Feb 25, 2011

Top Result For Ambiente Almost Ten Percent More Visitors

The world’s biggest trade fair for the consumer-goods sector closed its doors on Tuesday, 15 February 2011, after having welcomed more than 144,000 trade visitors, an increase of almost ten percent over the previous edition (2010: 132.096[1]). “With a good 144,000 buyers from 150 countries, Ambiente 2011 has exceeded all ex pecta tions. This is an excellent achievement for the world’s most important consumer-goods fair. The big increase in visitor numbers and the associated high level of satisfaction on the exhibitor side indicate that the recovery is well advanced in Germany and the world market”, said Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt GmbH. During the fair from 11 to 15 February, 4,383 exhibitors from 86 countries (2010: 4.336²) presented an international range of products for the fields of tableware, kitchen, home, furnishing and giving.

Around 77,500 of visitors (2010: 71,716³) came from Germany, an increase of approx. eight percent. One in two of the buyers came from outside Germany so the level of internationality is now about 46 percent. After Germany, the top five visitor nations are Italy, The Netherlands, France, the USA and Switzerland.

Visitors to the Giving trade fair in the mood for ordering

One of the three main sections of Ambiente, the international Giving trade fair ended on a positive note and an increase in exhibitor numbers. 1,179 companies, 30 more than in 2010, presented the complete variety of creative ideas for gifts in five exhibition halls. The spectrum ranged from high-grade trendy products, via amusing fast-moving items, to unique hand-crafted articles. Particularly popular among visitors were the Gifts Unlimited and

Young & Trendy product segments.

The focus of Gifts Unlimited in Halls 9.1 and 9.2 was on classic presents, decorative articles and stationery. Hamid Yazdtschi, General Manager of Gilde Handwerk Macrander GmbH & Co KG, was in no doubt about the high level of customer interest: “Business at Ambiente 2011 was excellent for our entire group. Generally speaking, the customers have been in the mood to place orders, and both our all-year range and the Christmas collection have been very well received. The number of visitors was very good and the proportion of international customers high, especially from other European countries.” The other magnet for visitors was the Young & Trendy product segment, which focused on high-quality lifestyle products, original fast-selling items and striking ideas for gifts. Florian Berger, General Manager of Donkey Products GmbH & Co. KG summed up the fair saying, “For us, business has been super. We are a young company and, therefore, have been able to attract a large proportion of new customers. It is evident that visitors are well prepared, ask good questions and know what they want.”

New at this year’s Ambiente 2011 was the Beauty & Bath product segment where trade-oriented exhibitors of the former Beautyworld presented their latest products. Following a good start, the new segment must now become established. “The première was very promising. However, we still have to make our mark at Ambiente”, said Michael Becker, CEO of Becker-Manicure, summarising the situation. The high level of internationality of the new platform was given a good rating. “Obviously, the new setting means new customers for us because many visitors notice us for the first time when they get to the fair. Therefore, Ambiente represents a good opportunity to attract new customers from outside Germany. I am very encouraged and pleased”, said Ernst Heister, Sales Manager of Accentra Kosmetik Accessoires GmbH.

Good atmosphere at Ambiente reflects the upswing

The positive atmosphere in Germany, which was revealed by a survey conducted by the forsa social-research institute on behalf of Messe Frankfurt before the fair, was also evident at Ambiente. According to the survey, 90 percent of Germans are once again willing to spend more on quality and high-grade products. Thus, during his visit to the fair on Friday, Germany’s Minister of Economics, Rainer Brüderle, said that increasing wages were among the factors contributing to expansion in the German economy. “The Germans are taking a very optimistic view of the future and are there fore willing to spend more again”, said Brüderle. In this con nection, Detlef Braun said, “The average sales increase of eight percent expected by the consumer-goods industry in 2011 seems thoroughly realistic.” This optimistic view of the future is also taken by the exhibitors. “We have the feeling that the mood among retailers and consumers has brightened considerably”, said Susanne Stahlschmidt, B2C Sales Manager of Troika Germany GmbH. She was seconded by Lars Adler, General Manager of Hoff Import: “Generally speaking, the crisis is over for us and even German customers are placing good orders again”. Summarising, he said, “The volume per order has been good with almost 50 percent of orders coming from outside Germany.” Particularly large was the increase in the number of visitors from Asia and the Middle East. The positive economic situation is also reflected by a representa tive poll of exhibitors and visitors conducted by Messe Frankfurt during the fair. Last year, participants took a cautiously optimistic view of future developments. This year, the results are significantly better, especially for German exhibitors and visitors. Altogether, over 80 per cent of all respondents consider the current economic situation to be satisfactory to good.

