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ZOW 2007 in Bad Salzuflen: Large Array of Products and tomorrow's Technology

The next ZOW show in Bad Salzuflen is just around the corner. This inclusive, compact event will be held for the 13th time on February 26th - March 1st, 2007. Trade visitors will be treated to a wealth of themes and attractive presentations by approximately 700 exhibitors on more than 41,000 m2 of exhibition space. Anyone who wants to keep up with the latest developments in the world of supplies for the furniture and interior decoration markets will not want to miss ZOW 2007.

Each year the ZOW show, which is held at the exhibition center in Bad Salzuflen, provides a platform for rapid communication of innovative ideas at just the right time. The three major themes are "Fittings: Furniture in Motion", "Elements & Systems: Value-Add for Furniture" and "Materials and Finishes: Furniture Design and Protection". A wide range of exhibitors is expected in all of the product categories at ZOW 2007. Up to 700 domestic and foreign suppliers will showcase major trends and a wealth of exciting ideas in the fully booked halls 19-23. The organizer, Survey Marketing + Consulting GmbH & Co. KG, expects that the show will be just as popular as it was last year, when nearly 16,000 trade visitors took the opportunity to find out what is happening in the industry.

High-quality Fittings

The product lines from the fittings manufacturers feature technically sophisticated solutions combined with excellent design. The spectrum includes hardware for drawers, slides, covers and doors. Rattling is a thing of the past now that suppliers offer features like low-friction runners, smooth and gentle controlled closing systems and auto-closing functions. Durable materials, hygienic coatings, compact design and variable installation and adjustment mechanisms for a wide variety of configurations are also offered as standard features. The systems are easy to install, making them suitable for the do-it-yourself market and retrofit work. For furniture without handles, the manufacturers have come up with user-friendly hardware which can be operating by simply tapping on the front.

Manufacturers of ornamental fittings will be featuring high-gloss metal or metal-look. A mixture of materials enhances the effect of handles and knobs. Metal goes well with the expressive texture of wood and leather. Rectilinear metal handles remain popular, and asymmetrical shapes have now been added to the product lines.

Design Quality enhances Finishes and Decors

Finishes and fronts radiate elegance and design quality. Decors, which reproduce the expressiveness of walnut and domestic fruitwood such as cherry, apple, pear and plum, are still "in". Besides these striking dark finishes, exotic wood finishes including teak, zebrano and palisander are also in demand. A pronounced grain which exudes a striped elegance and lively character is a very popular feature. An intense light-dark contrast in natural colors or the use of unicolors such as aubergine and blue create a striking effect which reflects a similar stylistic approach in the foil sector. The manufacturers surprise us with a whole range of stone and genuine metal decors and effect overlays for the discerning residential market, office or sophisticated trade show presentations.

Bringing more Light to the Furniture

Light is becoming an increasingly popular feature of furniture design. Different sources of illumination can be used to create the right lighting mix. No matter which lighting is used, small products with high-intensity light, pleasing colors, minimal heat dissipation and extremely long life are the most popular solutions. LEDs, halogen spotlights and auto-luminous textiles, which are suitable for use in a whole range of interior decoration applications, give designers the freedom they want.


Looking over the horizon

This year's ZOW will offer the domestic furniture and interior decoration industries just what they need to maintain and increase their competitiveness in the national and international markets. Events staged by the organizer as well as collaborative projects will add additional variety to the show in 2007.

A separate forum with an informative series of talks will be dedicated to logistics. Other features, which demonstrate the capabilities of state-of-the-art direct printing technology and tomorrow's light weight design, will be equally enlightening. Innovative products and services from the supplies industry will vie for the coveted M Technology Award. The new competition, which will be staged in collaboration with iF International Forum Design and M magazine, will follow in the footsteps of ZOW Innovations Scouting. The competition is not limited to exhibitors, and it is expected to help increase market transparency at the international level.

The ZOW Architects Days are targeted directly at architects and interior designers throughout the course of show. Four ZOW partners, the German Interior Designers Association (BDIA), the architecture trade journal Detail, iF International Forum Design Hannover and Material Connexion Cologne, will be represented at the Architectural Lounge which is centrally located in Hall 23.2. There will also be an attractive program of events and show tours. In addition, ZOW 2007 will host the special E3S show which is an international forum for solid surface and engineered stone.

Services at ZOW

A new enlarged main entrance and the nearby shuttle bus station and taxi stand will improve the arrival and registration experience this year. A passageway connecting Halls 20 and 23 will make it easier to get around the show. There is also parking for an additional 1,500 cars within walking distance of the entrance and Hall 23.

Once again this year, exhibitors and visitors will have access to a number of shuttle connections including the airport shuttle from/to Paderborn, the ZOW parking shuttle, the ICE shuttle from/to the central station in Bielefeld and the hotel shuttle from/to Bad Salzuflen, Bielefeld and Herford. ZOW Happy Hour is a new feature at the show this year. From Monday February 26th - Wednesday February 28th, all exhibitors and visitors are cordially invited to bring the day to a relaxing conclusion at Forum 9 in Hall 21.

For more information, please visit www.zow.de and www.e3s.info

ZOW - The Supplier Show
February 26th - March 1st, 2007
Bad Salzuflen Exhibition Center, Benzstraße 23, D-32108 Bad Salzuflen/Germany
Halls 19-23, daily 9 A.M. - 6 P.M.,
Architecture Lounge: Hall 23.2 (2nd floor), South Entrance
Lightweight.Network: Hall 23.2, Stand E2
E3S Special Show: Hall 22.2
M Technology Award Exhibition: Passageway Halls 21/22
Special Logistics Exhibition Area: Hall 22.2
Direct Printing Presentation: Hall 22.1