Get Spun: Heimtextil 2018

It has always been the ambition of Heimtextil in Frankfurt, the world’s leading trade fair for home and contract textiles, to seek out international trends and bring them to life on location. Its focus lies clearly on innovation and the ideal range of services to make it a special source of information and inspiration for visitors and exhibitors. In future, several exciting new facets will yet further enrich the offerings.

For many years, Heimtextil has dedicated itself to field of contract furnishings. Since 2016, programming aimed specifically at architects and interior architects has been consolidated under the expressed title “Interior.Architecture.Hospitality”. “Heimtextil offers an incredible wealth of products, ideas and networking opportunities for architects, interior designers and hoteliers,” emphasises Heimtextil Director Sabine Scharrer. “We’re working to give these an even more distinct profile within the overall Heimtextil portfolio, and to present them in keeping with the current demands of the industry.”

In advance of the upcoming fair, which takes place from 9 to 12 January 2018, Heimtextil is making use of a special tool to analyse the needs, industry trends and facts that will give rise to the offerings and topics of the following year’s fair: A think tank comprised of prominent, experienced experts from the areas of contract furnishings, construction and interior design meets twice a year to work out recommendations for the further development of the fair concept from various perspectives.

This newly established round table first convened in mid-April to bundle its cumulative professional know-how. The think tank includes Peter Ippolito of the Ippolito Fleitz Group; Martin Lesjak, founding member of INNOCAD Architecture and the product design studio 13&9; Tamara Pallasch of Pallasch Interiordesign; and the Swiss interior designer Ushi Tamborriello.

The team of experts put wishes, criticism and suggestions on the table. One of the primary concerns to emerge was the wish for a worthy presentation of both the performance capacity and the diversity of application of textiles. Peter Ippolito gets right to the heart of it: “Textiles in all their facets are an essential and identity-forming part of our building culture. As the most important meeting in this sector, Heimtextil has the opportunity to go beyond mere product presentation and serve as a valuable source of inspiration. We see it as our mission to drive innovation and promote the continual rediscovery of textile furnishings.”

The highlight among the topics worked out in the think tank is the new Interior.Architecture.Hospitality EXPO in Hall 4.2, which in 2018 will be established for the first time as a “fair within the fair”. The new exhibition format is specially aimed at decision makers in the contract business. Under the motto “customized”, textile product solutions will be presented that can be adapted in an individual, targeted manner to the respective project requirements of hoteliers and architects.

In the same hall, an additional, special presentation set in an architecturally oriented environment will demonstrate the role of textile floor coverings in shaping the experience of such factors as modularity, acoustics and design. Competent consulting will be available, along with a globally unique offering of furniture and decorative fabrics.

With its comprehensive concept, Heimtextil ensures that a visit to the fair will be a holistic experience. The aim is to optimise the benefit to visitors and exhibitors at all levels.

The Interior.Architecture.Hospitality LECTURES offer a first-rate programme of talks, while in the Interior.Architecture.Hospitality TOURS guides provide expert insights into sector-specific subjects. Prominent partners from the industry have been engaged for both. These events will be followed by the Interior.Architecture.Hospitality SALON, which invites visitors to meet and exchange ideas in an appealing atmosphere conducive to relaxed networking. And for assistance in orientation and planning, Heimtextil again presents the Interior.Architecture.Hospitality GUIDE, a special exhibitor index featuring a concrete selection of fabrics and technologies.

© Architonic