23 Turkish exhibitors participated in this important European show.
MoOD fair of Brussels once again scored high in the field of quality and that in this way, it offered a solid basis for the future. One cannot conclude otherwise than that MoOD gained in aura and charm, which is the result of a move towards new halls, in combination with its new look & feel. Looking back, MoOD can be subdivided into three main issues: First of all, it was very successful transformation towards new spaces. For the first time, MoOD took place in a new trade show concept in Brussels Expo’s Hall 5, the Patio and Hall 8. This was a very successful transformation, as visitors felt welcomer than ever. MoOD’s transformation was based on a different placement of exhibitors and product groups on the one hand and on the offering of new and inspiring projects on the other.
Secondly, the exhibitors made the difference: A trade show scores thanks to the quality of its exhibitors. It was clear that the exhibitors at MoOD gave the new concept their full support, which could be seen all around, with lots of renewed booths and an extensive range of new collections. In all of these it was not only about quantity, but mainly also about a striking high quality of the creations. Thirdly, it was better than expected: Three days of MoOD demonstrated the show did a lot better than was expected. This was the overall spirit of the exhibitors we talked to at the end of the show.
MoOD already looks to the future, as the dates for MoOD 2015 have been set: 8, 9 and 10 September 2015 when the exhibitors we be hosted in Hall 5, the Patio and Hall 8 of Brussels Expo as was this year.
MoOD’s new identity wins favor
How did visitors rate this year’s MoOD? “Satisfied” to “very satisfied” was how 80% of the visitors to MoOD rated their visit, according to an article published by Furniture News Magazine. On the one hand, they appreciated the high quality and international diversity of the exhibitors there, and on the other, they enjoyed new projects like the “Inspiration Zone”, “Walk of Fame” and “Innovation platform”. The lion’s share of surveyed visitors intend to attend the trade show again in 2015.
A closer look at the profile of the MoOD visitor
1. MoOD visitors tend to be general managers and professionals in the fields of design and styling. Commercial reps often visit MoOD, representing companies active as editeurs, wholesalers, retail agents, import/export companies, furniture manufacturers, in design, interior decoration and product development.
2. Upholstery fabrics remain the dominant focus. No less than 76% of visitors attend for this precise product group. Window decoration accounts for 50% of intended purchasing and 35% of visitors indicate that they come to the show specifically for wall coverings. The product range at MoOD reflects that exact ratio, and so it aligns perfectly with the visitors’ expectations and requirements.
3. Fifty per cent of MoOD visitors is also interested in the offerings at Indigo; 25% will certainly also check out MoOD Yarns. Both figures show that both Indigo and MoOD Yarns generate significant added value for visitors.
4. New trends and contract qualities are at the very top of visitors’ wish lists. The various projects and the product ranges of exhibitors satisfy this wish.
MoOD scores when it comes to quality
The results of the exhibitor survey provided overall confirmation of what visitors already had to say. First and foremost, the new Look & Feel of MoOD was warmly received by 75% of the companies present.
The participating companies also emphasized that MoOD 2014 achieved high sites particularly when it comes to quality. Exhibitors indicated that they were satisfied to very satisfied with the level of quality of their fellow exhibitors. High-quality, useful contacts translated into orders actually placed that exceeded the numbers for MoOD 2013. Finally, we can say that the new identity of MoOD leads to a feeling of general satisfaction among exhibitors and confidence in the 2015 edition.
The exhibitors have a positive outlook towards the future
All in all, most participating companies have a positive outlook on the future. No fewer than 80% stated that they expect an increase in volume and/or turnover for their companies in the next three years. It is also striking that some 65% say that the contract market may well account for a larger share of their turnover than it does today in the medium term. As for new technologies (such as digital printing), 50% is convinced that its product range will change fundamentally in the next three years as a result of new technologies. If we look at the focus on geographic markets, the jury is unanimous: MoOD exhibitors will continue to concentrate primarily on the European market over the next three years as well.
Colors and expressive patterns are popping up more and more in window decoration. The use of basic colors in combination with graphic patterns is one example of a striking statement. We are also seeing more “inbetweens” than we were a few years ago. This refers to the type of fabric that can be used for different applications. We are thinking of pillows, window coverings, all types of accessories, and sometimes even upholstery.
Technicity is also playing a big role in window decorating. Special weaves are scratching the itch for playful effects, like having the daylight generate a pattern in the fabric as it streams in, and then suddenly disappear when it grows dark at night. Window coverings are where the creative and technological innovations can be found, more so than in other fabrics. One of the most innovative was a modern-looking lace with noise-insulating properties normally expected only from heavy curtains. Noise insulation was achieved by making micro-perforations in the thread combined with specials weaves in the fabric. One thing is certain: aesthetic, technicity and willingness to experiment at the loom have resulted in a cutting-edge, tremendously high-caliber range at MoOD.
Trends at MoOD: aesthetics, technicity and the willingness to experiment
One of the most striking autumn trends at MoOD is the wide-ranging use of color for upholstery fabrics and window coverings. While upholstery fabrics tend towards discrete, neutral colors, window coverings are trending in the opposite direction: windows have colorful stories to tell this year.
A second trend is the focus on technicity: gorgeous, creative weaves and effects that all owe their existence to refined knowledge of the loom’s possibilities. Another noticeable pattern is that contract-quality fabrics, such as those with a high Martindale rating, are finding their way to the residential market. The superior softness of the textile fabrics has a lot to do with this.
