Celebrated designers such as Phillipe Starck, Patricia Urquiola, Mónica Armani, Jaime Hayón, Juan Carlos Baumgartner, Juli Capella and Benedetta Tagliabue will be taking part next week in major design events Feria Hábitat València and the World Design Street Festival.
Valencia, 14th September 2022.- September is the busiest month ofValencia’s year as World Design Capital, with the 56th edition of Feria Hábitat Valencia taking place from 20th to 23rd at Feria Valencia and a multitude of cultural events being staged over these few weeks as part of the World Design Street Festival initiative being rolled out by the organisers of Valencia World Design Capital.
These are events that will place Valencia as the global epicentre of design and that nobody will want to miss out on. Not even the current ‘top’ names in design around the world, who have already confirmed that they will be in Valencia over the coming days to take part both in the various workshops and exhibitions scheduled to take place and in the activities being organised by exhibitors at Feria Hábitat Valencia, who are taking advantage of the fair to invite their star designers along.
A case in point is Valencia design consultancy Andreu World, a true benchmark on the international design stage, which has already confirmed that two ‘giants’ of design, Phillipe Starck of France and Patricia Uquiola, originally from Asturias and currently based in Milan, will be coming to Valencia. Recognised the world over for his emotionally charged designs, Starck works with today’s leading brands and will be presenting his new collections on the afternoon of Monday 19th September at Andreu World’s showroom in Chiva. Feria Hábitat València, for its part, will be hosting Patricia Urquiola, who will be Andreu World’s star guest at the launch of its new collections, scheduled for 15.00 on Friday 23rd September on the company’s stand at the fair.
Feria Hábitat València is also the venue for the WDC Forum series of lectures, talks and round tables that will be taking place over the four days, all focused on design. One of the speakers, on Wednesday 21st, will be one of the top interior designers of the moment, Mónica Armani, who recently worked on one of the most luxurious houses on the Costa Blanca. The Italian has signed up to partner with mattress manufacturer Gomarco, which is exhibiting at Hábitat, and will be giving a presentation on trends in molecular design.
Renowned Mexican architect Juan Carlos Baumgartner, who has a practice in Chicago and whose work includes the Google offices, will also be giving a lecture at the WDC Forum. He will talk to his audience of professionals visiting Hábitat about “a more human vision for public spaces”.
In parallel with Hábitat and just a few metres away from the halls housing the furniture fair, the International Interior Design Forum (FIDI) will be taking place on 22nd September in Feria Valencia’s Events Centre. Organised jointly by the Interior Designers Guild of the Comunidad Valenciana and Valencia World Design Capital, the Forum will address the relationship between design and health.
Notable amongst the speakers are health professionals such as psychiatrist Luis Rojas Marcos, paleontologist Juan Luis Arsuaga and doctor Ana Lluch, as well as luminaries in the field of design such as Italian architect Benedetta Tagliabue, who will be taking part in a round table on Thursday, along with iconic Catalan architect and designer Juli Capella, also an historic figure in European design.
Innumerable design professionals will be in the spotlight over the next few weeks, but one of the most eminent amongst them is Jaime Hayón, the Madrid-born designer who set up his home and his workshop years ago in the city of Valencia. On 22nd September, he will be opening an exhibition of his work at the Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporánea. Titled ‘Jaime Hayón: InfinitaMente’, this is the first large format retrospective of Jaime Hayón’s work to be staged in Spain and will be one of the central features of the World Design Street Festival.
See the full programme for Feria Hábitat València
See the full programme for World Design Street Festival
The best Hábitat of the decade
All of the above will be the perfect complement to what is set to be an historic edition of Feria Hábitat València, which runs from 20th to 23rd September at Feria Valencia. The fair is taking place for the first time concurrently with specialist trade fairs Espacio Cocina SICI and Home Textiles Premium by Textilhogar, comprising a showcase of almost a thousand companies and brands expected to occupy 90,000 square metres at Feria Valencia.
+ info
The fair has scheduled an extensive programme of lectures, talks and round-table discussions to complement the exhibition itself. The ‘WDC2022 Forum’ will take a global look at design through presentations by leading industry professionals.
Valencia, 7th September 2022.- Everything is ready to go at Feria Hábitat València. The foremost fair for ‘Made in Spain’ interiors has once again put together an impressive programme of lectures to complement the offering on show from more than 600 international brands and manufacturers that will be exhibiting at Feria Valencia from 20th to 23rd September.
This year, the workshops, round tables, lectures and talks will all come under the umbrella of the ‘WDC2022 Forum’. Named in tribute to Valencia’s status this year as World Design Capital, the Forum takes place in a dedicated space on Feria Valencia’s Level 3 designed by celebrated Valencian interior designer Pepe Cosín.
The common theme running through the ‘WDC2022 Forum’ is the recognition of design as a valid current and future business strategy for all sectors that make up the interiors value chain, especially designers, retailers, specifiers, manufacturers, distributors etc. In what is a very special year for design, the Forum aims to highlight the importance of creativity and innovation as drivers of change in the industry, particularly by means of different digitalization strategies.
Daily schedule
The ‘WDC2022 Forum’ kicks off on Tuesday 20th with a presentation of the full programme of activities and what Valencia being World Design Capital is all about. This will be followed by a workshop that will analyse the keys to winning in the markets of the Middle East, led by international design and specification consultancies.
Well-known design researcher Marisa Santamaría will reveal the keys to her ‘Atlas of Spanish Design’, with the late-afternoon session concluding with distinguished designer Vicent Martínez presenting the dedicated exhibition of his work at the fair.
Wednesday’s programme features numerous activities and lectures, including a round-table discussion led by Andreu World on their recently published research into ‘Sitting well to work. Good design is good business’ and an international roundtable on new trends in ceramic and design, which will feature Ana Illueca, driver of the ‘Ceramic DNA’ initiative, amongst others.
Also on Wednesday, leading manufacturer Actiu will be chairing a discussion, within the Forum, on design, the contract sector, and the ability to communicate emotions. In the afternoon, the Forum’s major event will be a discussion between two top professionals from the world of interiors, Mariví Calvo (LZF Lamps) and architect Lola Rúa. This will be followed by a keenly anticipated lecture by Italian designer, architect and interior designer Mónica Armani, one of the hottest designers of the moment, who has recently embarked on a partnership with Gomarco.
