DESIGN AND FURNITURE TRADE SHOW

Trade fairs are the oldest and most traditional platform for trade exchanges. And furniture could transform design & furniture trade shows into into design and lifestyle exhibitions. Today, more than ever, furniture trade fairs are increasingly platforms for cultural as well as commercial exchange. Visitors, in fact, are not only retailers, wholesalers or contractors, but also architects and interior designers who, in addition to products, seek information on trends in products and materials. Many trade shows, alongside the commercial display, organize exhibitions with notable curators, so the trade fairs become centers of cultural exchange. Last but not least, furniture and design trade fairs are preferred destinations for journalists and bloggers, so exhibiting at fairs becomes a helpful communication tool, adding value to the commercial objective.

The countdown has begun for the Milan Salone del Mobile 2025, 63d edition (8th-13th April, Fiera Milano, Rho). Once again, it promises to be the industry’s top international event. More than 2,000 exhibitors (38% from abroad) will showcase their work. The event will feature 148 brands, including both first-timers and returning names. The exhibition space spreads over 169,000 square meters.

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milan salone del mobile 2025

A major highlight is the much-anticipated return of the Euroluce Biennial after the success of The City of Lights in 2023. This edition will span over 32,000 square meters and host more than 300 brands from 25 countries. SaloneSatellite will also shine, presenting 700 designers under 35 and 20 international schools and universities.
These figures reflect the result of intense scouting and promotional efforts. Every year, the event gains the trust of a national and international supply chain. The suppliers see Salone as a strategic hub for business, sustainable innovation, and global expansion. The 2024 edition attracted over 370,000 professionals from 146 countries.

The scale of the exhibition speaks for itself. The Italian brands exhibiting in April generate a total turnover of Eur 9,238,429,199. It represents 34% of the national Furnishing Macro System (Eur 21 billion from 21,000 companies). Adding to this, foreign brands contribute Eur 6,989,984,073 in total turnover. These numbers confirm the upward trajectory of Salone, an ecosystem that fuels growth and promotes an innovative, sustainable, and future-oriented business model.

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Entrance at Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024

Milan Salone del Mobile 2025: a visionary cultural programme

New ideas will drive a high-level Cultural Programme featuring three site-specific installations. At the Salone and in the city, visitors will experience:

  • Pierre-Yves Rochon – Villa Héritage (Pavilions 13-15)
  • Paolo Sorrentino – La dolce attesa (Pavilions 22)
  • Robert Wilson – Mother (Museo Pietà Rondanini, Castello Sforzesco)

A multidisciplinary spotlight will focus on lighting design, the star of the first edition of The Euroluce International Lighting Forum (10th-11th April, The Forest of Space Arena by Sou Fujimoto, Hall 2). The Drafting Futures Talks and Round Tables will bring together leading minds from various fields.

Finally, a bold communication campaign, Thought for Humans., will emphasize how every project must cater to human needs with emotional intelligence.

The Euroluce Biennial

Following the success of The City of Light in 2023, excitement is high for Euroluce’s return. More than 300 exhibitors, 46.5% from abroad, will showcase their work. The event will reaffirm itself as the global reference point for lighting design.
Technology, sustainability, AI integration, and biophilic design will shape the sector’s evolution. Users will gain greater control over lighting systems, creating tailored atmospheres and immersive environments.
A major new feature in 2025 is the first edition of The Euroluce International Lighting Forum (10th-11th April, Hall 2). Over two days, more than 20 international speakers -including lighting designers, architects, artists, set designers, scientists, biologists, anthropologists, astronomers, and psychologists – will explore the future of lighting through a multidisciplinary lens.

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Under the surface installation, 2024

The venue, The Forest of Space Arena, will be a striking setting designed by acclaimed Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. He is known for his metallic cloud at the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion (London, 2013) and the Arbre Blanc residential tower, a purist masterpiece.
Euroluce 2025 hosts also the first edition of The Euroluce International Lighting Forum. The Forum will take place on April 10-11 in Pavilion 2, with the theme “Light for Life, Light for Spaces.” Organized by Annalisa Rosso, Salone’s Editorial Director and Cultural Events Advisor, the forum will bring together lighting designers, architects, artists, set designers, scientists, biologists, anthropologists, astronomers, and psychologists.

Discover the booths at Milan Salone del Mobile 2024

The Cultural Programme

In 2025, the Salone del Mobile.Milano will open with Mother, a site-specific installation by Robert Wilson. On 6th April, at Museo Pietà Rondanini – Castello Sforzesco, the renowned American artist will engage in a dialogue with Michelangelo’s final, unfinished masterpiece, set to music by Arvo Pärt. This event, in collaboration with Milano Art Week and the Municipality of Milan | Culture, will run until 18th May.

