The furniture industry has demonstrated strong confidence in imm cologne’s strategic transformation, with organizers reporting that approximately 70% of the planned exhibition area has been reserved six months ahead of the event. The trade fair’s repositioning as a B2B-focused platform for market-ready interior design solutions has garnered broad industry support, with the event scheduled to run from January 20-23, 2026, marking the beginning of another interior design year.
“The excellent level of bookings and the positive response underscore imm cologne’s relevance as an international business hub for the furniture and interior design industries,” says Bernd Sanden, imm cologne’s director. “The fact that so many exhibitors have committed to the event’s new concept at this early stage and support its new direction is a crucial sign of the industry’s trust – and further impetus for the next steps in our preparations for the 2026 trade fair year.”
International participation strengthens global profile
The positive booking results reflect strong international engagement, with companies from more than 26 nations confirming their participation at the Interior Business Event. The diverse exhibitor lineup includes participants from Austria, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine, the UK and the US, highlighting imm cologne’s significance on the global events calendar.
Domestic market activity has also intensified, with the sales team conducting active discussions with key German industry players. The event offers market-aligned participation pricing of 100 euros per square metre, providing planning certainty and establishing a reliable foundation for cost-efficient trade fair presence.
Business platform targets consumer-oriented market
The revised imm cologne concept centers on serving as a central business platform for the consumer-oriented interiors market. Companies will present market-ready interior design products to decision-makers from brick-and-mortar furniture stores, e-commerce retailers, the DIY segment, and international wholesale and specialist trade channels. The event aims to facilitate new business foundations, sales channel development, and long-term partnership formation.
As a sourcing platform, the trade fair provides targeted access to the German market and major Central European target groups. The World of Interiors theme will encompass the complete interior design market spectrum, ranging from entry-level price points to lifestyle furniture and from high-volume vendors to established brands. The exhibition will include research-backed insights into consumer trends, purchasing behavior changes, and future market developments.
Supporting programme development underway
Concurrent with ongoing exhibitor recruitment, the trade fair team is developing a supporting event programme designed to enhance the event’s business focus through relevant topic coverage. The programme will promote international sector dialogue and deliver specially curated content for furniture and interior design industries with practical application emphasis.
