“Fifty editions across five decades are a rare achievement and equate to an eternity in the fast-moving, global exhibition business,” comments Detlef Braun, Member of the Management Board of Messe Frankfurt. “Like practically no other event, Heimtextil is synonymous with product diversity, international standing and undisputed market leadership in the textiles sector. As a design show, it is forever reinventing itself, presenting both state-of-the-art home living trends and tomorrow’s interior design themes.”

At the first Heimtextil in 1971, the trade fair recorded 679 exhibitors – 394 of whom were from Germany. Besides many European countries, exhibitors also came along from Israel, Mexico, India and Senegal.

Glam and Glamour

Meike Kern, Director Household Textiles at Heimtextil, notes: “Around 30 exhibitors at Heimtextil 2020 were also at the very first event. They will be honoured in a special ceremony at the opening press conference on the first day of the fair on 7 January. They’ll be invited onto the stage again at the Exhibitor Evening.” Meike Kern is organising the big anniversary celebrations: “At 6pm on 8 January, a big party is taking place in Hall 11.1 under the banner of ‘Some Glam and Some Glamour’, so there’ll be lots of gold and glitter. Traditionally, the number 50 is golden, and so we’re going along with that theme.” There are a variety of different treats for visitors and exhibitors. “We have some little goodies for the visitors, and the exhibitors will also be receiving something on the first day, but that’ll be a surprise,” states Kern. At the party, films will be shown along with plenty of photos, both past and present. Classic designs from previous decades will be presented in a showcase.

A special exhibition – “Celebrating 50 Years of Interior Design” – in Hall 9.0 will take visitors on a journey through time. It will reflect the past five decades not only through fabrics, but also by capturing the spirit and mood of each time period. “In this undertaking, the fair is being supported by the German Design Council. Their archives are brimming with images,” concludes Meike Kern.

Attendees can also buy the anniversary scarf. “At the last Heimtextil, we gave our hostesses a scarf to wear and, to our great surprise, several people asked whether they could buy one at the fair. So now, we’re pleased to be able to fulfil this wish,” states Meike Kern.

Trends and textile technology

Besides the celebrations, the fair will also feature several other new aspects. Sabine Scharrer, Director of Heimtextil, explains: “Hall 3.0 will host a combination of trends, textile design and textile technology. It’s going to be an interesting hub for the industry. Knowing that the exhibitors are always too busy to leave their stands during the fair, we’ve decided to open Hall 3.0 on 6 January to give them the chance to gain a proper insight into this area.”

The “Textile Technologies” segment comprising “Digital Print Technology” and “Textile Processing” shines a light on the technologies of tomorrow – with digital printing machines, software and accessories all the way through to textile processing machinery. The “Textile Processing” area for textile processing machinery is being expanded and will be joined by several new exhibitors.

The “Textile Technology Talks” invite attendees to presentations and expert panel discussions on all four days of the fair. Scharrer confirms: “The experts include the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), the German Institute for Textile Engineering (ITA) at RWTH Aachen University, the STFI Institute and the European Association of Screen Printing Equipment (ESMA).”

Editeurs Area

“Given that the hall concept at the last Heimtextil proved so successful, we’ve decided to accommodate the international éditeurs in a dedicated area in Hall 8.0 for 2020,” confirms Scharrer. “This will allow us to create an eye-catching meeting place for interior designers, furnishers and retailers, giving rise to synergies that benefit both exhibitors and visitors.”

To raise the profile of the Editeurs’ Area and its exhibitors, it will be receiving a makeover: The entire zone will be fitted with black carpet, the exhibitors will have their own stand signage and the area will be highlighted both in the Hall Plan and on the Heimtextil website. “The textile editeurs are a small but essential group of exhibitors at Heimtextil,” states Scharrer, adding, “Their special status in the textile industry as high-end trend-setters will be underlined when we highlight their exhibition area at Heimtextil.”

Like the editeurs, the Deco Team is an integral part of Heimtextil and one of the highlights in Hall 8.0.

The contract sector is continuing to drive growth in the home textiles sector. Several lectures and tours are scheduled for the Interior.Architecture.Hospitality target group.

Sleep Event

Hall 11.0 will feature the world’s biggest selection of bedding, bed systems and mattresses. Alongside food and fitness, sleep emerges as a key lifestyle theme. “An important highlight at the fair will be the lecture programme ‘Sleep! The Future Forum’ with international experts from different specialist fields,” explains Meike Kern. “We’re extremely proud to have recruited a spokesperson from the UN. We’re also currently waiting to hear back from Dr. Müller, the German Minister for Development, who we hope will speak on the topic of the ‘Green Button’, the new quality seal for sustainable textiles.”

The Forum comprises the following topics: “Sleep & Digital”, “Sleep & Hospitality”, “Sleep & Sport” and “Sleep & Sustainability”. “We’ve been able to attract interesting partners. Ikea, for example, is showing the democratic bed, Auping the anti-snore bed and Hästens the luxury bed,” says Kern.