• First date of the year to order for the Interiors & Lifestyle industry sector
• TrendSet Winter 2024 shows consistent number of trade visitors
• New Christmas Area concept in development for 2025

Despite turbulent times, TrendSet has once again proved to be a stable, trendsetting, and forward-looking trade fair constant for the Interiors & Lifestyle industry. On January 6, 2024, TrendSet Winter 2024 heralded the start of the ordering season for Spring/Summer 2024 as well. After years of “cautious” product selections, the focus was once again on new products and innovations. Because retailers are looking ahead again, they wish to see and order new and special collections. Even though consumer purchasing power is still under pressure, retailers are trying to offer consumers an optimal shopping experience through well-stocked shelves and good ideas, and to create demand with contemporary products. In Munich, the importance of TrendSet as a trendsetting and future-orientated trade fair for the sector became even clearer.

As in the previous year, TrendSet Winter 2024 proved to be a stable, sustainable trade fair with a constant number of trade visitors and above-average high-quality contacts. At TrendSet Winter 2024 from 6 to 8 January 2024, high-spending trade visitors from all over Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and neighbouring European countries ordered fresh goods for the new season, for Easter and, above all, for the coming Christmas. This once again confirms TrendSet’s status and importance as the most important and largest first Interiors & Lifestyle trade fair of the year for the consumer goods industry. The ideal trade fair location in Munich and the high quality of contacts made TrendSet Winter 2024 a successful start to the season for the Interiors & Lifestyle industry. And it proved once again that there is no substitute for the live experience of a trade fair, especially in challenging times.

In a time when globalisation is becoming increasingly difficult owing to global political events, it is essential to focus on the core. With its above-average regional strength and held in an area with the highest purchasing power in Europe, TrendSet is able to shine internationally as well. Located at the heart of Europe and the DACH region, Munich is the affordable top location for trade fairs, focused on the needs of exhibitors and the entire industry. TrendSet’s strong focus makes it the central German trade fair force in Europe, setting the tone and providing direction to the industry sector both nationally and internationally. The trend towards shorter and more concentrated visits with fewer people per company is continuing, as it did at previous trade fair events. The industry is seeing a trend towards faster, more flexible ordering. Retailers in particular are increasingly trying out more flexible warehousing. Suppliers who can deliver reliably and quickly are therefore in demand. Manufacturers need to build up a trend-safe inventory in order to be able to react to the shorter demand cycles. Flexible ordering in the sense of intelligent order management will continue to gain importance in the industry. TrendSet in particular, with its comprehensive and concentrated overview of trends at the earliest possible point in time, is crucial for industry sectors to be able to make the right purchasing decisions.

“Showcasing products from multiple seasons at the trade fair is becoming increasingly popular. In the Christmas & Preview Area, many exhibitors once again presented a wide range of products for the upcoming Christmas season, along with autumn decorations and similar items. To give more space to the important Christmas products at the beginning of the year and to provide exhibitors and visitors with more information and security while ordering at an earlier stage, a clear trend outlook is required. To this end, TrendSet is planning its own Christmas Area concept for the next winter event in January 2015,” reported Tatjana Pannier, Managing Director of TrendSet. Focus areas such as the TrendSet Newcomer Area have already stood the test of time. For more than ten years, the TrendSet Newcomer Area has been a springboard into the market for hundreds of new exhibitors. Since TrendSet attracts trade visitors with particularly high purchasing power, newcomers’ entering the market via TrendSet is even more promising. This type of focus will also be in place at TrendSet for the important Christmas ranges. The new products for the Christmas season will be presented in a specially designed area. The Christmas Area concept will further strengthen TrendSet and become an important part of the overall successful trade fair concept. The Christmas Area concept is already in the planning stage. TrendSet will be contacting exhibitors soon.

The Topic Areas TrendSet Newcomer, TrendSet Fine Arts, and TrendSet Bijoutex impressed trade visitors with special, focused, and innovative new products from Living & Giving. The small, innovative, new, and local TrendSet Newcomer companies presented promising, regional, fair, handmade, and sustainable products. Artists from the fields of painting, sculpture, photography, and graphics presented their contemporary art at TrendSet Fine Arts. TrendSet Bijoutex was once again well frequented with its attractive range of fashions, costume jewellery, and accessories.

Fresh pastels, matt shades, rounded shapes, and pure designs beckon you to wellness, tranquillity, and regeneration in Spring/Summer 2024. Calm decorative compositions are created tone in tone. Soft surfaces meet raw materials. Fruit, such as lemons and peppers, are the dominant spring motifs and tableware, textiles, and decorations. Accordingly, yellow and green are two of the main colours of the new season. Boho and a Mediterranean feeling meet Scandinavian design. Anything that is aesthetically pleasing is allowed. Retro designs are reinterpreted and modernized with bright colours. Nature motifs appear in different facets. The exciting natural look of the designs is complemented by earthy hues, blue, and coral red.

