With Compliments! | Domotex
With Compliments! | Domotex

With Compliments! | Domotex

For most people in the Northern Hemisphere the arrival of January signals Winter’s grasp has firmly taken hold, yet for itinerant rug and carpet buyers eager to spot the latest trends, find an antique gem in the rough, or explore the innovations which will drive the future of rugs and flooring, January can mean only one thing: Domotex. Billed by the organizers as ‘The World of Flooring’ the original fair in Hannover, Germany as well as the complementary regional shows including Domotex Turkey in Gaziantep, Turkey, Domotex Asia/ChinaFloor in Shanghai, China, and the soon to be inaugurated Domotex USA in Atlanta, United States, certainly live up to, if not exceed, this moniker. The January 2019 fair in Hannover will host over 1,600 exhibitors who will – assuming past trends hold – attract approximately 45,000 buyers representing in total over 100 countries from around the world. In short, it’s big, it’s important, and if you are serious about rugs and carpets, it’s a must attend. The Ruggist will be there for the duration of Domotex 2019 which runs Friday, 11 January through Monday, 14 January, 2019. But wait! There’s more… .

The Domotex stand of renowned brand Rug Star as it appeared during the 2018 fair. | Image courtesy of Domotex.
The Domotex stand of renowned brand Rug Star as it appeared during the 2018 fair. | Image courtesy of Domotex.

Returning this year is the feted ‘Framing Trends’ exhibition in Hall 9 which highlights the stylish, forward looking, and innovative approaches to flooring from across the entire fair as is the highly regarded ‘Carpet Design Awards‘ produced in conjunction with COVER and HALI Magazines. The hall layout remains unchanged in 2019 since the dramatic – and praiseworthy – reälignment in 2018, and I anticipate there will be much to see, purchase, and experience during the four (4) days of the fair. While I’ve attended the show in the past as both a designer of rugs and more recently as a commentator, this year marks the first in which I have taken a more collaborative approach with the organizers. As such, Domotex, in collaboration with The Ruggist, is pleased to offer qualified attendees Complimentary Admission to Domotex 2019 in Hannover, Germany.

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This collaboration was brought about for several reasons. Firstly, because if one such as The Ruggist is to grow their audience, one must do things which attract larger audiences. And secondly, in a competitive world, one must be competitive so long as the means are justified by desired end results. In this case I believe they most certainly are and while it should be noted my collaboration and involvement with Domotex certainly carries with it a degree of understanding betwixt the organizers and myself, no restrictions have been placed on what I can, should, or will say. This is as any relationship between media and its partners should be.

So what will you see from The Ruggist at Domotex in 2019?

A selection of machine-loomed rugs shown on display at Eko Hali Pazarlama during Domotex 2018. | Image courtesy of Domotex.
A selection of machine-loomed rugs shown on display at Eko Hali Pazarlama during Domotex 2018. | Image courtesy of Domotex.

Starting in advance of the fair and then throughout the duration you will see a series of short articles written by me as one of three (3) Trendscouts. I’ll be talking about this year’s theme – ‘Create’N’Connect‘ – as well as other topics related to the fair and the products found therein. My decidedly biased rug and carpet perspective will be balanced by those from an architecture/design professional as well as a that of a ‘NuThinker‘. 

During the fair, on Sunday, 13 January 2019, you are invited to listen to a panel discussion entitled ‘Inside Intimacy Portland’ in which Jürgen Dahlmanns of Rug Star, Christiane Millinger of Christiane Millinger Oriental Rugs and Textiles, and myself discuss Rug Star’s ‘Intimacy Portland’ photography series which was shot over ten (10) days in Portland, United States in collaboration with Millinger. I travelled to Portland for Rug Insider Magazine, which I edit, in order to follow along during the shoot and report on what it takes to produce a campaign of such high calibre; the article ‘Inside Intimacy Portland’ appears in the Fall 2018 print issue of Rug Insider Magazine. The discussion will expand upon several themes from the article and explore global collaboration, which is to say creating and connecting.

Finally (though it should be noted this list is not exhaustive), attendees will see my involvement with the Bloggers as lead by Holly Becker of Decor8, including the Sunday, 13 January panel discussion ‘Trend + Fair Favourites’ where each of us will reveal our personal favourites from the fair. This marks the second year the German-based American interior design expert and influencer Becker has lead a diverse group of Bloggers at Domotex and if last year serves as any indication, the insight and perspectives of these creatives will be quite inspiring, if not also thought provoking.

Follow @theruggist wherever finer Social Media is found (primarily Instagram and Facebook) for your daily dose of The Ruggist. And if you are headed to Domotex in Hannover and care to meet to discuss rugs and carpets, feel free to contact me to arrange a meeting. Until then, Cheers!