Feb 8, 2012

Final Report Christmasworld 2012

The trio of consumer-goods fairs in Frankfurt – Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld 2012 – closed their doors on Tues­day, 31 January, after a run distinguished by increased visitor quality and a large number of international orders. Around 87,000 trade visitors (2011: 87,903, FKM certified[1]) from 155 countries contributed to the high level of satisfaction among exhibitors. “Our trio of fairs is a genuine magnet for international buyers. And this is shown by the stable number of visitors. Even more encouraging is the large num­ber of orders placed by buyers and reported by exhibitors”, said Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, commenting on the results of the fair.

Both indicators contributed to an optimistic mood in the fields of festive decorations, paper, stationery and office supplies and hobby, handicrafts and artists’ materials. Despite the difficult financial situation, the approximately 3,000 exhibitors from 72 countries (2011: 3,053, FKM certified) have positive expectations of the new year. Christmasworld 2012 reaches last year’s high level

A total of 31,474 visitors (2011: 31,493) travelled to Frankfurt am Main from all over the world to discover the latest products, to hold discussions and to restock their assortments with fresh goods for Christmas, Easter and all other festive occasions of the year. For five days, the atmosphere in the Christmasworld exhibition halls was characterised by optimism, which once again confirms its position as the leading trade fair for the sector. “Christmasworld is Europe’s most important presentation platform for us”, said Thomas Thykesson, CEO of Gnsojö Konstsmide GmbH, one of the 842 exhibitors from 40 countries. Peter Botz, Managing Director of the Association of German Garden Centres (Verband Deutscher Garten-Center e.V.), also sees this year’s fair in a positive light: “Christmasworld is a must for our members. The mood at the fair is very good and I have seen nothing but satisfied faces.”

This is also reflected by a poll conducted during the fair, according to which 71 percent of visitors (2011: 63 percent) said they are authorised to make purchasing decisions on behalf of their company. Overall, the level of satisfaction among exhibitors (67 percent) and visitors (95 percent) rose by one percentage point in both cases compared to last year.

Exhibitors reported a high level of international visitor quality and a significantly higher propensity for buyers to place orders. Helene Rigaux, who is responsible for the presentation of Belgium’s Cusco SPRL and a first-time exhibitor at Christmasworld, summed up the situation as follows: “We are very pleased with orders taken, the number of visitors and the level of buyer internationality.” A similar résumé was made by Dieter Heidemann of the European Floral & Lifestyle Suppliers’ Association (EFSA) who said, “The echo from our members has been very good. They report that visitors are of a high standard and that they have taken a satisfactory number of orders. The level of this year’s Christmasworld is slightly higher than that of 2011”. The fair made an equally good impression on Hamid Yazdtschi, CEO of Gilde Handwerk Macrander GmbH & Co. KG, who said, “Despite various prophecies of doom, the mood in the sector is good. We are very pleased with the number of orders taken.”

Significantly more visitors from East Europe
Overall, there was an increase in the level of internationality at Christmasworld 2012 compared to previous events. Although slightly fewer buyers came to Frankfurt from Southern Europe and Asia, exhibitors were able to expand their international business. “There was a significant increase in the number of East European and, in particular, Russian visitors and this supported the international strategies of our exhibitors”, added Detlef Braun. This is also con­firmed by the exhibitors: “There were noticeably more East European visitors in the export field”, said Klaus Müller-Blech, CEO of Inge’s Christmas Decor GmbH. “Many German customers export to East Europe – that’s where the markets of the future are. This trend has become more pronounced in comparison to 2011 and is reflected by the number of orders taken.”

Product quality and origins important purchasing criteria
Besides this development, the Christmasworld exhibitors noticed another on-going trend – the increasing demand for first-class products. “We see a shift to high-quality products – mass production is passé”, said Ralf Hömerlein, CEO Glas & Design GmbH in Upper Franconia. However, although quality is essential, it is not every­thing. “It must be made in Germany”, said Dieter Uhlmann, Director of the Association of Artistic Craftspeople and Toy Makers from the Ore Mountains (Verband Erzgebirgischer Kunsthandwerker und Spielzeughersteller e.V.). This is because the origins of a product are becoming increasingly important for buyers. “Therefore, the specialist retail trade is our biggest group of buyers. Specialist re­tailers offer expert advice and the high-quality products consumers demand”, added Uhlmann.

Spectacular highlights offer visitors added value
French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier brought a touch of glamour to the opening of Christmasworld in Hall 11.1 B50. At the ‘Les Sapins de Noël & Christmasworld’ special show, he presented his designer Christmas tree, a creation of green silk threads, for which he drew his inspiration from the art nouveau period of the twenties. “It is a Charleston dress for a Christmas tree and one can well imagine it dancing”, said Gaultier describing his creation. The designer was also delighted by the atmosphere at Christmasworld and promised to leave more time for his next visit to the fair. “If possible, I would like to have stayed here the whole weekend and see all the beautiful and inspiring decorations.”

For the second year running, the two Dutch artists of the 2Dezign lifestyle company caused a stir. Following last year’s successful ‘Merry Marriage’ special show, Rudi Tuinman and Pascale Koeleman came up trumps with their cheerful ‘Happy Christmasworld’ exhibition in Hall 9.0 D90. They have created different Christmas worlds in seven igloos resembling giant snow globes. The focus of the presentation is on a combination of a variety of decorative elements coupled with lots of artificial snow. “At present, snow is super trendy in Holland and we want to bring a bit of this to Germany”, says Pascale Koeleman explaining the concept.

