Gulf Construction Online - Interiors UK plans new show in London

Events

Visitors at the Interiors UK show in Birmingham.

Interiors UK plans new show in London

01 March 2012

FOLLOWING the success of Interiors UK held in January in Birmingham, UK, the organiser has decided to expand the event with a boutique edition in London next year.

Interiors UK London will provide the mid to high-end contract and design-led retail sector with an edited version of the long-established show, which is billed as the largest event of its kind in the UK. The event is set to showcase the cream of British and international design, a must-see for style connoisseurs seeking the latest launches, unique designs and cutting-edge products, said Interiors UK brand director Tony Crinion.

“As a leading global design capital, we felt London was the ideal location for a boutique version of Interiors UK. With hand-picked, up-and-coming exhibitors who are shaping the future of the design industry, the show is set to make its mark on the interiors calendar in 2013 and beyond,” he said.

The show will take place from May 19 to 21, 2013 at London ExCeL.

Meanwhile, British heritage stood out as a myriad themes and products filled the halls of the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, while Interiors UK celebrated a successful show again.

The event, held from January 22 to 25, covered the entire gamut of the interiors market while providing separate spaces for some of the sub-sectors, giving an individual identity to each area. These areas included Fabric, Modern Elegance, Décor, Living Lifestyle, Contemporary Design, Flooring and Lighting.

Despite the winter’s chill and recession-inspired gloom all over the region, Interiors UK was a spectacle of warmth as it opened up a world of designs and colours. Entrances of all the halls, sporting different colours and designs, invited the visitor to witness the multitude of products on offer.

“We made some key investments into the show for 2012, delivering more content than before in terms of the designers we involved in the show and enhancing the visitor experience so that each person felt part of the event as soon as they walked through the door, improving confidence in the market and providing more positive surroundings to do business in,” said Sam Fisher of UBM, the organiser of the event.

Creativity, style and innovation were evident as one strolled through the vast halls of the exhibition centre. Modern furniture designs, latest technology in beds and mattresses, environment-friendly lighting and intricately designed chandeliers, new flooring products, vibrant and exotic fabrics and eye-catching pieces of decorative items and arts drew the attention of the visitor.

Top brands such as Ercol, Lloyd Loom of Spalding, India Jane and G-Plan showed their newest wares alongside first-time exhibitors and smaller firms. Buyers from Debenhams, DFS, Dreams, Dulux Design, Feather & Black, Furniture Village, Harrods, Heals, Home Retail Group, House of Fraser, Ikea, John Lewis, Laura Ashley, Marks and Spencer, Next, Osborne & Little, Sainsburys, Selfridges, Tesco and The White Company were also present.

About 550 companies showcased their products and services at the show, which drew 25,000 visitors. While the expo seemed targeted at the local market, about 20 per cent of the exhibitors were international, from 23 different countries including from Europe, the US, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

While some exhibitors have made some foray into the Middle East, having exported to individual customers, most said they were keen to explore the market.

A highlight of the exhibition was the Designersblock Design Village, which turned out to be a hub of activity and creativity. Comprising a bar, market stalls, a seminar theatre and VIP and media lounges within the exhibition hall, the area was filled with cutting-edge lighting, stylish furniture and interesting features at every turn.

Rory Dodd, co-founder of Designersblock, said: “This whole project has been a really beautiful, collaborative experience. As we all hoped, this area became a real hub – a meeting point, where visitors and exhibitors could gather together, have a drink and enjoy some great design at the same time.”

Three individual rooms designed by Donna Wilson, who was named Designer of the Year 2010 at the British Design Awards, Morag Myerscough and The House of Hackney team particularly attracted crowds for their sheer design boldness and imagery.

The show also offered highly-rated and engaging seminars relevant to the industry from top-rated speakers. Global Colour Research trend expert Hannah Malein revealed top colour trends for 2012 and offered advice as to how to apply those trends to branding.

Several Signature Spaces at the show gave the designers a chance to showcase their talent to the thousands of visitors to the show.

Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, inspired by the faded grandeur of British stately homes, created two stunning room sets – ‘His Lordship’s Lair’ and ‘My Lady’s Chamber’; leading textile artist Ptolemy Mann designed a stunning range of glossy ikat fabrics for the canopy and upholstered furniture in the Fabric Pavilion; while the Lighting pavilion sported a glittering chandelier designed by Portuguese designers Serip at the centre.

The organisers added a new Contract Trail to the show, to entice commercial specifiers to view and source products.
The next Interiors UK at the NEC Birmingham will be held from January 20 to 23, 2013.