Hábitat reaches its midway point on Thursday 22nd September with a fascinating session at the WDC2022 Forum, which will open with a presentation on the sustainability project being developed by Zumex and Lowpoly. Next up will be a presentation by researcher Pepa Casado on the results of a study by trends laboratory Future-A.
Women will be in the spotlight again in a session titled ‘Women in Office Design’, moderated by Soledat Berbegall of Actiu, which precedes a lecture delivered by renowned Chicago-based architect Juan Carlos Baumgartner. The new prospects for the industry to develop ‘beyond design’ will be addressed later in the afternoon in a session led by the ‘Innodesign’ group. Participants will include Mara Pardo, Miguel Lozano, Ramón Prous and Mar Vera. A look at home textiles and future trends will bring the penultimate day of the fair to a close.
On the last, and certainly no less interesting day, Hábitat’s WDC2022 Forum opens at 10am with the traditional presentation by the Observatory of Trends in Interiors (OTH). Given by member institutes Aidimme (wood and furniture technology), ITC (ceramic) and Aitex (textiles), the presentation will review the Observatory’s latest findings.
On Friday the focus will be on digitalization, with three lectures addressing digital strategy in the various sectors of the interiors industry. Subjects include Aidimme’s ODS digital platform and, in a lecture delivered by Alberto Torres of Portobello street, how to apply so-called ‘big data’ to the design industry.
The last item on the WDC2022 Forum agenda will be a talk by Rubén Manceras of Product Hackers, about how to address digital growth in the interiors industry and move from physical to digital sales channels.
Beyond the Forum
This year however, Hábitat coincides with the celebrations marking Valencia’s designation as World Design Capital and will be the common thread linking many other events. One notable event in this regard will be the opening of the exhibition titled ‘Vicent Martínez, a continuous present. Memory, recent events and the unprecedented’, which will review the prolific work of the man considered to be the father of modern Valencian design. The exhibition will be in the Lobby area on Level 3.
Also worth noting is that there will be a fresh edition of the young design talent show, Salón nude. This year, it too will be on Level 3 and will showcase almost twenty selected design studios and centres. Also, as is well known, nude is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year with a retrospective exhibition, that will be open at the Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània (CCCC) in Valencia until 16th October. The exhibition will be open to visitors during Hábitat week and is scheduled to feature a round-table discussion on Tuesday 20th, at the CCCC.
Not to be missed either are the International Interior Design Forum (FIDI) which takes place on 21st and 22nd in the Events Centre at Feria Valencia, as part of Hábitat, the afterwork event that takes place every day at 19.00 in the Àgora València right in the city centre, and the various activities being planned by the organisers of Valencia World Design Capital 2022 that will focus on the best of urban culture and design. The full programme of events can be viewed online at https://www.feriahabitatvalencia.com/fhav-activities-program-2022/
Feria Hábitat Valencia is the main fair for ‘made in Spain’ interiors and has positioned itself as the most representative, international and influential fair for the industry in Spain, with an extensive showcase covering furniture, lighting, décor, upholstery and sleep. A total of 32,796 professionals visited the last edition of the fair, 15% of whom came from 70 different countries. Hábitat has already opened visitor registration and professionals can download their free entrance passes via the following link: https://n9.cl/13a20
+ info
https://www.feriahabitatvalencia.com/
Feria Hábitat València joins the catalogue of events celebrating design in the street with the World Design Street Festival, a huge festival that also includes the activities scheduled as part of Valencia Disseny Week, Miradors de l’Horta, Abierto València, Openhouse and the Semana de la Movilidad (Mobility Week) being organised by the Ajuntament de València (Valencia City Council).
Feria Hábitat València, will also be staging the ‘HábitatOFF’ fiesta every evening in the ‘Ágora València’ in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. ‘HábitatOFF’ will be open to visitors, exhibitors and professionals in the interiors sector who are in the city.
Valencia, 27th July 2022.- Feria Hábitat Valencia could not be anything but involved with what is a special year for design, with Valencia designated World Design Capital. Together with all the other activities being staged at the exhibition venue itself from 20th to 23rd September, the fair will also be joining in the celebration of design in the streets with the ‘World Design Street Festival’.
Set to be a huge event, the festival will open design up to the citizens of Valencia with a plethora of activities, talks, exhibitions ‘showrooms’ and cocktail events open to the thousands of professionals who will be Feria Hábitat València in September and who will be another reason Valencia will be the world’s meeting point for the industry for that week.
Taking design to the city
The ‘World Design Street Festival’is a celebration of Valencia as World Design Capital 2022 that will be taking place in the streets, with the aim being to open design up to the city’s inhabitants. The initiative hopes to promote design and those behind it in a dynamic, exciting way, whilst promoting local pride, celebrating the city’s status as World Design Capital and educating people as to the importance of design in their lives.
Along with Feria Hábitat Valencia, the ‘World Design Street Festival’ will include the activities programmed by the Comunitat Valenciana Association of Designers for Valencia Disseny Week, the Miradors de l’Horta initiative, the Openhouse festival of architecture and the Semana de la Movilidad being organised by the Ajuntament de València. Also coinciding with Hábitat will be the opening on 22ns September of the ‘Jaime Hayón: InfinitaMente’ exhibition at the CCCC. Staged by the Consorci de Museus, the exhibition will feature a selection of the designer’s most emblematic creations, including pieces never seen before in Spain.
Valencia Disseny Week
One of the most notable elements scheduled to appear on the streets of Valencia is ‘Valencia Disseny Week’, an initiative driven by the Association of Designers of the Comunitat Valenciana that is closely linked to every edition of Hábitat. This year (2022) it runs from 20th to 23rd September and will feature a diverse programme ranging from exhibitions to talks, seminars, workshops, openings and presentations, all covering different content and taking different approaches.