MoOD 2014 where the future meets tradition
Mr. Patrick Geysels, general manager of MoOD, gave all details about the show on the first day of MoOD: “When MoOD (formerly Decosit) was founded in 1979, the future was so challenging that little attention was left for tradition. Tradition, however, has seen a robust comeback for some years now. We see this in many creations that hark back to traditional techniques, crafts or designs. Interest in the future is still very great, on the other hand, if not even greater than before. The part of technology in our industry for example is growing especially quickly. In addition, it seems that companies that manage to link tradition and technology perform better than their counterparts who don’t.
How is this manifested at MoOD?
Tradition
“Tradition is visible at MoOD in the languid, exclusive productions by exhibitors who reach back for traditional techniques or designs. For example, there is a noticeable trend towards handicrafts, sometimes combined with advanced technological production processes. Hand-woven or hand-embroidered details are popping up in more and more collections and lace, or illustrations of lace, abound. Paisley designs are also regularly resurfacing, in addition to many traditional illustrations from diverse cultures. An old tradition is seeing a resurgence even in the materials, specifically by selecting the highest quality with care and carefully processing them with attention to durability.
Tradition is the central theme at the trend forum too, more specifically in the theme of DamNation. This lays bare a trend in which brands and companies return to their original values and their history.DamNation spurs companies on to opt for colour pallets with historical value.
“The trade show figures also show an unsolicited view of where the tradition of MoOD is pointing. Upholstery remains the most strongly represented product range. The companies that are specialised in upholstery are primarily grouped together in the front of Hall 5. They gradually shift to the second strongest group, window coverings, and, in the Patio, the specialists in wall coverings are grouped. Here, too, tradition continues to play a role for MoOD, because at MoOD it is primarily about textile wall coverings
In Hall 8, finally, “Touch of Class” features the exhibitors with a pronounced focus on the high-end market. Tradition is ubiquitous here. Not only in the use of materials, but certainly also in the designs. “Designs are also in ample supply at our sister fair Indigo, where 103 designers are presenting their newest work to the public
Future
“MoOD supports the future of the industry like no other and so it emphasises technology. The innovation platform in the Patio again offers a strong selection of innovative samples. Some are prototypes, others are already being produced and can be used immediately in interiors. The samples were selected in cooperation with cutting-edge partners. The possibility to interact with the companies that have submitted the samples is new. A large portion of these companies are not physically present at MoOD, after all, but now guests can contact them at the fair and ask questions or even place orders. This makes a sort of digital mini-trade show at MoOD.
The contract market is also sharply focused on the future, due in large part to the fact that the demand for new functionalities in textiles has increased dramatically in recent years. “It is no longer sufficient for a contract fabric to just be fire-proof,” we heard from Engelbert Stieger.
“Contract fabrics also have to be dirt-repellent as well. UV-resistant, sun-blocking, energy-saving and increasingly noise-insulated.” Such contract quality is being employed increasingly in residential environments. In other words, the boundaries are becoming blurred. MoOD is convinced that textiles can offer solutions in widely diverse domains and that there is great potential to be exploited in the future.
“The cooperation with Trevira CS, who is attending with 6 gold and silver members, only serves to underscore this. “For the first time, you will also find a Contract Experts Sample bank near the innovation platform where visitors can browse through the samples submitted for the contract market. They give a reliable picture of the range.
“When we talk about the future, we have to talk about yarns, where many innovations are finding their ways to the weaving mill. The exhibitors of MoOD yarns are eager to talk to visitors.
Digital printing, it is ubiquitous!
“With new technologies and rapid advances in printing technology, the possibilities are being expanded even farther. “The only limit is imagination” is a statement by Athenea, one of the exhibitors who has embraced the digital production process. MoOD views the emergence of the technology as a new challenge and accordingly is presenting the Digital Village to the public. The ‘village’ is built around trade show partner HP, who was present for the first time at MoOD last year. You will notice that the digitisation of production is also unavoidable to the high-end companies, by the way. They are also discovering and exploring the boundless possibilities.
MoOD is the ‘plaque tournante’
“First and foremost because MoOD is filling the stately historic halls of the expo with a ‘nouveau aménagement’ and presenting products for the future here, but also of course because MoOD again has some 160 high-quality exhibitors to present to visitors in a clear and structured trade show plan.
“MoOD is also a pivot for visitors looking for knowledge. Knowledge is power, after all. Armed with the knowledge of the right suppliers, knowledge of trends, of the industry and colour. That knowledge is waiting for you at MoOD, with the exhibitors, with the press booths, the designers and of course the trend forum.
“But the most important task of MoOD is to be a pivot for the exhibitors. We remain loyal to our unique profile, where each exhibitor owns the creations they offer. MoOD is the place where business can be done face-to-face and especially where the textile professional can discover partners to collaborate on creations. Co-creation is after all the key to the future, because this is how intensive cooperation ties are created that transcend disciplines and broaden perspectives. Cocreation leads more often to unique designs in cooperation with the customer for whom the product is intended. That is why MoOD counts not just the quality of products but definitely also the quality of contacts. And that is what is and continues to make MoOD unique.
“Finally, MoOD is also a ‘plaque tournante’ – a pivot – because interaction with visitors is being stimulated in this edition. There are two ways this is happening: first of all, there is the possibility for interaction at the innovation platform and, very importantly, the visitors themselves can choose an award for the first time. Blue Drop is being expanded to include the new Blue Drop Visitor’s Award to be presented on Thursday afternoon. Every visitor can exert influence by voting for a product from the Blue Drop selection. iPads are provided for this purpose in the Walk of Fame, in Hall 5, where the Blue Drop Awards and labels are presented to the public.
The future is not possible without tradition.
“I can only conclude that the future is not possible without tradition, because it is the dynamic between the both that is the key to more sustainable (ecological) enterprise but also to durable, rock-solid companies and, not to forget, to a sustainable industry that still has reason to exist the day after tomorrow. “
