2022 cancelled”.

So now the time has finally come: a face-to-face trade fair is taking place once again. Domotex Global Director Sonia Wedell-Castellano explained why this is so urgently needed during a preview of the January event: “Digital formats cannot replace face-to-face events. Floorings and carpets live from being felt. And that can only be experienced live at the fair.” Also, it is only at the fair that you have the opportunity to get a complete overview of the market and make contacts. “Business is done between people, not between screens,” Wedell-Castellano emphasised. Current challenges such as the war in Ukraine also caused uncertainty and buying restraint. For this reason, reliable platforms are all the more important during these challenging times, says the trade fair organiser.

In addition to the exhibitor stands, there will also be so-called Mood Spaces on current trends, and the Green Collection will invite visitors to engage with the topic of sustainability. Accordingly, the motto of this year’s trade fair is “Floored by nature”. In addition, the public can expect an extensive conference programme including the presentation of the Carpet Design Awards. Something has also changed in terms of space: after receiving previous feedback that walking distances were too long, Messe Hannover decided to move the entirety of the event to the north. From there, more than 720 exhibitors from over 40 countries are now presenting themselves in eight halls.

The Green Collection provides information about regulatory measures on sustainability that the industry will be facing in the near future and at the same time gives an overview of innovative approaches and solutions that have been implemented so far. The aim is to inspire visitors on how to use creative methods to respond to new laws and strategies such as the EU’s Green New Deal, the Construction Product Regulation or the EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles. These include, for…