Ambiente has wrapped up for another year but will return in 2025 from 7 to 11 February.
Organisers Mess Frankfurt report 4,928 exhibitors and in the region of 140,000 visitors visited the Consumer Good Fair over the course of five days as Ambiente, Christmasworld and Creativeworld were held simultaneously.
Despite a rail strike threatening to derail the show, visitors from all branches of trade and sales channels were inspired by a wealth of trends and innovations at the biggest event in the history of Messe Frankfurt. As the most international networking and ordering platform, the industry’s one-stop shop with over 170 participating countries and regions provided orientation, inspiration and solutions to current challenges in the market.
“Mission accomplished! Together with around 5,000 exhibitors and participants from over 170 countries and regions, this top-class trade fair trio strengthens the consumer goods industry in uncertain times”, summed up Detlef Braun, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt. ” The economy is under enormous pressure in the face of increasing global tensions. That’s why personal encounters, new solutions, inspiration and the development of new export markets and sales channels such as hospitality and the contract business are irreplaceable.”
Michael Berz, president of the German culinary and tableware trade association, adds: “Like other specialised sectors, the industry for glass, ceramics and porcelain is facing challenges in a difficult economic environment. Ambiente is a strong and reliable partner for us here – especially now. With the expansion of the HoReCa area, the trade fair has consistently developed the dining segment. This opens up even more business opportunities for our members. Ambiente provides a lot of good, forward-looking impetus. That gives us hope.”
In view of the new trade fair records, expectations were correspondingly high. These were more than fulfilled: Ambiente, Christmasworld and Creativeworld were characterised by new contacts with purchasing decision-makers, global business contacts and worldwide visitor flows. Internationality has increased: Three out of four trade visitors came to Frankfurt from abroad. With a five percent increase in international visitors compared to the previous year to a current 71 per cent, the mega trade fair topped the previous year’s result. Germany spearheaded the list of visitor nations this year. Italy and China took second and third place in the top five visitor countries, followed by the Netherlands and the USA. Together, they once again emphasised the importance of the leading trade fairs as the world’s most international event for the consumer goods industry. As expected, the ‘flying-in foreign countries’ were more strongly represented than visitor nations that, like France and the Alpine republics, travelled to the event by rail.
Major international buyers included Amazon, Anthropology, Carrefour International, Crate & Barrel, El Corte Ingles, Galleries Lafayette, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, La Rinascente, Loft, Marks & Spencer, Migros, the Museum of Modern Art, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Walmart and Zara Home were represented. Important distributors of hotel and catering supplies from all over the world and real estate developers such as Aurelis Real Estate, Deka Immobilien Investment and Lambert Smith Hampton were also in the halls, as were representatives of hotel groups such as Marriott Hotel Holding.
Ambiente, Christmasworld and Creativeworld will continue to take place at the same time at the Frankfurt exhibition centre. They will, however, be moved to the beginning of February (7-11 Feb 2025) to ensure that major global trade fair dates are aligned.
In addition, the daily sequence of Creativeworld will be optimised in consultation with the industry. All three leading trade fairs will start simultaneously on Friday. Creativeworld will continue to run for four days.
