interzum @home, the first digital edition of interzum, started on 4 May 2021. As the leading platform for the furniture production and interior finishing industry, the world’s leading trade fair for the industry also remains a reliable port of call for inspiring dialogue and new business opportunities during these challenging times. In addition to all kinds of exciting themes and supporting programme points, everything revolves around the product innovations of more than 140 participating companies from 24 countries.
“I am especially pleased that a great many global key players of the industry are taking part and will also present their world premieres at interzum @home this year,” said Matthias Pollmann, Vice President Trade Fair Management. “But an interzum also lives from the smaller companies, which are often present with exciting products. Especially this mix of exhibitors also defines the spirit of the leading international trade fair this year.”
With numerous functions, interzum @home offers the full spectrum of opportunities for business. In the process, the focus of the digital trade fair is on two central aspects: content and networking. The digital platform offers a variety of possibilities for the presentation of products and trends, as well as solutions for knowledge transfer. The three interzum stages, Green Smart Materials, interzum Trend Stage and Mattress Recycling, as well as the interzum award, invite an exchange of knowledge through approximately 100 specialist lectures and workshops. However, visitors can not only digitally meet key speakers from their industry, but also enter active dialogue session with speakers. On the digital product stages, each interzum @home visitor receives insights into the latest trends, developments and offerings of the exhibitors. This stage lives from the 130 compact, short presentations provided directly by the manufacturers themselves. In this way, visitors enter into an exchange with exhibitors and can have their questions answered directly by the pros in the simultaneous chat – or have the opportunity visit the showroom of the exhibitor afterwards.
However, interzum @home also lives to a very great extent from and for networking. The central features for this, besides the chat, are the audio-video call functions of “Discovery Graph” and “Lead Finder”. Discovery Graph suggests potential contacts to the user, whether exhibitor or visitor, based on an algorithm. The algorithm accesses product interests that every user can and should maintain in their personal profile. In a very vivid representation, those persons are then suggested to the user with whom a high degree of matching interests exists. Last but not least, the Koelnmesse team has even incorporated a completely new tool, the Lead Finder. This follows a simple principle: supply finds demand! Buyers and sellers can indicate what they want to sell or are looking for and can then use each search to find their “counterpart” using various filters – that is matchmaking at its best!
On the whole, the platform is designed to be exceptionally easy and intuitive to use. Irrespective of the previous digital experience of the users, the welcome page and so-called “lobby” leads to all areas. Visitors are shown the current highlights and can look at personal communications and agenda. interzum @home will thus bring the real trade fair experience to every user at home over the next few days.