Inside the Salone, visitors will encounter two striking projects

  • Paolo Sorrentino’s La dolce attesa (Pavilions 22-24), a deeply emotional installation by the Oscar-winning filmmaker.
  • Pierre-Yves Rochon’s Villa Héritage (Pavilions 13-15), a visionary interior design concept by the French architect behind some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, including the Waldorf Astoria New York.
  • For the third consecutive year, the Formafantasma Arena (Pavilion 14) will host Drafting Futures. Conversations about Next Perspectives. Over five days, renowned thinkers and architects will discuss global challenges. The program, curated by Annalisa Rosso, will feature figures such as:
  • Lesley Lokko, founder of the Africa Futures Institute and curator of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale
  • Valeria Segovia, Director and Design Director at Gensler London, the world’s largest architecture firm.
  • Paolo Sorrentino, who will close the lecture series.

Meanwhile, the Corraini Mobile Bookshop, curated by Corraini Edizioni, will showcase an international selection of over 110 publishers, including independent presses from around the world.

milan salone del mobile 2025

Talk at Milan Salone del Mobile 2024

The first Euroluce International Lighting Forum

The Euroluce International Lighting Forum will also feature a two-day event, Light for Life and Light for Spaces, inside the Forest of Space Arena. It will include:

  • 6 masterclasses
  • 2 round tables
  • 2 workshops
  • 20 international speakers

Among the guests will be:

  • Stefano Mancuso, pioneer of plant neurobiology
  • Marjan van Aubel, solar designer
  • Kaoru Mende, renowned Japanese lighting designer

Together, they will explore lighting design’s evolution through three perspectives: innovation, sustainability, and well-being.

Mother – A Unique Artistic Project
Robert Wilson’s installation Mother will be presented at Museo Pietà Rondanini – Castello Sforzesco, opening on April 6 in collaboration with Comune di Milano | Cultura. Featuring music by Arvo Pärt, the installation engages in a dramaturgical dialogue with Michelangelo’s unfinished Pietà Rondanini. The performance of Stabat Mater, scheduled from April 6-13, will be presented by the ensemble Vox Clamantis, conducted by Jaan-Eick Tulve, and La Risonanza, conducted by Fabio Bonizzoni. Attendance is by reservation, with tickets available at the Castello Sforzesco ticket office.

Mobility and Hospitality at Milan Salone del Mobile 2025

To support sustainable mobility, Salone has partnered with BusForFun to offer free shuttle services between Milan Malpensa and the exhibition venue.
On the hospitality front, Salone del Mobile.Milano has renewed its partnership with MiCodmc, offering an exclusive hotel booking service for attendees (reservations available via the Salone website).
For the first time, in collaboration with fuorisalone.it, Salone will support the Mito Design Connection platform (mitodesignconnections.it). This initiative, promoted by Unione Industriali Torino and the Turin Chamber of Commerce, fosters business relationships between companies in Turin and Milan. It also provides logistical and hospitality support for exhibitors and visitors.
Through the platform, attendees can book hotels and arrange travel between Turin Porta Susa and Rho Fiera.
With its cutting-edge exhibitions, bold cultural programming, and seamless event experience, Salone del Mobile.Milano 2025 is set to be an unmissable event for the design world.

All images are courtesy of Salone del Mobile.Milano

Milan Salone del Mobile 2025
April 8-13
Rho-Fieramilano

The countdown to Asia’s 2025 furniture season is on! The Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) is back, March 1-4, 2025. Exhibitors are busy finalizing their latest collections for global buyers.
Momentum is strong. With a surge in exhibitors and visitor interest, floor space at Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) and World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) is nearly sold out.
From March 1 to 4, MIFF 2025 will span 100,000 square meters across 17 exhibition halls in two venues. As Southeast Asia’s largest and most global furniture event, MIFF 2025 has already confirmed nearly 700 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions.

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CIFF Guangzhou 2025: a bigger and more exciting edition 

Following the record-breaking success of CIFF Guangzhou 2024, anticipation is high for the 2025 edition, set to take place in March at the Canton Fair Complex. As a premier platform for the global furniture industry, CIFF Guangzhou 2025 fosters innovation, trade, and growth across the entire supply chain, showcasing the best in furniture, home décor, home textile, office and commercial furniture.