These activities are set to include the ‘Design Walks’, which were extremely well received in 2021 and will be back in enhanced form this year. These routes around design studios in the Comunitat Valenciana aim to give visibility to work and organisational processes. Also, and as in previous years, the programme will include ‘Destacados VDW2022’ events, which differ from the rest because of their size and impact in terms of reach, location, production requirements or the relevance of the entity organising them.
‘HabitatOFF’, from Feria Valencia to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento
One of the most notable activities of all the celebrations of design in the streets of Valencia will be the ‘HabitatOFF’ fiestas that will bring the hubbub of Feria Hábitat València to the city centre, specifically to the fabulous new Àgora València.
Right in the centre of Valencia’s Plaza del Ayuntamiento, the space has already become an icon of the area’s urban landscape, prompting citizens’ curiosity and acting as a loud-hailer for design. Within the space, designed by Miguel Arraiz and technical input from interior design consultancy Cosín Estudio, Feria Hábitat València will be hosting a grand party every day after the fair closes to celebrate design. With live music and DJ’s, the party will be open to all professionals attending the fair during that week.
Feria Hábitat Valencia is the foremost trade fair for ‘made in Spain’ interiors and has already positioned itself as Spain’s most representative, international and influential event for the industry, with a wide-ranging showcase for furniture, lighting, décor, upholstery and sleep. A total of 32,796 professionals visited the last edition of the fair, 15% of whom hailed from 70 different countries. Hábitat has already opened registration for interiors professionals intending to visit, who can download their free entrance tickets to the fair via this link: https://n9.cl/13a20
Researcher and promoter of design Marisa Santamaría is set to reveal the “yesterday, today and tomorrow” of design in our country on 20th this coming September at Feria Hábitat València.
Marisa Santamaría’s talk is part of the programme of lectures, talks and workshops scheduled to be delivered on Level 3 at Feria Valencia during the week of Feria Hábitat València.
Valencia, 28th June 2022.- How has design evolved in Spain? What part has it played in the modernisation of our country? Is there such a thing as ‘made in Spain’ design? Researcher and promoter of design Marisa Santamaría addresses these and other questions in her work. In her ‘Atlas of Spain’s Design Culture’, she paints a comprehensive picture of what she herself defines as the “yesterday, today and tomorrow” of design in our country.
According to the author “Atlas is an ongoing project that looks at design as a reflection of the changing reality of the 21st century and how it interacts with Spanish culture and society.” The paper posits that “you have to bear in mind that today, design is a key strategic tool for tackling the new challenges and dimensions of an uncertain future”.
What’s On at Hábitat
The programme of workshops, presentations and talks includes a lecture, to be delivered at 16.00 on 20th September at Feria Hábitat Valencia, that will reveal the conclusions drawn from this work. All the sessions will take place as part of Hábitat, which runs from 20th to 23rd September at Feria Valencia.
In her presentation, Santamaría will trace out in clear and concise detail just how significantly Spanish design is currently developing, especially in terms of new talent and from the perspective of different emerging futures. She will also present the conclusions of the Atlas of Spain’s Design Culture research project, completed over two years with the support of the Ministry for Culture and Sport.
Profile: Marisa Santamaría
Researcher, teacher and promoter of global trends in architecture and design, Marisa Santamaría works with brands such as Rimadesio, Poltrona Frau, Lladró, Simon Electric, Cosentino, Camper, Andreu World, Jung, Porcelanosa, BTicino, Siematic and Danish Design + amongst others.
She is a consultant for the Sociedad Estatal Acción Cultural Española (Action for Spanish Culture State Association), PICE and Arquitectura y Diseño and teaches analysis of global design trends at IE University Architecture&Design, IADE, Politécnico de Milán POLI.Design and Nebrija University.
Santamaría also gives lectures – as well as being a presenter, moderator and leader for specialist congresses and conferences – for companies, cultural institutions and corporations, including Interihotel, Madrid Design Festival, Valencia Capital Mundial del Diseño, TedX Taipei, TedX UNebrija, Media Lab Prado, Design Hub Barcelona and the Thyssen Bornemisza National Museum, amongst others.
For the last 15 years she has written about trends in design and architecture for the national press, including El País “El Viajero”, Condé Nast Traveler, Icon Design and AD España.
Her lecture is part of an extensive series of talks and workshops being put together by Feria Valencia and that will be delivered during the fair. The sessions will feature speakers from leading international companies as well as the true drivers of how interiors are currently evolving: designers, creators, manufacturers, opinion leaders and institutions. Habitat will also be staging several exhibitions, such as the one that will review the work of Valencian designer Vicent Martínez.
Feria Hábitat Valencia is the foremost trade fair for ‘made in Spain’ interiors and has already positioned itself as Spain’s most representative, international and influential event for the industry, with a wide-ranging showcase for furniture, lighting, décor, upholstery and sleep. A total of 32,796 professionals visited the last edition of the fair, 15% of whom hailed from 70 different countries.
+ info
The regional capital will be welcoming Nutraceuticals Europe Summit & Expo for the first time. As the biggest trade fair for the industry in Spain, this year it will be showcasing the latest products from 107 companies from 15 countries.
The 2022 edition of Nutraceuticals is placing its bets on natural and sustainable ingredients with novel formulations geared to producing foods or supplements that improve quality of life.
Valencia, 13 June 2022. – Everything is ready for the first Nutraceuticals Europe Summit & Expo in Barcelona. The fifth edition of Spain’s quintessential trade fair for functional ingredients, novel foods and end products opens next Wednesday, 15th June at the Barcelona International Convention Centre – BICC. The industry is flourishing and is returning this year to its foremost showcase following a year’s absence due to the pandemic.
Nutraceuticals 2022 will in fact be a major showcase for the industry, with 107 companies exhibiting, not just from Spain but also from the United States, China, Belgium, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. These exhibitors will be making the most of the fair as a vehicle for showing the market the latest advances it has made and the results of latest research it has undertaken. Many are surprising and give a glimpse of some of the trends that will emerge in the industry in the very near future.
