Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JULY 2020 28 T R A D E S H O W N E W S T he world is looking for innovative ways to get the economy back up and running after the coronavirus crisis is overcome. The Connect Hub will be Koelnmesse's latest contribution on the occasion of the 2021 edition of the trade fair duo of imm cologne and LivingKitchen. As the centerpiece of the new Connect Hall, The Connect Hub will be a catalyst for tapping new, cross- industry business potentials in the field of connected home and living. As an interactive innovation workshop and a trade fair platform for networking, knowledge transfer and teambuilding, Connect Hub invites exhibitors and visitors to develop joint solutions. After mitigating the adverse impacts of the global pandemic on people, it will be important to look at the challenges for the economy which has undergone a dramatic change. The time of the futurists is over – the future is now, and what's called for is robust strategies and concrete solutions for revitalizing entire industries. "The imm cologne and LivingKitchen interiors trade shows have always seen themselves as discussion platforms for exploring future issues, and they have initiated appropriate formats," says Matthias Pollmann, Vice President Trade Fair Management and responsible for the topics of furniture and interior design at Koelnmesse. Koelnmesse has supported the digital transformation in the furniture industry over the last seven years through its annual imm cologne Congress. As an event format for discussing how we will live in the near future, "Das Haus" is a platform that allows the visions of creative designers and design teams to become reality for one week. At imm cologne 2021, "Das Haus" celebrates its 10th anniversary with the special format "Apartment Haus." As the first designer of FutureKitchen, Alfredo Häberli designed a virtual future kitchen for LivingKitchen 2019 – a visionary blueprint for how kitchen applications could be used in the next few years. In Connect Hub, Koelnmesse is now launching an innovative new trade fair event with exhibitors in the redesigned Hall 1plus. This is where future designs will be aligned with the latest research, possible applications and the products and services on offer, and then translated into concrete business ideas. CONNECT: THE NEW PLATFORM FOR CONNECTED HOME & LIVING The Connect Hub represents the communicative center and vibrant heart of the Hall 1plus, which is being newly built as part of the Koelnmesse 3.0 masterplan and will be ready on schedule for imm cologne 2021. Under the title Connect, the hall serves as a platform for connected home and living during imm cologne and LivingKitchen. Innovative device technology and smart applications for connecting the kitchen and the home as a whole will be presented here, and Connect is also the point of intersection with the fields of energy management, mobility, logistics, telecommunication, health- care, technology and culture. As an additional highlight, the Connected Home demonstrates a realistic implementation of smart- home technologies for architecture and furniture in staged living environments. CONNECT HUB AS A CATALYST: SMART LIVING IN A DIGITAL FUTURE As part of the trade fair duo of imm cologne and LivingKitchen 2021, exhibitors and trade visitors can thoroughly explore the digital future in the furniture and interior design market at Connect. Connect Hub assumes the important role of catalyst for tapping new, cross-industry business potential. PLACE OF CONNECTION: INTERACTIVE IDEAS FESTIVAL FOR THE LIVING WORLDS OF TOMORROW Is the coronavirus crisis having an impact on home and living? Will we live in more sustainable ways in the future, and how will those affect our consumer behavior? How will digitalization on a product level simplify our lives? What potential does digitalization offer, and how can we apply these insights to other industries? The perspectives of different sectors on these questions, and the current state of research and product development occupy center stage at the Connect Hub. This is where the necessary connections are established. Connect Hub offers exhibitors various possibilities for positioning brands and products in a creative and innovative environment. As hosts they can organize different workshops, conferences and events whose content is coordinated by the Connect team. Connect Hub brings together visitors, exhibitors, products, services and future topics in innovative participation and workshop formats. It thereby provides exhibitors with an opportunity to enter into an intensive exchange with relevant target groups and trade HOW WILL WE LIVE TOMORROW?

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