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home textile

CIFF Guangzhou 2024

Two phases, endless opportunities

Phase 1 (March 18-21, 2025) – Home Furniture
The first phase focuses on home furnishings, showcasing contemporary and international designs across multiple categories, including:

  • Contemporary Design Fair – A hub for top brands and designers.
  • International Pavilion – A global marketplace for major furniture companies.
  • Dining & Living & Upholstered Furniture – Featuring multifunctional solutions for trade, retail, and e-commerce.
  • Homedecor & Hometextile – Asia’s largest interior décor and home textile showcase.
  • Outdoor Furniture & Leisure – The leading Asian event for outdoor living solutions.

Phase 2 (March 28-31, 2025) – Office & Commercial Space
This phase presents the world’s largest exhibition dedicated to office and commercial furniture, covering:

  • Office Environment & Seating – Cutting-edge workspace and professional seating solutions.
  • Public & Commercial Spaces – Furniture for public venues like airports, hotels, and healthcare facilities.

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CIFF Guangzhou 2024, 1st phase

CIFM/interzum Guangzhou 2025 will run concurrently, showing furniture materials, hardware, and smart manufacturing technologies, alongside machinery manufacturers.

Some images from CIFM/Interzum Guangzhou 2025

CIFF Guangzhou 2025 features 4,700+ exhibitors on 850,000 sqm of exhibition space. The visitors expected are 380,000, from over 200 regions.

CIFF Home decor & Home textile: Asia’s leading interior design platform

From March 18-21, 2025, the Homedecor & Hometextile sector at CIFF Guangzhou 2025 will take center stage in Area D of the Canton Fair Complex.

Under the theme “Renewal”, around 700 exhibitors will present the latest innovations. Products include home accessories, lighting, paintings, ceramics, artistic installations, home textiles, rugs, cushions, and leather goods.

Key highlights at Homedecor & Hometextile:

  • Home Decoration Brand Hall (Hall 19.1): A focal point featuring cutting-edge designs and trends in home textile.
  • Five specialized halls (Areas 19.1, 20.1, 19.2-20.2): A balance of commercial functionality and innovation.
  • “Art Concentrated” Special Exhibition: A creative showcase merging designer visions with brand products for an immersive experience.
  • Industry Forums: Expert discussions on emerging trends in interior design.

Attracting design studios, retailers, international buyers, e-commerce platforms, furniture manufacturers, real estate developers, and hospitality groups, the event fosters business networking and market innovation.

Some images from CIFF Guangzhou 1st phase 2024

CIFF Guangzhou 2025: a new sustainable ecosystem for office and commercial spaces

The Office and Commercial Space sector aims to redefine the future of workspaces.

The 55th CIFF Guangzhou 2025 arrives at a key moment. In fact, the global office and commercial furniture market is projected to reach $66.1 billion in 2024, with forecasts suggesting $99.3 billion by 2029.

Taking place during Phase 2 (March 28-31, 2025), Office and Commercial Space transforms 24 exhibition halls across Areas A, B, and D into a hub of innovation. With over 240,000 sqm of exhibition space and 1,000+ leading companies, the event will feature three specialized sectors. 

  • Office Environment
  • Office Seating
  • Public Commercial Spaces

Discover CIFF Guangzhou 2nd phase 2024

Sustainability at the Core

Sustainability is a key theme for CIFF Guangzhou 2025, with exhibits featuring smart office systems, healthcare furniture, senior care solutions, and intelligent metal furniture. Special themed areas include Linking Design Star, the D&A Culture Centre, and the Guangzhou Office Environment Pavilion.

CIFF Guangzhou’s global influence extends through 1,100+ media partnerships, engaging professionals in nearly 200 countries. The event will take place in two phases: March 18-21 for Home Furniture, and March 28-31 for Office and Commercial Space, expecting over 380,000 professional visitors at the Canton Fair Complex and PWTC Expo.

CIFF  2025 First phase: March 18-21, 2025                     
                  Second phase: March 28-31, 2025

It’s always been said that design is a process rather than a product. Heimtextil 2025 embraced this idea by enlisting Patricia Urquiola and Alcova to explore the connection between design and textiles. Patricia Urquiola named her project for Heimtextil 2025 “Among Us.” She created an enchanted living room that served as more than just an installation—it became a convivial space where people could experience technology and craftsmanship embodied in fabric up close. Aquafils, CC Tapis, Cimento, Kettal, Kvadrat, and Moroso collaborated on the area, showcasing the full potential of contemporary textiles as hybrid surfaces combining digital technology with exceptional craftsmanship.