Exhibitors will for example be showing innovations such as insect protein for use in sports nutrition, glucosamine salt for maintaining fertility and cardiovascular health, a new formulation of chitosan that aids weight loss, vitamin K2 that prevents calcification of the arteries, hop extract that can palliate disorders caused by the menopause and baobab pulp, which improves digestive health. These and many other innovations will be grouped together in Nutraceuticals’ ‘Premium Substances’ zone.
An extensive programme of talks and themed workshops will complement the exhibits. Given by exhibitors and some of the industry’s leading bodies and set to take place in the ‘Seminar Theatre’ area, these sessions will review the latest advances in the development of nutraceutical products and international trends in the industry from an educational perspective, through a series of debates on how markets and consumer opinions have evolved. Speakers will be representing the industry’s most prominent operators.
Some of the many subjects set to be covered over the two days include the latest research into vegetable proteins and their properties compared with dairy proteins, the effectiveness of PEA in treating disorders such as dismenorrhoea, the functionality of versatile biopolymers for nutraceutical applications, vegan alternatives to collagen and the role of choline in children’s cognitive development.
Industry interest and online tickets at 50% off
Industry professionals are more interested in the fair than ever and this year the event has enhanced its appeal and its power to attract visitors by taking place in the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB), a modern venue in the city’s Forum area that stands right opposite the Mediterranean.
Barcelona has much to offer in terms of both leisure and business facilities, which are ideally suited to the profile of the professionals who visit Nutraceuticals and are undoubtedly a significant motivator for attending the fair. The event is therefore once again offering professionals visiting the much anticipated nutraceuticals event a 50% discount promotion for tickets bought online.
Opening times and visitor profile
The event will be open, at the Barcelona ICC on 15th and 16th June from 9.30 to 17.30 and is aimed at a trade audience including manufacturers of nutraceutical, dietetic and pharmaceutical products, cosmetics and food and drink in general, retailers, wholesalers, research and development professionals and scientists. Tickets are available to purchase now via this link .
+info
The latest developments in functional ingredients and components are set to take centre stage in the nutraceutical products trade fair (15-16 June, Barcelona) ‘Seminar Theatre’ programme of presentations.
Valencia, 6th May 2022.- With a little more than a month to go before the fifth edition of Nutraceuticals Europe Summit & Expo opens its doors, the functional ingredients, novel foods and finished products fair has announced the content for its ‘Seminar Theatre’ programme of presentations. Comprising an extensive set of short lectures, it will give attendees an insight into the latest advances in the development of nutraceutical products and international trends in the industry.
Through a series of 20-minute talks, the format gives participating companies the opportunity to present the latest products they have launched to the one hundred percent trade audience that gathers at Nutraceuticals every year. This time, the different presentations that are already confirmed will address innovations in areas including vitamin B9, new vegetable proteins, natural probiotics and the benefits of spirulina.
Manufacturer Gnosis by Lesafire, for example, will be presenting the latest advances it has made in the different applications of folate, or vitamin B9, beyond pregnancy, such as for improving cardiovascular health and fertility in both men and women. A new vegetable protein will be presented in the first ‘Seminar Theatre’ session too: a vegetable protein with a high nutritional value that is perfectly suitable as a substitute for lactic protein – a pea protein made by Cosuca-Impag Iberia, which will be presenting its latest findings on this particular protein.
It has also been confirmed that manufacturer Disproquimia will be giving a presentation on a new component that can help improve sleep quality through a blend of natural botanicals. The session will continue with a presentation of a new natural bioactive compound rich in flavonoids developed by Natural Remedies and an alternative to CBD for treating neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain, created by Solchem Nature.
This first Seminar Theatre session will close with a presentation by Eurecat of their new screening platform for obtaining new, natural ingredients that have natural properties. Other companies slated to give talks on this first day include Ricardo Molina, Rettenmaier Ibérica and Probiotical.
Day two
The ‘Seminar Theatre’ programme for the 16th includes a presentation about a new ingredient developed by Vaneeghen that has been scientifically proven to support joint mobility and is made from a molecule found in fruit, nuts and pulses.
Also, manufacturer Giuvaudan will be revealing the results of its latest development centred on turmeric that at a low dose is biologically equivalent to standard products on the market and is effective in terms of joint health, sports nutrition and memory.
In other presentations, Eurecat will be talking about its research into the evidence for nutritional and health benefits of alternative proteins, whilst Granja Mamá Lombriz will present the ambitious project it has carried out to develop foods with high nutritional value based on spirulina, one of the plant foods with the highest concentrations of nutrients. Presentations by Rousselot and Lambinderm will complete the ‘Seminar Theatre’ programme on this second and last day of Nutraceuticals 2022.
The full, up-to-date programme can be viewed online via the fair’s website.
Tickets available now
Professionals who so wish can get their tickets for Nutraceuticals Europe – Summit & Expo via the website at a 50% discount off the price at the ticket office.
Nutraceuticals Europe – Summit & Expo 2022 is southern Europe’s leading fair and congress dedicated to functional ingredients, novel foods and finished products. A trade-only event for producers, distributors and their customers, the last edition, held in 2020, drew an offering of 120 brands and 2000 trade visitors.
+info
The Biennial International Fair for Materials, Technology and Components for Furniture Manufacturing, Interior Design and Contract Projects welcomed more than 35,000 trade visitors, overtaking figures for the previous, pre-pandemic edition and international buyers accounting for 16% of all visitors.
València, 5 April 2022.- FIMMA + Maderalia closed its doors having delivered figures the exceeded even its most optimistic expectations. The international fair at Feria Valencia for the lumber and supply sector had by midday today notched up 35,000 trade buyers, a figure 10% higher than the number who flocked to the last edition, held in 2018, before the pandemic.
The figure validates the good vibe that was being felt throughout the fair, with the aisles in all the halls full, especially on the Wednesday and Thursday, which were the fair’s peak days in terms of visitor numbers. The fair also recorded a distinct increase in the number of foreign buyers attending, with 16% of all trade professionals visiting hailing from a total of 60 different countries. The largest contingents were from the European Union (Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium and Germany being the main markets), the countries of the Maghreb (led by Morocco and Algeria) and Latin American nations.
