The world’s flagship fair for carpets and floor coverings, Domotex 2014, came to a close in Hannover, Germany, recently. The event attracted approximately 45,000 visitors from more than 80 countries.

“Domotex 2014 has delivered an impressive performance thanks to its uniquely international appeal, high attendance, the well-received ‘Innovations@Domotex’ concept, plus a considerably more buoyant mood in the industry,” stated Dr. Jochen Köckler, on the Managing Board at Deutsche Messe which is responsible for the show. “Staging Domotex as a key business platform and idea-giver at the outset of the year makes it an extremely attractive event for carpet and floor covering buyers and decision-makers from around the globe.”

Making its debut this year, the Innovations@Domotex showcase, which is aimed at sparking heightened interest in select innovations and designs by participating exhibitors, featured well-known personalities from the architecture scene and a host of topics related to floor coverings. More than 60 products were highlighted, and the new program will be returning next year.

Domotex 2014 welcomed 1,350 companies from 57 countries showcasing their latest products and collections at the Hannover Exhibition Center. “The huge array of invitingly cozy carpets, sophisticated parquet and laminate flooring, stylish designer floor coverings and masterful hand-woven rugs on display all testify to the highly innovative spirit of the international floor coverings industry – an industry which is clearly in great shape for the upcoming season,” said Dr. Köckler.

Fifty-seven percent of the show’s visitors came from outside Germany – approximately two thirds of them from other European countries, as well as around 20 percent from Asia and about 10 percent from the Americas. The biggest visitor nations included the United Kingdom, Turkey, the Netherlands, the United States and Italy.

The main visitor categories at Domotex consisted of wholesale and retail buyers – at 25 and 34 percent, respectively. Purchasers from home furnishing and furniture retailers as well as architects were also well represented. Attendance by members of the skilled trades was on the rise, reaching 25 percent of the total.

Show organizers called the second edition of the Wood Flooring Summit (in Hall 9) a major success, serving as a networking hub for the international parquet and laminate flooring sector. The “Future of Home Living” lectures also drew a lot of interest, with renowned speakers sharing their perspective on living environments of the near future. Additionally, the Skilled Trades Hub provided an array of exhibits and presentations aimed at parquet and floor layers, interior decorators and painters.

A special display entitled “1st Rug Avenue” demonstrated how traditional Oriental rugs can serve as a complement to trendy interiors. The best hand-woven carpets were honored by the Carpet Design Awards, which drew participation by 329 international designers, with 33 entries making it to the final round.

Domotex 2015 is set for Jan. 17-20, 2015. For more information, visit www.domotex.de/home.