Decosit Brussels 2006 Review: Decosit Brussels Scores High With More Visitors and Exhibitor...

Decosit Brussels (International Trade Fair for Fabrics and Furnishings) scored high with a higher number of exhibitors and optimism among exhibitors.

The integration of DecoContract into Decosit Brussels went very smoothly. Moving DecoContract to Hall 9 clearly had the right effect, and there

Generally speaking, the mood at the fair was good and optimistic. From the viewpoint of market and product range, the results varied greatly from exhibitor to exhibitor and reflect the difficult, unstable situation for some saturated European market, but was also an indication of the globalization of world trade.

Pure selling is very often replaced by sampling, making creativity and innovation stand out even more. Product launches and market presence have become important objectives for those participating in Decosit Brussels.

7% More Visitors

Visitors to Decosit Brussels 2006 were 7% higher than 2005 at 12,300. Decosit Brussels regained the number of visitors that were lost in 2005 and is again in line with the years 2003 and 2004. The ground that was lost in 2005 was recovered, a fact that goes for both the European and U.S. markets. Asia lost a little ground this year, mainly because of Korea.

* Total number of visitors

2004: 12,500

2005: 11,600

2006: 12,300

Ninety percent of the foreign visitors from about 100 countries confirmed that Decosit Brussels is an international event in its kind.

Europe did well to very well with the top three visitor countries (U.K., Germany and France) remaining unchanged. Russia grew stronger within Eastern Europe, and Southern Europe scored excellently as a whole.

Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) get excellent grades.

Visitors from Asia showed a small decline, mainly because of Korea, while those from China, India and Singapore increased, and Japan was status-quo.

U.S. visitors completely made up for the heavy loss of last year (+30%).

A good spreading over the days and halls created an atmosphere of working in a comfortable way and also eliminated a rush-effect.

Exhibitor Optimism

According to a survey of exhibitors, Decosit Brussels exhibitors had a tempered optimism and the quality of visitors remained high. The good quantitative grades on the other hand are no guarantee for an overall feeling of satisfaction, due to the diverse markets and products.

Alice Town

Alice Town was a melting pot of ideas with all projects (Trends, Hotel Alice and Decotec) and information (press and others) grouped in Hall 12. Alice Town radiated the atmosphere that was expected of it.

Hall 12 was the inspirational heart of the fair where all sorts of surprising and curious events took place, and Alice Town captivated imagination. Though provocative and dreamlike, it was also real and dazzlingly full of interesting impressions and tangible information. Alice Town was a real town with its own points of interest, a hotel, a book shop and a stylish boulevard that lead to the central marketplace.

Alice Town accommodated a trend forum, and also featured a sample bank containing residential as well as contract fabrics which are easily linked to a short list of all that the fair offers. "Alice" told a story that linked the three trend themes Bling, Bunker and Burlesque; dwelling in Alice Town was a captivating experience that read like a novel. "Alice" was a unique storybook in which the underlying influences of the new trends could be discovered, along with their visual language and colors.

Decotec

Decotec provided inspiration and information about the innovative technological possibilities of interior decorating products, and the potential of new techniques, performance, material combinations, fabric "intelligence", etc. Obviously, the accent was on furnishing fabrics, but window and wall coverings were not forgotten.

Decotec problably did not have the trendiest or most striking-looking selection of products, but all the products delivered special technological performance. Three top designers created an inspirational "box" illustrating the future developments that will be significant for the sector: Matali Crasset (textile and water), Will Erens (textile and sound) and Danny Venlet (textile and light), and the "live on stage" Decotec Evening on September 10th, directed by Axel Enthoven, brought the designers together.

Hotel Alice

Hotel Alice permitted real-time contract experience. It was the heart of the "town" where visitors could relax, make appointments, ask information, surf on the internet and, obviously, visit the fabulous hotel rooms. These rooms were from the hands of several known designers: Marcello Albini created the Crystallized Suite by Swarovski, Conchi Aparicio created the Spanish room (in neo-Baroque style, decorated with both contemporary and traditional Spanish furnishings) and Michel Minne designed the Belgian room (to which prominent Belgian suppliers of upholstery fabrics, wall and floor coverings have contributed materials).

Upper Story: a Magic Hall by Simone Micheli

In the center of Alice Town, architect Simone Micheli built a "magic" meeting hall which was visually suspended from balloons recalling Alice in Wonderland and designed with exclusive materials which Micheli designed for major Italian companies. Here, visitors could catch their breath, chat, even have an ice cream.

New Expofil D?co

Expofil D?co was related to Alice Town and Indigo. A dozen or so producers of fibers and yarns, specifically oriented to the home decoration industry, displayed their newest products, with all their technical and creative aspects as well as all possible qualities and variations.

Highlights of Exhibits

Swarovski was present at Decosit Brussels for the second straight year, and in the Crystallized Suite illustrated the boundless opportunities and the sheer delight of incorporating crystals into the fabrics and textures of interior d?cor.

Trevira CS carried on its stand concept "Fabrics make a place", which was so very well received last year. Photos were displayed of rooms/areas with the aim of inspiring designers and interior furnishers to develop creative ideas. The interiors were all furnished in Trevira CS fabrics. The pictures were accompanied decoratively by the materials used in the rooms or by Trevira CS fabrics that fit the color theme.

Trevira CS was again acting as sponsor in the Hospitality Project, and in the imaginary city Alice Town, there was a Trevira CS Lounge and Trevira CS hotel room in the Hotel Alice. Trevira customers, as exhibitors at Decosit Brussels, could submit their Trevira CS fabrics for fitting out the interiors.

As the European market leader in the manufacture of fabrics for commercial property, Drapilux presented a new brand outfit to the general public for the first time. Even in the field of high-quality decorative fabrics, subsidiary Schmitz Werke set creative impulses by showing exceptional expertise in ikat printing technology.

The new innovations for autumn, "Drapilux-209" and "Drapilux-211", extended the range Drapilux currently has on offer in the field of ikat printing. "Drapilux-209" fabrics provide pastel and delicate color accents as a result of the design in an attractive striped sequence and stylish colorings. Meanwhile, cybernetic pattern elements characterize the new "Drapilux-211" fabric series, which is particularly suited to healthcare properties.

Raymakers launched a completely new concept to decorate velvets with several new print technologies. The company selected techniques that add decoration to the product but still keep the typical, rich and sumptuous velvet character in tact.

Prestigious Textiles introduced collections of soft furnishing fabrics, of which the inspiration was natural fibers, flowing forms and organic colors.

Decosit Hong Kong and Decosit Brussels 2007

Decosit Hong Kong 2007 is scheduled for March 14, 15 and 16, 2007 at HKCEC. The "West Meets East" concept of Decosit Hong Kong remains unchanged, targeting the Asian-Pacific market. The fair is by invitation only and is made up of designer modular stands. The goal is to surpass the first event's scale with the number of exhibitor stands of approximately 70 firms and about a thousand visitors.

Another date that must not be forgotten is that Decosit Brussels 2007 will be held from September 8th to 11th.