News

ZOW in Moscow on the road to success
160 exhibitors and 4,500 visitors at the second edition of the event

With 160 exhibitors compared with 150 last year, and 4,500 visitors compared with 3,750, the second edition of ZOW in Moscow, which took place from 18th to 21st April, has certainly built upon the success of the 2004 inaugural event. The 6000m2 of space in Hall 57 of the All Russia Exhibition Centre was completely taken up - not least by exhibitors at the 2004 event who had re-booked taking more space for 2005. Exhibitors were widely impressed by the high quality of the contacts generated, and in some cases were able to take first orders actually at the show. Perhaps not surprisingly, almost 90% of visitors were from Russia itself, with the remainder essentially from previous Soviet states, particularly White Russia and the Ukraine. Wider foreign attention was focused on Germany.

The profile of visitors had changed only a liile bit from the previous year, with attendance from the local Moscow, Central and Volga regions showing relatively small growth whereas attendance from White Russia and the Ukraine was significantly higher. International attendance from Germany and beyond was also up, possibly indicating interest in ZOW 2oo6.

The origins of the exhibiting companies again reflected the international attraction of ZOW. Top names from the European and International world of furniture suppliers were in strength in Moscow. Of the 160 exhibitors, the largest single share was Italian, with 40% of the total, and a reminder of the traditionally close relationship between Italy and the Russian furniture industry. Around 30% of exhibitors were Russian companies - more than double that of 2004. The remainder of the exhibiting companies came from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Malaysia, Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Thailand, and Turkey.

The first day of the exhibition hosted a business conference on "Developing Competition in the Russian Furniture Industry." This took place with the support of the Russian Ministry for Industry, Science and Technology, The Moscow Regional Government and the national trade associations. About 250 delegates from the major furniture companies in the Moscow region, together with leading personalities from political, economic, and scientific circles attended and were informed about latest developments in the international supplier industry. Keynote of the conference was a commentary on the current state of the Russian furniture industry, and the opportunities for international cooperation and use of new materials and designs.

Focus on Design

The second Moscow ZOW displayed a high level of innovation in all product areas. In the field of 'Surfaces and Fronts', 'Retro' styling remained very popular. Conversely, alongside the past, futuristic themes were also prominent Mediterranean charm in texture and colour were contrasted with the so-called 'fantasy decors' - surfaces which, for example, reproduce a speckled or mottled structure. Generally, structure played a completely new role, with texture being the decisive influence in the surface. Whatever is promised by the appearance needs to be confirmed in the texture. Synchronised grain and pore structures were the buzzword, providing perfect linking of pattern with texture on the finished item. One advantage that this new sophistication in finishing provides is a whole new strength of expression for the material.

The fittings manufacturers, who have been particularly mindful of the difficulties of recent years, are reverting again to the visual appearance of their fittings as the central feature of latest developments. 'Designer' fittings are on the way!. With this input, we see an increased dynamic in the furniture - an irrevocable move to better ergonomics, more efficient storage, and optimisation of disposal - particularly in kitchens. Lighting and its applications also played an important part in the market. Particularly exciting are the continual developments in the growing LED -technology field. The range of applications for this style of lighting is growing rapidly, with real benefits for the user. Lighting control is also expanding beyond simple dimmers to control for mood and accent purposes and its ability to alter the perception of furniture.

"New Material Design" Competition

An idea already gathering great interest for 2006 is the planned design competition entitled "New material design". This is being developed by organisers SURVEY and the Restec Exhibition Company, together with the Moscow based "Russian. This competition gives students of design in the Russian universities and design colleges the opportunity to experiment with and develop new furnishing ideas using the latest materials available to Material ConneXion. Concentration will be on modular seating and office furniture. "ColleXion 2005" from Material ConneXion, was presented at the Moscow ZOW and contained some 130 innovative new materials within eight product categories. The results will be announced at the 2006 ZOW in Moscow and the winner will receive a training placement at an international furniture supplier company plus a visit to ZOW in Germany, Italy, or Spain.

The recipe of success for ZOW means it is the major sector stage and a trend barometer for manufacturers and designers alike. Across the whole spectrum of products and product groups, companies within the furniture supplies industry presented the very latest in designs and product solutions at this year's ZOW in Moscow. The next edition will take place from 25th to 28th April 2006.

For further information please contact:

Ms. Karin Dullweber,
PH MEYER Wirtschaftsberatung,
Mittelstr. 50,
33602 Bielefeld (Germany),
Fon: +49 (0) 521 9653316,
Fax: +49 (0) 521 9653377,
E-Mail: kd@phmeyer.de