The survey also revealed a further increase in the overall level of exhibitor satisfaction with the event while, at 96 percent, visitor satis faction can hardly be bettered. Dieter Schmidt, General Manager of Present Time GmbH, also noticed the good mood among visitors. “The atmosphere at the fair was good. Dealers are spending more and also being bolder in their choice of products.” Also pleased with the results of the fair was Bernd Horenkamp, Purchasing and Sales Director of EK/servicegroup: “Ambiente was a complete success for us. Almost 1,000 of EK’s commercial partners were in Frankfurt. We were able to intensify our contacts to the trade and industry, and make some very interesting new contacts, many of them from outside Germany.”

The high visitor quality and, therefore, great decision-making authority was noticeable throughout the fair. “I can only second Mr. Brüderle when he said that successful companies and entrepreneurs meet in Frankfurt. There was a particularly large number of inter national visitors and this shows yet again that Ambiente accurately reflects the world market for the home, giving and dining, and is the meeting place for the whole sector”, added Heike Tscherwinka, General Manager of the European Lifestyle Association (Euro päischer Verband Lifestyle – EVL). The high level of visitor quality was also praised by Dieter Uhlmann, General Manager of the Association of Artistic Craftspeople and Toy Makers from the Ore Mountains (Verband Erzgebirgischer Kunsthandwerker und Spielzeughersteller e.V.): “Customer quality is what you would expect from an event in Frankfurt. Both are exceptionally good.

Highlights: current themes and creative impulses in the sector

In addition to the unique range of consumer goods to be seen there, Ambiente 2011 was once again distinguished by numerous awards ceremonies, exhibitions and events. Young people from all over the world had the chance to present their innovative ideas and to get a whiff of the international business air at the fair by taking part in the ‘Talents’, ‘Next’ and ‘A Mano’ programmes. At the Giving trade fair, the ‘Next’ promotional platform was a platform on which young companies could present their collections in the ‘Kids World’ and ‘Carat’ segments. “This was our first time here and we showed our latest collection of design-oriented system jewellery, which attracted lots of visitors. Hence, we were able to make lots of new contacts and also take some orders”, said Christine Kaupp, proprietor of Zoe.Design. A special treat for fans of the Swedish-Finnish ‘Moomins’ comic figures was the special show of the same name in Hall 11.1 (stand E11). In seven thematic worlds, Swedish interior architect Frida Wanselius presented the current licensed products of the Nordic trolls to give visitors a host of ideas for creative gifts. An overview of the latest trends in the home, giving and wining & dining segments was offered by the Trend Show in Galleria 1. Using products of Ambiente exhibitors, the designers of stylists bora.herke (Frankfurt & Berlin) created four worlds of style to bring the trends to life. Further, in-depth information was also provided twice a day at lectures with vivid examples and ways of putting them into practice.

Giving trends

Recycling is a source of amusing and unusual gift ideas
When it comes to creative ideas for gifts, the trend is towards sus tainable products suitable for personalisation and unique, high-quality items. Plastic, tarpaulins, parachute silk and woollen blankets are made into individual bags, cases or purses of all sizes. And consumers wanting sustainability but not of the recycled kind look to natural materials, such as felt, leather and bamboo. Objects that bring order into everyday life, such as key rings, mobile-phone cases, cups and notepads, are furnished with cheeky sayings or symbols. The colours are in line with the fashion, with white, grey and blue dominating and violet, pink or orange for the more daring amongst us.

