DOMOTEX gives front and center stage to exhibitors' latest and greatest innovations, helping them get all the attention they deserve. "Thanks to the popular Innovations@DOMOTEX showcase, trailblazing materials, creative solutions and impressive designs are sure of attracting major attention at the show. Another highlight is the Young Designer Trendtable, where five up-and-coming European design studios are presenting their visions for the future of flooring while engaging in dialogue with interested attendees," said Dr. Andreas Gruchow, the Managing Board at Deutsche Messe in charge of DOMOTEX. "DOMOTEX serves as an early indicator of the trends preparing to sweep the market, thus generating valuable impetus and making innovations tangible," he added.

An overview of the leading must-see highlights of the show will be on display in the Innovations@DOMOTEX areas in halls 6, 9 and 17. These areas are artistically designed showcases that lend added prominence to specially selected product innovations submitted by DOMOTEX exhibitors. They function as a quick guide to DOMOTEX, giving visitors a good overview of what's hot at the show. Many of the 38 highlights selected by the jury this year feature highly authentic natural surface textures, materials and motifs. All of the products in the Innovations@DOMOTEX areas also score highly on sustainability.

Hitting our floors this season...

When it comes to wood flooring, natural is in. The in-vogue natural look comes in many shapes and forms, including vintage styling, complete with knot holes and shakes. The trend towards individuality is also still going strong, with multiple colors, shapes and textures available to create a whole range of exciting and distinct looks. There's also a trend towards longer and wider element dimensions and herringbone patterns. Meanwhile, laminate flooring is moving towards ever-more authentic-looking prints. The laying systems used for these products are also getting smarter, opening up a wider range of applications. Other key trends include authentic surface textures in the LVT segment and nature-inspired patterns in fitted carpets. Carpeting in tile and plank-form also continues to gain in popularity. In the carpets and rugs segment, there is strong demand for natural tones in understated shades of sand and stone, while, at the other end of the spectrum, vibrant colors and exuberant patterns are also on the up. In terms of installation and application technology there is a strong focus on sustainability, with many products boasting lower solvent levels, reduced environmental impacts and improved speed and ease of use.

Young designers on the hunt for tomorrow's trends

DOMOTEX takes in the future as well as the present. A case in point is a special showcase dubbed the "Young Designer Trendtable". In the lead-up to this event, five up-and-coming designers from Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands and Turkey took up the challenge to sniff out tomorrow's trends in flooring. They will be presenting their visions of the future in Hall 9 at DOMOTEX from 14 to 17 January. Among other things, they will show how traditional craftsmanship can be integrated into modern manufacturing processes and how materials like marble and stone can be put to unusual uses. They will explore ways of combining hard and soft surfaces and map out flooring solutions for temporarily used spaces and rooms.

Big-name speakers, hot industry topics

As well as being a display platform for pioneering new creations, the Innovations@DOMOTEX area in Hall 6 is a stage for lectures and discussion groups (Innovations@DOMOTEX Dialogues) featuring high-power architects, interior designers and creatives. These experts will debate burning questions, such as "How can home living be made more human?" "What flooring solutions does tomorrow's world need?" "What sorts of settings do service providers need for their work?" and "How can optimized spaces set new standards in interior design?" Experts from Büro Caramel (Vienna), Sauerbruch Hutton (Berlin), Peter Haimerl. Architektur (Munich), Plajer & Franz Studio (Berlin) and the Stuttgart-based online shop InteriorPark will explore the flooring perspectives, prerequisites and opportunities that arise from these questions.

The Innovations@DOMOTEX Dialogues will kick off on Saturday, 14 January, with a richly informative keynote by multiple-award-winning Swiss designer Alfredo Häberli on "Future Living – the case for a human architecture". Each day's Dialogues will be followed by tours of DOMOTEX that will take in products and solutions relevant to the themes covered by the Dialogues. The program also includes guided tours of the displays of selected exhibitors. Offered twice daily, the guided tours will be led by experts in architecture and design.

Award for the world's most beautiful designer carpets

Another visitor hotspot at the show will be Hall 17, where trailblazing designers like Creative Matters, Hossein Rezvani, Rug Art, Rug Star, Wool & Silk Rugs and Zollanvari will present an alluring lineup of exquisite hand-made carpet creations. The most beautiful of these will be honored at the Carpet Design Awards. The Awards are the world's top accolade for modern hand-made carpets, and this year will be the twelfth time that they have been presented at DOMOTEX. The 24 carpets that have made the shortlist for the Awards will be on display in the Innovations@DOMOTEX area in Hall 17. The winners in each of eight categories will be presented with their awards at a special ceremony in Hall 17 on Sunday, 15 January.