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From Surrealism to Sur/reality

The central theme of Maison&Objet 2025, taking place January 16-20, is Sur/reality, where Maison&Objet collaborates with Peclers Paris to delve into the resurgence of Surrealism. In its 100th anniversary, Surrealism continues to inspire and fuel creative expression. This theme celebrates the legacy of iconic figures like Magritte and Dalí, whose unique aesthetics have become universal symbols, while firmly grounding the exploration in today’s contemporary context.

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From 11 to 14 September 2024, CIFF Shanghai, one of the world’s leading furniture fairs, is back. CIFF Shanghai is the fall edition of CIFF, China International Furniture Fair, which takes place annually in March in Guangzhou, and September in Shanghai. The September 2024 edition of CIFF is the 54th, while CIFF Shanghai is in its tenth year (in fact, it took place for the first time in 2015 and also ran in 2020, despite the pandemic). In ten years, CIFF Shanghai has established itself as a premier global design event, seamlessly integrating exhibition and retail, and showcasing high-quality designs and industry-leading brands.

Discover all about CIFF – China International Furniture Fair

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Camerich Pavilion 2023

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Inspirational Impulses: Light + Building Trends 2024/25

Light is an essential component in architecture. Innovative technology and design create visual effects in space and influence function in architecture. At Light + Building, in Frankfurt, March 3-8, 2024, trend bureau bora.herke.palmisano offers a perspective on trends for 2024/25.

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Light + Building Frankfurt 2024, photo courtesy Light + Building

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The 2024 edition of CIFF Guangzhou, held in two phases, March 18-21 and March 28-31, is on the starting blocks. The two phases differ in the product sectors they involve: home furnishings, the first, and office and contract, the second.

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The CIFF Guangzhou 2024 map

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The Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024 is back from April 16 to 21, in Rho-Fieramilano halls, like every year. But what are the new features of the next edition, the 62nd? Let’s see what we can expect from this event, which promises to be as interesting as ever.

Highlights of the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024

Salone del Mobile Milano Dates: April 16-21, 2024
Salone del Mobile Milano Location: Rho-Fiera Milano
Opening hours: 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Press hours: 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Co-located shows
Salone del Mobile.Milano
Eurocucina
FTK Technology for the Kitchen
International Bathroom Exhibition
Furniture Complements
S. Project
Workplace 3.0
SaloneSatellite

salone del mobile milano 2024

Salone del Mobile.Milano, entrance. Photo Alessandro Russotti, courtesy Salone del Mobile.Milano

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The 2024 edition of MIFF promises to be a successful event. The exhibition spaces at the two venues, the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) and the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL), are fully booked. MIFF 2024 will include 17 pavilions, with a total exhibition area of 100,000 square meters, divided between the two exhibition venues. This year’s 673 exhibitors expect more than 20,000 visitors from 140 countries and regions.

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miff malaysian furniture 2024

The 2024 edition’s highlights are several. First, MIFF is turning 30; the first edition took place in 1995. Evolution over time has made it increasingly international, and today exhibitors, in addition to Malaysia, come from China, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United States, and Vietnam.

Discover Maison & Objet 2024

miff malaysian furniture 2024

Funbies booth at MIFF 2023

The MIFF Furniverse app, developed further after the pandemic, is an essential tool for visitors. The all-in-one app provides detailed information on exhibitors’ products, booth locations, special events, and more. Even before the trade show opens, the app allows visitors to see the products on display and make appointments, to plan their visit better.

Discover IDS Interior Design Show in Toronto

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Kinheng booth at MIFF 2023

Highlights of MIFF 2024 in Kuala Lumpur

Once again, for the 2024 edition, MIFF – Malaysian International Furniture Fair will give free hotel accommodation to buyers visiting MIFF for the first time. The Valued Visitor Privilege (VVP) program provides that buyers going to MIFF for the first time can stay for free in a hotel of the Fair’s choice. To further facilitate the attendance of buyers from abroad, Malaysian Customs has activated a special lane for trade events to speed up entry through immigration.

As part of the celebration, exhibitors and buyers will join in a virtual tree-planting initiative to raise awareness of the sustainability of the furniture industry, which relies on wood as a raw material.
Industry seminars are exciting side events that allow retailers and entrepreneurs to update their furniture production and sales knowledge.

Discover the January Furniture Show in Birmingham

miff furniture fair 2024

Inter Sofa booth at MIFF 2023

Exhibitors at MIFF 2024

As anticipated, about 50 percent of the exhibitors at MIFF 2024 come from Malaysia. The remaining 50 percent come from China, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United States, and Vietnam. Wood furniture represents the most extensive product sector, followed by upholstered and office furniture.