An initial analysis of the figures reveals that FIMMA + Maderalia draws buyers from all over Spain. 62% of visitors, for example, came from outside the Comunitat Valenciana, a clear indication that the biennial fair is a major event for the whole country – with the consequent impact on overnight stays in the area around the venue.
Broad satisfaction amongst exhibitors
Satisfaction with the results obtained during the fair was a constant amongst exhibitors at FIMMA + Maderalia, who admitted that the commercial results obtained had exceeded their most optimistic expectations. In the field of fixtures, fittings, and components for furniture for example Eduardo Urquijo, of Grass highlighted that “there was a massive turnout, from carpenters to major manufacturers. The top furniture manufacturers came to see us! We’re thrilled to have shown our most significant new products at Maderalia”. Alejandro Chivite, of Blum, in the same sector, explained that “the clients who needed to come, came. The fair has improved a lot with the new halls, and we were wanting to show our new products to customers”.
Outcomes in the area of board, surfaces and new materials were also positive. Eduardo de Palacio, of Krion Grupo Porcelanosa commented, for example, that “we are very optimistic and we are excited by the results the fair delivered. This was a great edition of Maderalia and we have realised that we are in the sector we belong in. This is the right fair and the right route to market for us”. Sofía Lopes, of Sonae Arauco, also expressed satisfaction with a fair where “our strategy of maintaining our relationship with our customers by providing our distributors with a meeting room to display our latest products in was definitely the right one. We met all our sales targets”.
Exhibitors in the machinery and technology sector remarked on how successful FIMI was as a platform for showing the sector’s latest innovations and responding to demand from the market. “Concentrating the offering in a single hall was spot on because all the visitors had the opportunity to see what we have to offer at first hand. We are very satisfied”, explained Jaime de Cecilio, of Comercial Cecilio. Lluís Biosca, of Felder Group recognised, for his part that “Felder made a big commitment to this fair and I have to say that the market responded. We are very happy. The market has seen who Felder is and what we can offer”; whilst Manuel Tarín, of Europea de Maquinaria, was quick to confirm that “the fair went very well. The market is working, and you can tell that it is”.
Valencia, springboard for business between Europe and America
One of the most arresting aspects of this edition of FIMMA + Maderalia, which was highlighted by exhibitors as well, was the significant presence of buyers from the other side of the Atlantic. A large group of North American exporters of hardwood, for example, gathered under the umbrella of the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), used FIMMA + Maderalia to re-boot business with European importers of lumber, who are currently very short of raw material and had not been able to have direct contact with their North American suppliers at a trade fair because of the two-year-long pandemic. Indeed, Mike Snow, AEHC executive director, acknowledged that “purchasing orders have come out of Maderalia”.
On the other hand, a considerable number of professionals in the Latin American lumber trade crossed the pond for these last few days to attend FIMMA + Maderalia and purchase machinery to revitalise their workshops and carpentry businesses. These professionals, from Colombia, Argentina and the Dominican Republic, are used to buying in Europe and chose the Feria Valencia fair this year to source from as it was the first European trade fair to take place following the pandemic.
More than 400 brands will be exhibiting directly and a further 700 represented from this Tuesday, 29th March, until 1st April at the industry’s grand reunion FIMMA + Maderalia, the first major trade fair to take place in Spain this year and the first of Europe’s fairs for the lumber and furniture to be held in 2022.
The outlook for this FIMMA + Maderalia is as good as it gets, with international buyers returning, 31% of exhibitors coming from other countries and a sector that is on the up, having grown its output 21.6% in 2021, making it the country’s second fastest-growing industry.
València, 28th march 2022.- The machines are cranking into gear at Feria Valencia. FIMMA + Maderalia, the much anticipated Biennial International Fair for Technology, Materials and Components for Furnture Manufacturing, Interior Design and Contract Projects opens its doors this Tuesday, returning to the exhibition venue after a four-year gap and a pandemic that, despite everything, spurred the industry on in the heat of a boom in home refurbishment.
In point of fact, FIMMA + Maderalia is happening at a great time for the wood and ancillary sectors which, despite current uncertainties, was the second-fastest growing sector of industry in 2021, chalking up 21.6% growth, just behind the textile and clothing sector but ahead of the furniture manufacturing industry, according to INE industrial output statistics provided by AIDIMME, the Institute for Technology.
The sector is also expanding in terms of job creation, with more than 61,00 qualified staff employed in 2021, a 5% increase.
Spain’s and Europe’s first fair this year
All of the above will be evident in the industries’ main fair to take place in southern Europe: FIMMA + Maderalia. The event is Spain’s first major fair for this sector of industry to take place in 2022 and will also be the first to take place anywhere in Europe following the cancellation and/or postponement of the German fairs for the wood and furniture industries, which are the points of reference on the annual event roster.
Expectations for FIMMA are, as a result, running high. Following several postponements caused by the pandemic, the fair has almost recouped its 2018 exhibitor numbers, with 402 direct exhibitors signed up and more than 700 brands represented, covering both machinery and technology as well as board, fixtures and fittings, doors, flooring, varnishes and coverings.
A broad spectrum of exhibits that will take up more than 50.000 square metres of exhibition space throughout four halls on Level 3, Feria Valencia, and is expected to bring thousands of professionals together not just from the furniture manufacturing and ancillary sectors but also from fields such as interior design, construction, renovation and hotel, restaurant and commercial premises contract project specification, office design and public equipment.
International again!
As practically the first event on the trade fair circuit to take place after the two years of pandemic, FIMMA + Maderalia will also have strong international accent, with a notable presence of foreign exhibitors and buyers.
On the supply side, the international component has shot up to account for 31% of all exhibitors, six percentage points ahead of the equivalent figure for 2018. The largest contingent of foreign exhibitors will be from Italy, with 40 companies, followed by substantial representations from Portugal (14 direct exhibitors), France (13), Germany (11) and Turkey (8).
The FIMMA + Maderalia showcase will also be featuring companies from Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Poland, San Marino, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The fair will also be a meeting point for U.S. exhibitors of lumber and European importers, at what is a key moment given the global short supply of wood.
