imm Cologne 2022 cancelled in the wake of COVID-19

imm Cologne, the international furniture and interior design trade fair that is held in January every year, has been cancelled for the second time in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The next edition is scheduled for 2023. The decision to cancel the 2022 fair was reached after a joint consultation between the executive board of the Koelnmesse exhibition centre, where the fair is held each year, and the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM).

"Following consultation with numerous exhibitors, industry representatives and trading partners, there is either no question of participation on the part of German exhibitors or exhibitors from the German-speaking region, or this is very much in doubt,” says Jan Kurth, CEO of the VDM.

Oliver Frese, the COO of Koelnmesse, one of the world’s top trade fair organisers, has, however, assured that this step is exclusively restricted to the imm Cologne fair and all other related spring events scheduled for the year 2022 will continue with proper guidelines and safety precautions.

First held in the year 1949, the fair hosts several established as well as up-and-coming designers, architects, retailers, traders and firms, who showcase all kinds of contemporary furniture, other indoor products and interior designs. The yearly event, open to the public, is also a prominent space for showcasing clever designs, technologically advanced architectural lighting, innovative furnishings and the experimental usage of materials in indoor spaces.

The majority of the exhibitors at the fair hail from other countries across the globe. The 2019 fair hosted more than a thousand exhibitors from 52 different countries and almost 150,000 visitors from 139 countries. The 2022 event was, however, scheduled to host 600 exhibitors from 50 countries, large enough even in its reduced offerings.

While the restart of the event has been postponed by another year, VDM has assured the exhibitors of the event that they are working on options to provide them with an attractive trade fair presence at an international level, with both spoga+gafa and ORGATEC, scheduled at Koelnmesse for late 2022, posing as excellent alternatives to cancelled event.

Some of the other leading design events that were either postponed or held virtually this year due to the ongoing pandemic include Milan design week, NYCxDesign, Stockholm Design Week and Madrid Design Festival.