Read the interview to Anna Pellizzari, Materially Executive Director

Malaysian wooden furniture

Malaysia is among the top 20 wood exporters in the world. Among Malaysia’s most popular wood for furniture is undoubtedly rubberwood, or Hevea, a particularly sustainable wood. It is a cultivated wood suitable for furniture, both for stability and grain; 80 percent of Malaysian furniture is made from rubberwood.
In addition, Malaysia has patented a high-temperature drying (HTD) treatment for rubberwood. HTD is a process that eliminates the use of borate, improves wood stability, and reduces processing time from about two weeks to one or two days. The overall operation involves one step, in which green rubberwood is converted into dried lumber for subsequent downstream production (including furniture).

HTD is a process that reduces processing time from about two weeks to one or two days. The Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) has obtained patents for HTD technology from the United States (March 2013) and Malaysia (October 2013). It has also applied for patents in six other countries: Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, and India.

Young designers at MIFF 2024

Since 2010, MIFF has offered the Furniture Design Competition (FDC) at each edition. This is a competition for young designers, rewarding the most innovative furniture ideas. The theme for the 2024 edition is “Chair-volution.” The xOrdinary platform also hosts projects by young designers and start-ups. Here, we can find new materials, new products, and new manufacturing processes.

Let’s meet in Kuala Lumpur at MIFF 2024 from March 1 to 4.

Despite those who declared the end of fairs and meetings with the Covid pandemic, four years after the severe emergency, people are back to traveling and seeing each other live. And the trade fairs are gradually catching their breath, though in some cases certainly scaled back. What had already emerged in the pre-Covid period is that today fairs are losing progressively their commercial function, becoming more and more platforms for exchange, cultural as well as commercial.

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Maison&Objet 2024

Maison&Objet 2024 – Future On stage. Photo Anne-Emmanuelle Thion, courtesy Maison&Objet

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Maison&Objet 2024 celebrates 30 years of French inspiration in furniture, design and lifestyle. To celebrate this anniversary, the show will take visitors on a journey into an enchanted future, where technology and nature coexist in harmony. The underlying theme of Maison&Objet 2024 is TECH EDEN: the fair, Maison & Objet in the City, and the virtual platform M.O.M. will develop around this thread.

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Outonomy – installation by Mathieu Lehanneur

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Ambiente Fair 2024 Designer Community

From January 26 to 30, 2024, Ambiente is the place where the international design community meets. The 2024 claim is “The Lifestyle Movement”, with a focus on design and trends.
The Designer Community at Ambiente 2024 dedicates a whole day to design and designers.
On Saturday, January 27, Designer Day offers inspiration to those who are looking for the latest trends. From 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., there will be talks by well-known international designers. Elena Salmistraro will give her special presentation “The Lounge – A Serious Game”; then, presentations by Christoph Brach of Raw Colour, Laura Straßer of Matter of Course, Alison Mears and Jonsara Ruth of Parsons Healthy Materials Lab, and T.A. Wu of Spring Pool will follow.

Learn more about the history of Ambiente 

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The next edition of Milano HOME, 2024, hosts products that stand out for uniqueness and sustainability. The more than 430 exhibitors, in fact, are well-known brands, but also start-ups or small companies made in Italy. They have in common that they display unique, original and sustainable products.

Discover the booths at Milan Salone del Mobile 2024

milano home 2024

Milano Home 2024, Winetage

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In 2024, DOMOTEX Home of Flooring focuses on a country for the first time. Insight Italy provides excellent insight into the trends, designs and innovations of the Italian carpet and flooring industry.

Discover Italian trends & innovation at DOMOTEX 2024

The unique display ‘Insight Italy’ answers the question ‘What’s inside Italy.’ It shows Italy’s contribution to developing materials linked to interior design.

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The next imm cologne returns from January 14-18, 2024, on the usual January dates, but with many new features. The long forced hiatus of the Covid emergency has confirmed that trade fairs are still the preferred place for trade exchanges. In fact, the trade shows that have already taken place after Covid in many cases have already surpassed the pre-Covid numbers, both in terms of the number of exhibitors and visitors. Imm cologne, therefore, is also preparing for a comeback in a big way.

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Entrance South

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The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas has always been the epicenter of groundbreaking technological innovations, setting the stage for what’s to come in the tech world.

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imm cologne ended on Sunday, January 19, 2020, with an overall positive balance. About 128,000 visitors visited the fair, registering an increase in visitors compared to the last edition. (2018: 125,000 visitors). This year imm cologne again presented itself in a very international guise. Of the 82,000 trade visitors (2018: 80,704), about 50 percent came from abroad.

Discover imm cologne 2024

imm cologne 2020
Emu at imm cologne 2020

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