On the demand side, several international buyer missions to FIMMA + Maderalia have been confirmed, with guests coming from many markets including Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Egypt, France, Italy, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Morocco, Holland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia and the United States. These missions will be complemented by a range of live events such as the ‘B2B meetings’ being arranged by trade associations Arvet and Cofearfein conjunction with IVACE Internacional and the international specifiers mission being organised jointly Cofearfe and ICEX.
Designer hoyel: Tailor{H}otel
One of the main attractions of this edition of FIMMA + Maderalia will be the replication of a designer hotel being created by the renowned Valencian design and interior design studio headed up José Manuel Ferrero. Ferrero and his team at Estudi{H}ac have designed several rooms for a cutting-edge hotel using solely new products donated by exhibitors.
Titled Tailor{H}otel, the space will host a full programme of lectures, workshops, presentations and demonstrations over the four days of the fair, centred on issues such as sustainability, the use of new materials, eco design, forest certification and technological innovation. It will also host a series of lectures every afternoon about contract projects and fitting out public facilities, with speakers including manufacturers, firms of architects and hotel chains, amongst others.
FIMMA + Maderalia 2022 takes place from Tuesday 29th March to Friday 1st April and will be open all day from 09.00 to 18.00. The fair is trade only and professionals can obtain tickets via the dedicated online platform or by invitation from exhibitors.
+info
The fair has just confirmed that 100 leading Portuguese manufacturers will be attending and that buyers will also be visiting from France, Germany, Morocco, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Italy and Balkan states.
FIMMA + Maderalia will also be hosting a fresh round of B2B Meetings between exhibitors and foreign buyers from some 20 countries.
Further, 31% of the exhibitors at FIMMA + Maderalia will be from a total of 18 different countries.
Valencia, 22th March 2022.- FIMMA + Maderalia 2022 is putting the finishing touches to preparations for the upcoming edition of the fair, which takes places in barely two weeks’ time, from 29th March to 1st April at Feria Valencia. The event will be the first of the industry’s major trade fairs to take place in Europe this year, and has as a result prompted enormous interest in the international markets where, in spite of current circumstances, there seems to be a demand for a trade showcase such as FIMMA + Maderalia.
In line with this demand and on the supply side of the business, this edition of the fair features a bigger international component than before – <https://apps.feriavalencia.com/catalog/fimma-maderalia/home> – that will account for 31% of all exhibitors at the biennial show, 6% more than the number of foreign exhibitors that took part in the 2018 edition, the most recent to have taken place. The most notable contingent amongst the international presence will be that of Italian exhibitors, with 40 companies taking part, followed by substantial delegations from Portugal (14 exhibitors), France (13 exhibitors), Germany (11) and Turkey, with 8 direct exhibitors.
Also represented at the FIMMA + Maderalia showcase will be companies from Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Poland, San Marino, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. As of today’s date, a total of 122 foreign exhibitors are slated to take part in the keenly awaited event at Feria Valencia.
International trade missions a success
The international element of the demand side of the industry is also set to be outstanding at FIMMA + Maderalia 2022, thanks to the various international trade missions being organised by the fair, in conjunction with exhibitors. Most notable of all is that almost a hundred Portuguese buyers from the timber and furniture sector have confirmed that they will be attending – a direct result of the invitation issued by FIMMA + Maderalia in collaboration with Portuguese trade association APIMA.
Along with the substantial presence of Portuguese buyers, a significant number of buyers is expected to attend from the rest of the European Union. The fair is, in this regard, receiving confirmations from professionals in markets including France, Germany and Italy, in addition to confirmations of attendance from buyers in the Balkans (Serbia and Croatia) and a significant delegation expected from Morocco – following improvements in obtaining visas – and Latin American countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia.
It should be remembered that being the first of the industry’s major European fairs to take place this year sets the tone for a market that, despite the challenging current situation, is committed to returning to normality as far as trade fairs are concerned.
B2B meetings with foreign buyers
To stimulate business with foreign buyers, FIMMA + Maderalia has also put a B2B meetings arrangement facility in place. The initiative has been developed hand in hand with trade associations ARVET (Spanish Association of Exporter Companies)and COFEARFE (Federation of Spanish Manufacturers of Ironmongery and D.I.Y. Products) and support from the Generalitat Valenciana (the Valencia Regional Government), through IVACE Internacional.
These meetings will bring international trade visitors and exhibitors together for 20 minutes to explore new opportunities, uncover trends, promote business, international synergies and partnership agreements, create visibility for the companies involved and make them accessible to future customers.
To take part, both exhibitors and visitors need to register on the dedicated platform <https://fimma-maderalia.feriavalencia.com/encuentros-b2b-fimma-maderalia-2022/>. The platform provides the facility to send and receive requests for meetings which, once they have been accepted, will generate a schedule that reflects each participant’s commercial interests. To date, buyers from the following countries have registered for the B2B meetings: Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Egypt, France, Italy, North Macedonia, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia and the United States.
+info
The fifth edition of the international event for the functional ingredients, novel foods and finished products industry has already signed up 78 exhibitors from 10 different countries.
Nutraceuticals Europe 2022 has also confirmed the “Seminar Theatre” series of lectures and presentations and the “Premium Substances” new products forum.
València, 22 March 2022.- Nutraceuticals Europe – Summit & Expo 2022 is looking good already. Having set definitive dates of 15th and 16th June and confirmed the venue – the Barcelona International Convention Centre – the foremost fair for the functional ingredients, novel foods and finished products industry is enjoying the support of most operators in the industry. Sound proof of this is that, with three months to go before opening day, 85% of the exhibition space set aside for Nutraceuticals Europe has already been booked.
According to the fair’s director, Esther Cano, the rapid pace of bookings reflects “the main operators in the industry’s keenness and strong drive to innovate. They have chosen Nutaceuticals Europe again as their prime fair in southern Europe and the main showcase for their latest products and innovations”.
It must be remembered that the event is returning this year after the pandemic forced the 2021 edition to be cancelled and this year’s, which had been scheduled for the beginning of the year, to be delayed. “The fair is on its way now, with the industry, the relevant associations and Feria Valencia firmly committed to
NutraceuticalsEurope 2022 being a resounding success”, Cano notes.
