Ambiente the ultimate platform with the latest trends in world consumer goods, featuring industry experts and famous designers. The perfect opportunity to place your orders, look for partners in the HoReCa sector (Hotels, Restaurants and Catering ) and much more. to be held on February (9-13) at Frankfurt am Main, don't miss our interview with Nicolette Naumann, Vice President of Ambiente.
What does Ambiente contribute to the craft and design sector?
Generally speaking, Ambiente is primarily the platform for the worldwide consumer goods market. Retailers from the entire world come to Frankfurt to meet the consolidated expertise and product range of the global consumer goods industry. Being a traditional multi-sector trade fair, it is divided into three product groups: Dining, Giving and Living. In addition to their own product ranges, buyers can thus also receive stimuli from trends in related ranges. This is what makes it so special and a worldwide MUST for everyone in the industry. However, Ambiente excels not only in its internationalism. It also covers the entire spectrum, with all its price categories, ranging from award-winning designer products, through good-quality trendy products to containerware.
Why Ambiente, and what are its benefits for Frankfurt?
First of all, Ambiente is always held at the beginning of the year. Many of our 4,500 exhibitors from around 100 countries realise up to 50 per cent of their annual revenue through this event. This makes Ambiente and its dates extremely important for the entire industry, for Messe Frankfurt and for the city of Frankfurt. The trade fair is a first-class economic engine for Frankfurt, as both its exhibitors and over 140,000 visitors are potential customers for companies based in Frankfurt, benefiting, for instance, the hotel trade, restaurants, taxis and logistics.
Could you say a bit more about the Ambiente Academy?
One very special highlight is our Ambiente Academy, which we launched in 2017. It provides insights into current market developments on each of the five days. Experts show how to compile attractive product ranges, they present optimal product placements, and they also explain the best e-commerce strategies – all of this on the presentation platform in Hall 9.2 and, as a new venue, the platform in Hall 11.1. For the first time the area in Hall 11.1 will also feature talks on how to present trends. The presentation of merchandise itself will continue to be held in Galleria 1. At the same time, the forthcoming Ambiente Academy will showcase the latest highlights in fashion, jewellery and accessories twice a day on the platform of Hall 9.2.
What new features have you prepared for the 2018 edition?
Ambiente presents the latest products, discovers innovations and detects and creates trends. One brand-new element will be a special presentation entitled “From Point of Sale to Point of Experience”. This exhibition will enable visitors to experience the “customer journey” of the future. It will show how retailers can successfully maintain a competitive edge over internet-based companies by adopting a multi-channel approach and making the most of it.
Furthermore, from 2018, visitors and exhibitors will for the first time benefit from a digital Business Matchmaking Programme – and, in fact, before the event has even started. Manufacturers and retailers can save specific search parameters to the web portal, whereupon the programme brings the relevant parties together. In addition, the Matchmaking Team provides support with questions and problems. However, the Matchmaking Programme is not the only way for retailers to find the best exhibitors. In addition to design-focused home and dining accessories, Ambiente will also offer a large number of exciting further product ranges where visitors can obtain inspiration on current trends.
The trade fair has a multifaceted programme of talks, fashion shows, and special events. Which of the activities do you think are a must for the visitor, and which of them would you highlight?
With shows such as Ambiente Trends, Talents and Solutions, Ambiente is a platform that offers genuine inspiration to retailers throughout the world. Visitors will find numerous smart ideas at a special presentation called Solutions. The designer and curator Sebastian Bergne will demonstrate creative solutions of Ambiente exhibitors with the focus on dining, cooking and household goods. Selected products with special key features will be shown in a number of short video clips. The partner country of Ambiente 2018 will be the Netherlands. Running under the title DO DUTCH, a comprehensive presentation in Galleria 1 will showcase products of Dutch exhibitors. The exhibition will be curated by the Amsterdam-based designer Robert Bronwasser.
The trend show in Galleria 1 will attract a large audience. Our trend experts have been selecting products from Ambiente exhibitors for each of the thematic worlds, so that tomorrow’s trends can be directly experienced through tangible examples. Retailers will have opportunities to find out about colours and to discover what kind of materials are meeting current trends. They can also place orders for specific products directly with the relevant exhibitors. This year’s focus will be on everyday objects, handmade items, sustainable and viable products, and it will be specifically illustrated through four stylistic directions – Modest Regeneration, Colourful Intentions, Technological Emotions and Opulent Narrations. Creative influences will range from a plain cottage style to hints of Baroque opulence.
Visitors definitely shouldn’t miss our Talents areas. Messe Frankfurt has supported young designers for quite a while now, since 2001, helping them on their way towards successful careers. Talents will feature creative products in the Loft area in Hall 11.0 and in the Fashion Accessories area in Hall 9.2. Further innovative and design-focused projects will be presented by Talents in the area of Dining and Contemporary Design in Hall 4.0, showing how good ideas can be turned into successful products – which is very much our intention. What’s so special about Talents is that it is located directly in the design-focused premium environment of each product range.
Give us some reasons why we mustn’t miss the show.
First of all, Ambiente gives visitors an overview of the global market. Being the biggest trade fair in the world, the Show is held in the heart of Europe and is ideal to get to. Given its size, the content of each hall needs to be defined very clearly, of course. After all, it’s almost impossible for anyone to visit the entire trade fair – and, in fact, no one is expecting to do so. On the contrary, we want each trade visitor to know which halls are best for their order placements, which are good for learning about additional product ranges and where they can receive inspiration on the latest trends. It’s important that the big areas of Dining, Living and Giving should be clearly structured and that they can be understood straightaway, and it’s equally important that each hall should have a simple and readily intelligible thematic structure. Visitors need to know exactly where they can find high-end brands or contemporary design, or indeed medium volume business or just-in-time production from Europe or where overseas container business is handled. So anyone who wants to be on the world market simply has to be in Frankfurt or come to it.
