Furniture and interiors trade fair Interzum is to be held as a purely digital event for 2021 from May 4-7.
A statement from organisers Koelnmesse said that the decision had been taken because of dramatic developments in the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, Koelnmesse said: “This step has not been an easy one for us to take, but we have done so to give you the planning certainty that we all need so urgently in these challenging times.”
It added: “Our decision has been strengthened by the knowledge that, with Interzum @ home, we can offer you a fully fledged trade fair experience that is highly advanced in every respect. Our exhibitors and visitors expect a digital global stage that redefines the state of the art in the sector.”
Koelnmesse chief operating officer Oliver Frees said of the development: “Our exhibitors now need planning security. Due to the ongoing dynamic development of the pandemic, we decided, in close coordination with the industry, to carry out Interzum purely digitally. We deliberately designed the trade fair in such a way that we can switch from hybrid to digital at any time.
“With our digital solution, Interzum @ home, we offer suppliers to the furniture industry and interior design a highly attractive platform to present their innovations on a digital world stage that can certainly be counted among the state of the art.”
Dr Andreas Hettich, chairman of the Interzum advisory board, explained that the Interzum @ home will provide a digital platform to present products and innovations to a wide audience so as to achieve maximum reach.
He added that Hettich, Blum, Häfele and Vauth-Sagel were the first companies to announce that they would be presenting on the platform.
He added: “Interzum @ home offers companies the infrastructure and event character they need to monitor current trends and define fundamental structural changes in the industry and society. Above all, however, it is the right place to generate the business of tomorrow and develop it for the day after tomorrow – in line with the guiding principle of Interzum: Creating tomorrow’s living spaces together.”
And as networking is a vital part of any trade fair, the organisers have catered for that need with the creation of the visual Discovery Graph as well as exhibitor showrooms, round tables, workshops and virtual cafés.
As Interzum director Maik Fischer explained: “Interzum @ home lives very much from and for networking. Exhibitors and visitors have the opportunity to find exactly the right person for their personal business among all participants. Using the visual Discovery Graph, relevant contacts and companies can be found easily interactively – either via the networks, personal contacts or by matching with the specified interests.”
Fischer continued: “Another feature will be the digital exhibitor showroom, round tables and virtual cafés, offering a wide range of options for presenting products and solutions, as well as knowledge and trends. In this way, even in times of the corona pandemic, Interzum reaches a global audience and thus decision-makers and opinion-makers on all continents of the world.”