A modern interpretation of the 50s influences

As presents for one’s own home, wood and bamboo are extremely popular. They are formed into perfectly shaped vases or stylish bowls. But the subtly playful forms of the 50s in soft white and pastel shades or checked patterns are undergoing a revival. Unusual items such as cushions that look like bark or stone and mirrors made of hoops give rooms a distinctively modern touch in combination with furniture classics. Patchwork creations, which are becoming increasingly popular with the trend towards recycled materials, also go well with classic designs. Light yellow, blue, green and orange bring that magical feeling of spring freshness into the home. White, grey, black, natural tones and chrome are timelessly fashionable. Very much in demand as decorative figurines are Buddhas made of stone or wood, in bronze or gilded, as candles or indoor fountains.

Products for children with the focus on learning
Even in the rainbow world of the child, the motto is: learning by playing. Games that have an educational value are in: coloured numbers and letters are an imaginative way of preparing kids for school, marble runs, pin toys and toy chests provide children with a feeling for mechanical relationships. Games of skill develop motor abilities. Wooden toys continue to be a great favourite among children between the age of three and twelve. Saliva-resistant paints and good workmanship are particularly important when it comes to toys for very small children.

Jewellery: material mixes and personalisation are ‘in’
The trend here is definitely towards personalisation: entire collections of rings, chains, watches or earrings mean that wearers can combine and change as the mood takes them, from elegant to funky or from unobtrusive to colourful. Even if there is a general trend from floral opulence towards elegant simplicity, there are no limits to the colours and shapes with which jewellery can be made to match people’s individual tastes. The high price of gold means that it is still used less than it was. But there are exciting material mixes in the jewellery segment: rubber can be combined with gold, bobbin lace or paintings with silver, wood or stone.

Gifts of beauty and wellness
Here, the focus is on wellness, simply because beauty, harmony, new energy or a brief out-time make wonderful presents. And all the more so, because the quality of the products and packaging is getting better all the time. Those who felt guilty about making presents of fine chocolates and exotic chocolate creations or even eating them themselves can now bathe in chocolate, or use it to care for their skin and nurture their souls. Chocolate bath-balls and chocolate baths make it possible and also look very luxurious.

More exhibitor statements:

Eckart Wurm Owner and General Manager, G. Wurm KG: “Exports account for more than 50 percent of our sales, our company’s mainstay are the foreign markets. So Ambiente is a very good fair for us. It provides a real boost when it comes to acquiring new international customers.”

Wolfgang Fürnwein, General Manager, Fürnis: “Ambiente is fantastic because you can establish contacts with international wholesalers or distributors. And what I like about Frankfurt is the ‘mix of nations’ among customers.”

Werner Krähberger, Director Sales, Topteam München | Topteam Collection Vertriebsges. m. b. H.: “In my opinion, one fair provides better opportunities for presenting ourselves than two split trade fairs. Ambiente enables us to acquire a completely new clientele, in other words customers from segments in which we had previously not been present, along with customers that are more international. We have an international clientele anyway, but it has become even larger at this Ambiente. We are very satisfied. And the customers who buy our products buy a lot.”

Marion Stolp, Owner, Kreuchauff Design: “The big advantage of Ambiente is that you have the chance to look at trends from other segments as well and so develop a feeling for the themes that are ‘in’. At Ambiente I simply acquire different ideas from what I would at a fair aimed at just one line of business.”

Ambiente 2012 will be held from 10 to 14 February.

Note for journalists:
You will find further information about Ambiente and high-resolution photographs on the internet at www.ambiente.messefrankfurt.com.

Background information on Messe Frankfurt

Messe Frankfurt is Germany’s leading trade fair organiser, with approx. € 450 million* in sales and more than 1,770 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 2010, Messe Frankfurt organised 88 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