For the second time, the special area sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie – BMWi) proved to be highly popular. Six young, innovative companies were given the chance to make presentations and business contacts at the fair. “We are a small company from the Westerwald region and would hardly have been able to afford to take part without sponsorship”, said Petra Kaffiné, CEO of Kaffiné Keramik. “However, thanks to the support of the Ministry, it was possible for us to make a presentation, and this was a complete success for our company.”

An extensive landscape of nativity scenes transported visitors to another world at the ‘Natale in Italia’ special show in Hall 11.1. It is said that the tradition of nativity scenes dates back to the 13th century when St. Francis of Assisi commissioned the first one to be made in Italy. Eleven Italian craftsmen showed their elaborate works of art at Christmasworld 2012.

Designers bora.herke.palmisano presented the trends of the coming decorative season, 2012/2013, in Galleria 1. Using products of Christmasworld exhibitors, they illustrated the various trends, e.g., ‘Late Night Glam’ and ‘Soft Cloud’, in four thematic rooms. Trend expert Annetta Palmisano explained how they work: “We draw much of our inspiration from international art, culture, fashion and archi­tectural trends. We choose, collect and collate them, and use them as the basis for our trend forecasts.”

Synergies given a warm welcome
The synergistic effects generated by the trio of fairs had an even more positive impact on visitor and exhibitor satisfaction this year. Thus, Detlef Klatt, CEO of Christmasworld exhibitor O Living GmbH, said, “We also had some buyers from the paper sector this year. They came with pencils and coloured in our decorative hearts. The synergies are very popular.”

Christmas trends 2012/2013: white, classic, natural and self-made
This year’s Christmasworld in Frankfurt was characterised by a great yearning for snow. Hardly any exhibitors did without it – even fir-tree green disappeared to a large extent under a white covering of bio, powder, scatter, crystal or gently iridescent artificial snow. Snow of all kinds decorated Christmas wreaths. Freezing rain and glitter effects conquered glass baubles, stars and danglers. Tree and table decorations are oriented towards classic elements, such as baubles, stars, angles and nativity figures, and give Christmas a traditional character.

Nature continues to be the primary source of inspiration. As Samim Pilli, CEO of ART-CAN-DEL Kerzen- und Accessoires Vertriebs-GmbH, put it, “The trend is towards meliorated natural products, which are to be seen in almost all decorative settings. White wash and glimmer dominate at present while we expect a shift towards grey wash next season. Additionally, the knitted look remains very popular.”

Moreover, the exhibitors noted a trend towards do-it-yourself. Modern decoration aficionados like to gain inspiration and then become creative themselves. “Our job is to present wonderful stories with the aid of sophisticated design elements”, said Klaus Mark, CEO of MK Illumination Handels GmbH, explaining this development. Detlef Klatt, CEO of O Living GmbH, observed the same trend. “Buyers not only ordered from us. They also took away ideas for their own in-shop decorations and presentations. ”

LED lighting market growing and becoming more innovative
The exhibitors at Christmasworld also noticed that the market for LED lighting continues to boom. “The demand for lighting has rocketed since the introduction of LED products”, said Alexander von Bismarck, Managing Partner of Kaemingk GmbH. However, it is not only manufacturers of traditional electric lighting that offer branches, wreaths and candles fitted with LEDs. Makers of traditional wax candles are also responding to the great competitive pressure caused by high paraffin costs with innovative concepts. Thus, LED lamps are integrated into hollow cylinders made of genuine wax, to create an authentic candle-flame look while electro-magnetic candles accurately reproduce a natural flame using flickering reflective wicks in real-wax candles.

Firework exhibitors bank on safety and a variety of effects
Since the regulation on the quantity of explosive used was relaxed two years ago, the market has been overrun by single-ignition fireworks. After it became apparent the New Year before last that these big products were not particularly stable, they now have a larger base to prevent them falling over when firing. It is difficult to distinguish the increasingly sophisticated barrage fireworks for private users from professional products. They are characterised by a wide variety of effects, colour compositions and duration. Today, anyone can have their own firework display lasting for up to four breath-taking minutes.

After Christmas, the sector looks forward to Easter
The trends for Easter 2012 continue to revolve around traditional elements, such as rabbits, chicks, imaginatively decorated Easter eggs and Easter nests. Branches, grass and blossoms provide the framework. Fresh springtime colours, such as light green, brilliant yellow and orange, guarantee a good mood no matter what the weather. The next Christmasworld in Frankfurt: 25 to 29 January 2013.

Note for journalists:
You will find further information about the international trade fair, the trends and exhibitor statements, as well as high-resolution photographs, on the internet at www.christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com.

Background information on Messe Frankfurt

Messe Frankfurt is Germany’s leading trade fair organiser with € 457* million in sales and 1,769* employees worldwide. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 28 subsidiaries, five branch offices and 52 international Sales Partners, giving it a presence for its customers in more than 150 countries. Events ‘made by Messe Frankfurt’ take place at more than 30 locations around the globe. In 2011, Messe Frankfurt organised 101 trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany.

Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds, featuring 578,000 square metres, are currently home to ten exhibition halls and an adjacent Congress Centre. The company is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent. For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com *Provisional figures (2011)