The increase in coronavirus cases worldwide, accompanied by lockdowns, restrictions and quarantine requests, is forcing exhibition organisers around the world to postpone if not cancel events or rethink them on a purely digital basis.
This is why the calendar of trade fairs is always evolving: among the latest postponed fairs are Maison&Objet Paris and Fimma Brasil, while Interzum Bogotà and Furniture Show Birmingham have been cancelled and Domotex is being transformed into Domotex Digital Day on 20 May 2021.

Maison&Objet Paris from 9 to 13 September 2021

The next edition of Maison&Objet Paris will be held from Thursday 9 to Monday 13 September 2021 at the Parc des Expositions de Paris-Nord Villepinte. Faced with the persistence of the Covid-19 pandemic that is still heavily affecting the running of events, Maison&Objet has decided not to hold the first 2021 edition of the fair scheduled for the end of March. The next session of Maison&Objet Paris will therefore take place in September, in synergy with Paris Design Week. The organisers also believe that with this date, international buyers, influencers and journalists will be able to be present first in Milan with the Salone del Mobile (5-10 September) and then in Paris taking advantage of the two most important meetings in the field of design, decoration and the art of living.

Fimma Brasil postponed until a later date

The Furniture Industry Association of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Movergs) has officially announced the postponement of Fimma Brasil, which was due to take place in Bento Gonçalves from 26 to 29 April 2021.  The main purpose is to preserve the health of the public during the Covid-19 pandemic. A new date for the fair has not yet been set, but will be decided and communicated as soon as possible. The virtual B2B scheduled for May 2021 has been confirmed.

Interzum Bogota postponed to 2022

The continuation of the global health emergency has also forced the organisers of interzum Bogotá to cancel the 2021 edition of the fair, scheduled for next February, making an appointment for operators from 10 to 13 May 2022.
“Once again we have to postpone an exhibition appointment that over the years has been able to demonstrate its value in the world of furniture and furnishings production in Central America and the Andean countries,“ commented Thomas Rosolia, managing director of Koelnmesse Italia. “Corferias, our exhibition partner in Colombia, and Koelnmesse have taken this decision by mutual agreement, after an intense discussion with exhibitors, faced with the enormous difficulties of movement and quarantine periods imposed by the authorities to counter the spread of the coronavirus. We are sure“, concluded Rosolia, “that the Italian companies that are looking with great attention at this “young“ event will not fail to confirm their presence in 2022, when we hope that this dramatic situation will have long since been declared over“.

Furniture Show Birmingham postponed until January 2022

The Furniture Show Birmingham has also been postponed until January 2022. In line with restrictions implemented by the UK government, Clarion Events, organiser of the show, has announced that the April event has been rescheduled from 23 to 26 January 2022. Zoë Bonser, Portfolio Director of the event, stressed that this was obviously a difficult decision, but added that the safety and success of exhibitors, visitors and suppliers always remains the priority of organisers of major international events.

Domotex 2021 becomes Domotex Digital Day

Domotex, the world's most important trade fair for the flooring industry, after initially being postponed to 18-20 May, will take place as a hybrid trade fair format from 13-16 January 2022, at the Hannover Messe. The current situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic makes it impossible to plan and organise a physical presence in Hanover at the world's leading carpet and floor covering exhibition.
Instead, Deutsche Messe AG, the organisers of the event, have planned an alternative digital business platform in the form of the Domotex Digital Day to be held on 20 May 2021. A central element of this platform will be a digital conference with top industry representatives where the main topics of the flooring industry will be addressed. The digital event will therefore also focus on aspects of digitalisation, which has become increasingly important in recent times in the flooring sector as well.