Things were definitely cooking in Cologne – it’s hard to think of a more apt description for what took place in the halls of Koelnmesse and the nearby city in the seven days of LivingKitchen. The trade visitors and consumers from all over the world evidently had a huge appetite for new kitchens, appliances and fixtures. Complemented by an excellent supporting programme of famous chefs, celebrities and shows, the kitchen – the focal point of our modern lives – has found a new home in Cologne. “The kitchen has returned to Cologne with a first-rate performance,” says Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse. “After this spectacular premiere, I’m already looking forward to the sequel in 2013,”
adds the chief executive.

The unique combination of furnishing and kitchen worlds convinced both trade visitors and consumers. In particular, the mix of innovative manufacturers’ presentations, spectacular cooking shows and an attractive audience participation programme proved to be a huge hit. The excellent response from visitors during the entire week of the fair ensured beaming faces on the manufacturers’ side. The high quality of the trade visitors was particularly commended. Around 82 percent of the international visitors were involved in their companies’ decision-making process. 138,000 professional buyers and private visitors from 128 countries flocked to the exhibition halls of the imm cologne // LivingKitchen – 38 percent more than attended the previous event (imm cologne 2010). “Not just the quality but the internationality of the visitor structure was impressive for a premiere event, although we will no doubt even improve on that for 2013,” says Frank Haubold, Project Leader of LivingKitchen. All in all, the event reported an increase in visitors from almost all countries, be it the Netherlands, France, Italy, Switzerland or Eastern Europe, especially Russia. In addition, more buyers were registered from important export markets like Asia, the Near East and North America too. “In view of the leading position that German kitchen furniture producers and the German household appliance industry occupy on the global market, it was in fact only natural that one of the most important trade fairs – perhaps in future even the most important fair – for kitchen furnishings, fitted appliances and fixtures should take place in Germany. The last few days have shown that our assessment of the situation was right in that respect,” says Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse.

Exhibitors impressed by the outcome of the fair

The diverse activities undertaken in the run-up to the fair certainly made an impact. “On the Preview Day alone, we were able to welcome more than 1,000 visitors to our booth. On the following days of the fair proper, we were almost overrun – by the international public as well,” says Dr. Markus Miele, Managing Director of Miele & Cie. KG Deutschland. The kitchen furniture exhibitors paint a similar picture. “We had a huge stream of visitors – and it hardly dropped off at all towards the end of the fair. Some of our visitors had come a very long way, either from neighbouring countries or from as far afield as Bulgaria, Russia, China, Japan and even New Zealand,” says Thorsten Prée, Managing Director of Warendorfer Küchen GmbH. “It was an excellent start for this new trade fair and we are convinced that it will establish itself as a major event for the kitchen furniture and fitted appliance sector. We’re already looking forward to returning to Cologne in 2013,” says a positive Roland Hagenbucher, CEO of Siemens-Electrogeräte GmbH. Elmar Duffner, CEO of Poggenpohl Möbelwerke GmbH, takes a similar view. “The trade fair showed that the trend towards the fusion of the kitchen and living space that has been emerging for some years now has fully asserted itself. We were very pleased to be able to cultivate our business contacts on the international markets that are so important to us. As for the German market – the biggest kitchen and furniture market in Europe –, this fair enabled Poggenpohl to underpin its position as a leading premium provider.”

Hans Strothoff couldn’t agree more: “Everything we hoped for, all the things we fought for together, have become reality. I’m particularly delighted that the kitchen has returned to Cologne with such a spectacular sensation. Furniture, appliances and fixtures under one roof. There’s never been anything like it before. That’s why, on behalf of the retail sector, I would like to say a heartfelt thank-you to all the exhibitors for this outstanding achievement,” says the President of the Federal Association of Kitchen, Furniture and Furnishing Retailers (Bundesverband des Deutschen Möbel-, Küchen- und Einrichtungsfachhandels, BVDM). “Mission accomplished” was also the verdict of Slovenian household appliance manufacturer Gorenje. “We’re positively surprised. Besides our existing customers, we were able to welcome a lot of new customers to our booth as well,” says Thomas Wittling, Director of Marketing and Sales at Gorenje Vertriebs GmbH.

imm cologne // LivingKitchen in figures:

1,213 companies from 48 countries participated in the imm cologne // LivingKitchen 2011 (LivingKitchen: 178 companies). They included 521 exhibitors and 32 additionally represented companies from Germany as well as 614 exhibitors and 46 additionally represented companies from abroad. Foreign companies accounted for 54 percent of exhibitors.*

* All figures are calculated according to the guidelines of the Society for the Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics (Gesellschaft zur Freiwilligen Kontrolle von Messe- und Ausstellungszahlen, FKM).

The next imm cologne will take place from:
16th – 22nd January 2012
The next dual trade fair
imm cologne // LivingKitchen will take place from:
14th – 20th January 2013