An international showcase
This year’s edition of the Nutraceuticals Europe showcase will retain a strong international element, with the international markets gradually returning to normal and almost no restrictions on international travel. As a result, 78 companies have already confirmed they will be exhibiting, from Spain and also from countries including Belgium, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland, continuing along the lines of recent editions in the sense of creating the most varied offering possible and the most attractive for the close on 2000 professionals who are expected to attend.
Parallel events
On another front, Nutraceuticals Europe has also started to prepare the various events and activities that make up its Programme of Parallel Events and that enrich the show’s fair+congress format. On the one hand, there will be a series of lectures, talks and demonstrations in the “Seminar Theatre”, an exclusive space where exhibitors will reveal their latest product launches through brief presentations lasting no more than 20 minutes.
On the other, the “Premium Substances” area is also set to be a major feature, an exhibition zone where the organisers will be offering visitors a quick and simple review of the new products on exhibit at the fair.
Barcelona, host city for 2022
It is important to remember that this year’s event, set for 14th and 15th June, will be taking place in Barcelona for the first time, more specifically in the modern International Convention Centre (CCIB). The venue offers all the services that are required by international events such as Nutraceuticals Europe – Summit & Expo.
Tickets available now
Professionals who so wish can acquire their tickets for Nutraceuticals Europe – Summit & Expo now through the website and receive a 50% discount off the price on the door.
Nutraceuticals Europe – Summit & Expo 2022 is southern Europe’s leading international fair+congress in the field of functional ingredients, novel foods and finished products. A meeting point for professionals – producers, distributors and their customers – that brought together 120 brands and 2,000 trade visitors at its last edition, held in 2020.
+info
Stand bookings have almost entirely filled the six halls at Feria Valencia ahead of what will be a formidable offering from Spanish and international design, contemporary furniture, bed and décor brands.
For the first time, a comprehensive offering of home textiles and kitchen furniture and equipment will be joining the sectors taking part in Hábitat, in the form of Home Textiles Premium and Espacio Cocina SICI. The three shows together will comprise a vast showcase comprising more than 80,000 m2 of exhibition space.
The event has already published a first preview of exhibitors
Valencia, 22st March 2022.- Hábitat has confirmed its most optimistic hopes for the 2022 fair have become a reality. With six months still to go until the doors open and three years since it last took place, Spain’s main fair for the industry is poised to make a spectacular comeback from 20th to 23rd September. As a result of its sales drive, Hábitat has bookings for almost all the space in the six halls Feria Valencia has set aside for it, meaning it will occupy more than 60,000 square metres.
“We are delighted to see how the companies are responding to Hábitat’s invitation to take part this year”, says the fair’s director, Daniel Marco. “With the last edition having taken place in 2019 and following two years of pandemic, we have set ourselves the ambitious aim of repeating the success of the 2019 show, no less, in terms of exhibitor numbers. As of today, half a year from opening day, we can confirm that our hopes are coming true. I am sure that we will deliver the great fair that this industry deserves,” he adds.
On this point, Marco has indicated that September’s Hábitat will host a “hugely international” offering from the leading companies in the design and cutting-edge sector, along with a “mighty, high-end” showcase featuring the foremost names in contemporary design, including upholstery, bedroom furniture, children’s and modern furniture. “This style will be on display across more than 30,000 m2 of the fair”, he says.
Hábitat’s director has also indicated that one of the great novelties this time round is that “top level décor suppliers” will be joining the showcase. These companies are a key sector for interior designers as they provide the accessories that are such a necessary part of today’s homes. “This sector has always been an important part of Hábitat but it will play a major role in its own right this year”, Marco points out.
The power of attraction: textiles and kitchen furniture and equipment
It is worth remembering that, along with all the sectors that make up Hábitat, visiting professionals will also have access to the full offering on show from two other areas: the home textiles, upholstery and contract segment of the industry on the one hand and kitchen furniture and equipment on the other. The two have their own dedicated fairs: Home Textiles Premium by Textilhogar and Espacio Cocina SICI, respectively. The two will be taking place alongside Feria Hábitat Valencia, with direct connections through from the halls hosting the interiors show.
This will be the first time that the three fairs coincide at the same time, with the added attraction that they are being held during the same week the main events celebrating Valencia’s status as World Design Capital 2022 take place, which will see leading design and architecture professionals and artists from the international arena gather at Feria Valencia
Feria Hábitat Valencia is the leading fair for ‘made in Spain’ interiors and is now Spain’s most representative, international and influential event for the industry, a wide-ranging showcase of furniture, lighting, decorative items, upholstery and bedroom furniture. A total of 32,796 trade visitors flocked to the last edition of the fair, 15% of whom came from 70 different countries.
+ info
- The fair’s organising committee met today at Feria Valencia, joined by the Ministry for the Economy
Valencia, 11th March 2022.- Cevisama is forging ahead with its preparations for the upcoming edition, which takes place from 13th to 17th June at Feria Valencia. Both Spanish and international visitors are showing robust support for the event despite the challenging economic context.
In fact, as of today, 300 major ceramic retail groups have confirmed that they will be visiting from 45 different countries apart from Spain. These include strategic markets such as France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Canada.
The number of professionals who have already pre-registered is equally impressive. As of today, 25% more buyers and specifiers have registered that at the same point ahead of the 2020 edition of the fair. The excellent response from the demand side of the industry is one of the strong points of next June’s event.
Cevisama’s organising committee met today at Feria Valencia to review the economic context and the specific situation of the ceramic industry, which is one of the fair’s main components and is suffering a worsening energy crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Cevisama’s director, Carmen Álvarez, underscored that the organisers will monitor how the exceptional circumstances that are impacting the industry evolve, and that “as we always have done, we will support our customers in every way we can”.
The committee is formed of representatives of the different sectors of the industry and this meeting was also attended by The Under Secretary of the Ministry of Sustainable Economy, Natxo Costa, and the director general of internationalisation, María Dolores Parra. Both expressed the regional government’s total support for businesses and for the fair.
The Tailor{H}otel installation will be one of the fair’s major attractions and will be the venue for talks and lectures centred on the contract sector, interior design, design and València World Design Capital 2022.