The trends in the Interiors & Lifestyle sector for Easter 2024 are diverse, colourful, and cheerful. Eggs, rabbits, and their friends are decorated with pastel check patterns, delicate natural motifs, or retro ornaments. Hens and chicks in a wide variety of shapes and colours are a must on the Easter table. The decorations consist of a colourful mix and match of styles, materials, and designs. Handmade looks are on the rise again. Scandinavian, American, and French country house styles bring light, rustic, or elegant cosiness to the designs. Toile de Jouy patterns on interior accessories and table tops add a touch of nostalgic glamor. Scattered floral decor creates a delicately rustic atmosphere at the Easter table. The Easter colour palette is inspired by nature in springtime. Bright pastels, calm brown tones, and soft shades of green form harmonious feel-good alliances with meditative blue tones.

Saturday was good, Sunday a bit weaker, and Monday is uncertain due to the farmers’ protests and other threats of strikes. Nevertheless, we had good orders, especially on Saturday. The regulars are always here in Munich. And new customers come too. We have many preview items from the upcoming Christmas range. That’s also going extremely well here. WE are always very satisfied with TrendSet. We are placed well at the fair and the trade fair is excellently organised.
Philip Wurm (Managing Director, G. Wurm)

Right away, the first day of the fair, the Saturday, which was a holiday here in southern Germany, was well visited. But we noticed that the ordering is more cautious. The stand is full on Sunday as well. Monday, we are expecting, as always, our bulk buyers, if the current circumstances permit.
Nico Attasio (Managing Director, DECORAMA)

It’s wonderful at TrendSet; we have a fantastic stand. The regular customers are coming and many new ones, too. The mood is downright positive here. Trade fairs are so important. And TrendSet is a terrific fair with a large draw, a good clientele, and a superb atmosphere. Most customers are looking ahead. The ones that come to TrendSet want to see and order something new. The start of the year in Munich is good – that has always been the case. Munich has a very good standard; TrendSet is simply a good trade fair.
Karin Vogt (Sales Director, Artebene)

Saturday was super; it was very full at our trade fair stand. The trade fair is running quite well. We are very satisfied. We like TrendSet. In both summer and winter, it’s a good fair with a great location. Munich is simply cool. Many regular customers and also new customers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland visit us here at our stand. If you have to decide between Frankfurt and Munich, you of course go to Munich.
Konstantin Berk (Partner, Berk)

It’s going extremely well here at TrendSet. There was a whole lot going on on Saturday with high numbers of orders. We are very enthusiastic. Sunday was also good. Our stand is full.
Darwin Molenaar (Internal Account Manager Large Accounts, Light & Living)

Saturday, especially Saturday morning, was a really good trade fair day. Sunday was also good. Many of our regular customers visited our stand and ordered. The mood here at TrendSet is good. Our customers had a good Christmas business and are ordering new products here.
Arnold Maier (Managing Director, AM-Design)

The trade fair halls here at TrendSet are well filled. The first day of the fair, Saturday, was very good for us. We received more orders as the last time in winter here. And there are also more people at our stand. The level of orders is again like it was before the crisis.
Ute Vosteen (Managing Director, VOSTEEN)

Saturday was fantastic – the best trade fair day ever! And Sunday is off to a good start so far. We are very satisfied. The customers’ mood has generally become better. We are welcoming many new customers at our stand here.
Hanne Peters de Fockert (General Agent Germany, by Room)

Orders are being placed a bit more cautiously and they tend to be smaller. However, this is normal for us at the spring fair, and because orders are placed all year round anyway, it’s no big deal.
Florian Hofer (Executive Management, Florex)

Saturday was good and Sunday is a little quieter. We are showing good orders at TrendSet Winter 2024, as was the case last year. Our entire assortment of products is being received very well here.
Claudia Vamdrup (Sales Manager, Ib Laursen)

On Saturday, it was super busy here. I’m here with five staff and we were all extremely busy until the evening. The mood at the fair is good, including that of the visitors. We are looking forward optimistically and looking forward to what the new year brings the trade.
Helene Ellingson (CCO, RICE)

We had the same number of customers on Saturday as last year; the traffic was OK. There were a bit fewer orders than last time, but we are satisfied with the start of the new season.
Christian Foitzik (DACH Sales Manager, BOLTZE Home Collections)

