GERMANY – Koelnmesse has set out to offer the furniture industry two cutting-edge trade fair concepts tailored to the full spectrum of the regional, national and global markets: Interzum, held last May and ZOW, to be held from February 6-8, 2018.

Under this strategy Interzum is the established global player, and ZOW the efficient, regionally oriented show.

The vision with ZOW as a supplier fair for Eastern Westphalia was to create another special format that is positioned midway between an exhibition and a business meeting. “It’s a vision that is moving ahead at full speed”, says Arne Petersen, Vice President Trade Fair Management at Koelnmesse. “We have made intensive use of Interzum to actively communicate with all the potential exhibitors”, says Matthias Pollmann, Director of Koelnmesse and responsible for Interzum and ZOW. “Our results over the past weeks have been excellent, and this is also reflected in the fact that we will be sending out the first stand confirmations in the next few days. You could really feel at Interzum just how important ZOW is for the industry. As a crucial forum for work, ZOW is held in Bad Salzuflen — the heart of the European furniture industry”, says Pollmann.

The new ZOW is intended to be more than just a platform for business contacts. It is designed to sell emotions and inspiration. The aim is for the trade fair to act like a laboratory: attendees go in with a problem and come out with a solution. With this objective in mind, ZOW is addressing one of the biggest challenges of this century with the special event “Tiny Spaces — Big Ideas in Small Spaces”. Cities and towns are becoming more expensive, and space is in increasingly short supply. Growing numbers of architects and designers are responding to the shortage of space by proposing home living concepts for the smallest dwellings, using flexible furniture and well-thought-out planning to create more space and provide greater comfort.