International furniture fair imm cologne and Living Kitchen will not take place on the planned dates in January 2022 in Cologne and will be postponed until 2023.

The executive board of Koelnmesse reached the decision in consultation with the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM) and in agreement with industry representatives at the international level.

COO of Koelnmesse Oliver Frese stated: “This step is restricted exclusively to imm cologne and its specific requirements for trade fair operations.

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“We are principally planning, as before, to carry out our spring events in 2022.”

The physical and digital edition of imm Cologne was cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Koelnmesse reported the 2022 event had 600 exhibitors from more than 50 countries confirmed at the end of October but the COVID pandemic has, once again, caused the event to be postponed.

CEO of industry sponsor of the event VDM Jan Kurth commented:”Following consultation with numerous exhibitors, industry representatives and trading partners, there is either no question of participation on the part of German exhibitors or exhibitors from the German-speaking region, or this is very much in doubt.”

“The current special basic conditions in the interior design industry make the practicability of imm cologne almost impossible”, according to Oliver Frese.

“We didn’t make this very bitter decision easy for ourselves, but consider it to be our obligation to take this step now in close consultation with the industry.

“In this way we provide clarity and planning security in the interests of our exhibitors. In our shared perspective, an imm cologne with its claim as a leading trade fair for the interior design industry is not realisable in the current situation.”

He continued: “We are currently working actively on options for also still being able to offer exhibitors of imm cologne an attractive trade fair presence at the international level.”

In a press statement, it was reported: “Koelnmesse, together with the VDM and the exhibiting industry, will therefore do everything possible to get a powerful and innovative imm cologne 2023 on its feet.”