The Comeback

There has been plenty of bad news from the events city of Cologne in recent times ranging from a lack of concept and other problems associated with the imm furniture fair, to the disaster of art fair offshoot "art cologne" on the island of Majorca and the financial dispute over the New Halls - the bad tidings never seem to stop. Even the Orgatec office furniture fair seemed to have been losing its influence and attraction in recent years. But wonder of wonders! This year, the fair seems to have successfully turned the corner. Close to 700 suppliers from 39 countries, almost all of them market leaders, will be in attendance in Cologne and, once again, there are some interesting new products and developments on view and the industry seems to be heaving a collective sigh of relief, bestowing unexpected success on the Cologne fair location.

The overarching, high-statement tagline for Orgatec is "the office - a factor for success". On offer are a host of special exhibitions, lectures and discussion events on issues relating to the office workplace of the future. In addition to special shows on the theme of lighting, flooring, acoustics and media technology, the Best Office Award honours the office solution which optimally suits the office workflow, with a varied fringe programme on offer throughout the fair.

So the hope is that, despite the current financial crisis, the positive economic climate will have a positive effect on the fair, making a real success of Orgatec. Cologne needs it!

In addition to the fair, it's also worthwhile visiting the nearby Designpost, which in recent years has become one of Germany's premier locations for high-end design, as well as Sidispot, close to the main railway station, where a selection of Spanish companies are on display, and the KAP Forum at the Rheinauhafen, the venue for the presentation ceremony for the Zumtobel Group Award (23 October, 7.00 p.m.). Kristin Feireiss, the go-getting founder of the Aedes architecture gallery in Berlin, will be the laudator - surely one of the highlights of the event.

orgatec.de.koelnmesse.info
www.designpostkoeln.de
www.kap-forum.de
www.sidispot.com
www.zumtobel-group-award.com