GERMANY – In 2023, interzum is once again starting as the world’s leading trade fair of the furniture supplier and interior design industries.

With modern materials, outstanding designs and exclusive innovations in its luggage, the global industry is once again meeting for a face-to-face exchange in Cologne to develop trends, find inspiration, explore boundaries and design the living spaces of tomorrow. With its new claim of “shaping the change”, interzum emphasises its function as the provider of impulses for the industry, with the goal of redesigning the future together.

In the new way of thought of interzum, leading trade fairs must develop enormous power, extending well beyond the presentation of product innovations. They can and must even more intensively accentuate and discuss themes that move society, like sustainability and climate protection, and thus advance the dialogue. In future, it will become imperative for companies to balance economic success with social responsibility. Climate protection and sustainable action in the manufacture of innovative products are of central importance to consumers. With this way of thinking, interzum is embarking on a new path by transforming from a content mover into a thought leader.

In this sense, the defining and guiding principle of interzum 2023 will be “new ecology”, because climate change is not going to disappear from the global consciousness, and we are reminded of this almost daily by, for example, droughts, periods of extreme heat or storms. Global societal movements like Fridays for Future are making sustainable action the foundation of a new identity. Sustainability is a growing economic factor. Themes like conserving resources, smart materials, renewable energies, re- and upcycling, etc. are already tracing a development leading toward many brand companies seeing their future home less in a particular assortment than in an attitude. The trade fair in the coming year will offer exhibitors and visitors of interzum precisely the platform and community that discusses these themes and develops solutions together.

Even though interzum is redefining its lead claim, the focus will also still remain on global business under changed basic conditions. This is evidenced by an exhibitor diversity that is so unique worldwide, extending from Hettich, Häfele, Blum and Vauth-Sagel through Schattdecor, Impress, Egger, Finsa, Kastamonu, Leggett & Platt / Global Systems Group and Atlanta Attachment to Dürkopp Adler, among others. In this way, interzum 2023 creates a good foundation for carrying on from the good 2019 event. With around 190,000 m² of exhibition area, the trade fair at that time proved to be the world’s largest display window for surfaces, fittings, light and wood materials, as well as components for the production of upholstered furniture. The event was also able to considerably expand its international reach in terms of both exhibitors and visitors.

However, interzum is not only developing its presence format further, but is also re-conceptualising the trade fair digitally! In this context, interzum @home 2021 should also serve as a successful case for the further development of the digital formats. interzum 2023 will thus adopt a hybrid event format. Here, the familiar, strong physical presence in Cologne will be complemented by a highly attractive digital event – thus creating a trade fair experience that is unique in every respect. In future, however, the goal will also be to orchestrate the phases between the events and make the trade fair an always-on experience – with the event platform interzum.com. On the whole, interzum will then in future develop even further as the “place to be” for the industry with the two digital twins interzum @home (for the trade fair) and the 365 day platform interzum.com.