The trade fair went well on average. We had good orders on Saturday. We are satisfied under the circumstances.
Ferry Mulder (General Manager, Cor Mulder)

Saturday was surprisingly good. The customers are in a good mood and optimistic. You can tell that order behaviour is changing. Volume purchasing is rather restrained. Customers no longer wish to build up larger stocks. Instead, they are focussing on manufacturers and suppliers who can deliver quickly, reliably, and flexibly. They are once again focussing more on healthy medium-sized companies that are willing to deliver, flexible, and more resistant to fluctuations. That is our clientele. The location “trade fair,” such as TrendSet, is a communication exchange and meeting place for the industry. Munich is stable, the quality of suppliers is high, and customers place their orders here. Of course, trade fairs always cost money. But not being here would be much more expensive! We are satisfied with the start of the trade fair year at TrendSet.
Peter Kwoka (Managing Director, Kwoka Floristik)

TrendSet Winter 2024 is going well, all weekend long. This is our second time at TrendSet and our products have been well received. Many regular customers and new customers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland visit us here. Customers want something new again. The trade visitors also find special collections here, unlike at other trade fairs. The hotels in Munich are also not as exorbitantly expensive as in Frankfurt, for example. The trade fairs that are too big and too expensive are crumbling – unlike TrendSet, which remains a stable trade fair.
Andreas Losch (Owner, Lovely Linen)

Saturday and Sunday went well. Saturday was our best trade fair day in 17 years! It topped everything in terms of sales. Our collection is going down well here. We’re getting a lot of positive feedback. It’s brilliant.
Michael Rossmann (Managing Director, Pad Home Design Concept)

The trade fair is running well so far despite the external influences. It’s even a little better than the year before. It is a totally normal spring fair. The visitors that come are also ordering. We are satisfied.
Peter Konert (Sales Manager, Konert Home)

Saturday and Sunday went very well; Monday was a little quieter becomes of the circumstances. We are happy with how the fair is going. We have a lot of traffic at the stand; those who come also order. We have many new customers. We have been at TrendSet for more than ten years. TrendSet is always good for our business. The clientele is, as always, a mix of German, Austrian, and Swiss trade visitors. We are very happy with TrendSet. Everything is so well organised here. We go to so many trade fairs in Europe and here it works superbly. We can compare.
Philippa Ahlström (Manager, the moshi)

The trade environment is difficult at the moment, which is why the trade fair is even more important for keeping an eye on the market. The first two days of the fair were stable. Monday was a bit weaker due to the strike situation in Germany. This may have well been because of the news situation. TrendSet is an important fair for us.
Lars Adler (Managing Director, HOFFInterieur)

We came to Munich with a bit of stomachache this time because of the external circumstances and were proved wrong. TrendSet Winter 2024 went fantastically well for us! We’ve been attending trade fairs for 16 years, and Saturday was our best day ever. Many loyal customers came, increasingly also from Switzerland. We are completely satisfied. TrendSet is simply always easy-going. It’s a wonderful trade fair with good stand positioning and superbly organised.
Matthias Dorbath (Partner, The Craftshop)

We are at TrendSet for the third time and everything is super. We see here that our product is being well received by the market. Saturday was good and Sunday even better. The customers were even more willing to order on Sunday. People are coming to order. TrendSet is super!
Christian Lang (Executive Management, Sugar Bliss)

TrendSet Winter 2024 is our first-ever large trade fair. And it is going well here. Particularly Saturday, the first day of the fair, was very full. The visitors are very interested and we have good first orders. We are trying to get into the shops with our products. The Newcomer concept at TrendSet is helping us to do that. We are able to present ourselves and our products at a lovely and large stand. The visitors here are open to new things, like small brands, and are looking for special collections. It’s lots of fun here at TrendSet. It is going like we wanted it to go.
Jennifer Laible (CEO and Founder MA°ALAHI Manufaktur) – Topic Area TrendSet Newcomer

Saturday was super and was a lot of fun. Good orders, good atmosphere – just like in the good old days. For all I care, this is how the year 2024 can go on. In addition to Germans and Austrians, many visitors from Switzerland are also here. TrendSet is doing a very good job; otherwise, the start of the season would not have been so successful. There is a good flow at this trade fair. TrendSet always means a good atmosphere. That is not a given in today’s trade fair environment.
Margot Wurzer-Stummer (Managing Director, TOPTEAM) – Topic Area TrendSet Bijoutex

TrendSet – 122nd International Trade Fair for Interiors, Inspiration and Lifestyle from Saturday, 6 January to Monday, 8 January 2024 at Messe München (Munich Trade Fair Center) in Halls A1 to A3 and B1 to B3.