The trio of consumer-goods fairs in Frankfurt – Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld 2012 – closed their doors on Tuesday after a run distinguished by increased visitor quality and a large number of international orders. Around 87,000 trade visitors from 155 countries contributed to the high level of satisfaction among exhibitors. “Our trio of fairs is a genuine magnet for international buyers. And this is shown by the stable number of visitors. Even more encouraging is the large number of orders placed by buyers and reported by exhibitors,” says Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, commenting on the results of the fair.

 

Both indicators contributed to an optimistic mood in the fields of festive decorations, paper, stationery and office supplies and hobby, handicrafts and artists’ materials. Despite the difficult financial situation, the approximately 3,000 exhibitors from 72 countries have positive expectations of the new year because, although slightly fewer buyers came to Frankfurt from Southern Europe and Asia, they were able to expand their international business.  

 

“There have been significantly more customers, especially from outside Germany, than last year. In particular, East and Southeast Europe were well represented. Nobody has been talking about the financial crisis. The focus was on doing business”, says Karl Kallinger, Member of the Board of KMP PrintTechnik AG and Paperworld exhibitor.

 

Marabu GmbH & Co. KG also noted this trend. “We are very pleased with the course of business at Creativeworld and have been able to welcome many more international customers than last year, especially from the East European and Russian markets”, says Kirsten Rohde, Marketing and Purchasing Manager, Kreativfarben.

 

Klaus Müller-Blech, CEO of Inge’s Christmas Decor GmbH, is also pleased with his participation in Christmasworld: “We are satisfied with the overall order level at present. In the export sector, we had more visitors from East Europe. Many German customers export to East Europe – that’s where the markets of the future are. This trend has become more pronounced in comparison to 2011 and is reflected by the number of orders taken.”

 

One reason for the increase from these regions is connected with the export of Paperworld to Moscow and Dubai. “Launching Paperworld Middle East and Paperworld Russia last year has had a supplementary marketing effect on Paperworld, Creativeworld and Christmasworld in Frankfurt“, explains Detlef Braun. The proportion of visitors from outside Germany climbed to 58 percent (2011: 56 percent). The top visitor nations after Germany include Italy, France, The Netherlands, Great Britain and Switzerland.

 

“The course of business at the fair has been very good. The level of demand has been high throughout and we welcomed both key accounts and smaller retailers. Particularly striking has been the intensity of the discussions, during which extremely specific activities and measures were agreed. We even carried out the annual discussions in the international sphere. Therefore, it is essential that we show the flag here”, says Stephan Weinberg, Head of the Retail Trade Department of UHU GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, and Paperworld exhibitor.

 

Classic Christmas decorations dominate the market whereby the tree can also be an artificial objet d’art on occasions. Nevertheless, nature is the primary source of inspiration, especially when finished with ‘white wash’ or a glitter effect. White and silver with restrained color accents are predominant this season. The trend towards a knitted look also continues. The LED lighting market is expanding and increasingly moving into the table-decoration segment. Candle makers are responding to the competitive pressure with innovative concepts. For more information, visit www.christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com.