València, 2nd March 2022.- The world of contract projects is set to take centre stage at the upcoming edition of FIMMA – Maderalia. The biennial materials, technology and processes show for the wood and furniture industry is hosting a project that had been planned in for the 2020 fair and has been picked up again to be part of this year’s keenly anticipated edition, which takes place from 29th March to 1st April at Feria Valencia.
The Tailor{H}otel installation will recreate a series of different hotel rooms and is being designed and developed by the creative team at Estudi{H}ac under the leadership of designer José Manuel Ferrero. “Tailor{H}otel will be a visually powerful installation where the textures and colours of the materials provided by the stand-out exhibitors at this fresh edition of the fair will be used to provide an experience in an elegant, colourful hotel that really ‘talks’ to you”, explains the design studio, which recently won the prestigious German Design Awards and the NYCx Design Awards presented by Interior Design Magazine and New York’s ICFF fair.
The installation at FIMMA-Maderalia will be located in the middle of Hall 2 Level 3 and will consist of four room sets that will reveal a fresh, stunning take on how to show a huge range of materials: a whole, flexible system of horizontal and vertical surfaces inspired by mixing and matching differently patterned textiles. One of the spaces will be designated as the venue for the Lecture Forum, which will feature a programme of activities, talks and workshops devised by FIMMA – Maderalia.
Participating companies
As for constructing the installation, the team at Estudi{H}ac received direct assistance from exhibitors at FIMMA – Maderalia, who are contributing some of their most recent innovations, many of which will see the light for the first time during the fair.
The companies involved are Altoturia, Alvic, Barinsa, Bariperfil, Blanquer, Ebir, Emuca, Gabarró, Krion Grupo Porcelanosa; Puertas Castalla, Puricelli, Secrisa, Sonae Arauco, Sudesa, Ter Hürne and Valresa. In that respect, it will be a great opportunity for professionals looking at the installation to see practical applications for the innovations being launched at the fair at first hand.
Other top-ranking companies and brands are also involved in the ATailor{H}otel project and will be dressing this special hotel’s different rooms. These companies include Aromas del Campo, Audi, Blasco & Vila, Colección Alexandra, Estiluz, Joumma Bags, Kvadrat, Meller Brand, Ondarreta, Point, Sancal, Sonpura, Vical Home and Vondom.
Professionals visiting FIMMA – Maderalia will be able to go to see the installation on all four days of the fair. A press launch has been planned for the first day, 29th March. All media accredited to visit the fair will be invited and José Manuel Ferrero himself will be speaking.
+info
https://fimma-maderalia.feriavalencia.com/
https://fimma-maderalia.feriavalencia.com/elementor-pagina-de-destino-15451/
The biennial materials and technology exhibition runs from 29th March to 1st April and its Events Programme includes ‘Architecture and New Materials Workshops’ that will feature content relating to the contract sector, design, architecture, wood and new materials.
This series of lectures will feature speakers from design and architecture consultancies, hotel chains and industrialised construction companies, as well as eminent architects such as Teresa Sapey and César Ruiz Larrea.
Valencia, 23rd February 2022.- With just a little over a month to go until FIMMA – Maderalia opens its doors, the show is putting the finishing touches to an edition that will once again be offering an ambitious programme of events and lectures. One of the highlights will be the appropriately named ‘1st Architecture and New Materials Workshops’, a series of lectures that will be delivered in the afternoons of 29th, 30th and 31st March at FIMMA – Maderalia (29th March – 1st April).
The workshops will look at the use of new materials in contemporary architecture and especially at how traditional materials like wood can be made to work in today’s designs. The sessions will also review the boom that industrialised construction is currently experiencing, precisely through the presence of wood and these new materials.
Industrialised dwellings and wood
The Workshops will be taking place in the afternoons of the first three days of FIMMA – Maderalia, starting at 4pm, in the noteworthy venue of the Conference Zone at the Tailor{H}otel on Level 3, Hall 2 at Feria Valencia. The sessions will kick off on Tuesday 29th March with a symposium dedicated to industrialisation with wood and its application to both residential homes and hotel and tourist complexes.
The speakers will include professionals from leading practitioners in this sector: Ángel Alfocea, from specialist modular homes construction company Wes; Unai Gorroño, from Egoin, which specializes in timber construction solutions; Paloma Gómez, of modular homes builder EcotechHouse; and Pere Linares, of specialist efficient timber homes builder HouseHabitat.
Also speaking at this first session will be Eduardo Guitérrez, of architects ON-A, currently in the spotlight as they have been commissioned to revamp Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium; and Rocío Pina, representative of the Beyome initiative, which explores new models for homes.
Design and architecture in the contract sector
The second set of lectures in the series will take an in-depth look at the contract business and the important part that materials, systems and processes play in that sector. This time, the speakers will be leading architects and representatives of hotel chains including Pilar Rodríguez, of NH Hoteles and Iker Llano, of Intur Hoteles, along with Hilario Salvador, of hotel development projects specialist Indeco.
Completing the list of speakers on this second day of Workshops are designer Juan Rachal, of architecture and design practice Juanfri-Ranchal and high-profile Italian designer and architect now resident in Spain, Teresa Sapey, of consultancy Teresa Sapey + Partners.
Sustainability and functionality
The focus of the third and last session of this symposium, set to take place on the afternoon of Thursday 31st March, will be the relationship between industry and the environment as illustrated by the use of wood. Speaking on this topic will be Bruno Sauer, of the Council for Sustainable Construction in Spain; Pablo Narváez, of Certification Agency PEFC; Enrique Jiménez, of engineering design and construction company IC-10; Vicente Buyo of Modular Projects, builders of modular designer homes, and German sustainable flooring manufacturer Ter Hürne.
The icing on the cake of this third session will be the participation of architect César Ruiz Larrea, of RuizLarrea architects. His renowned environmentally sustainable housing developments have made Ruiz Larrea one of the most prominent figures in Spanish architecture and last year he was nominated for a Mies Van der Rohe prize for Carabanchel 34, a development of 25 ‘Passivhaus’ certified homes.
+info