Heimtextil 2024 was well attended! 

Breadth and depth of offerings are appreciated

"People need personal contact," observed Detlef Braun, member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt on the first day of Heimtextil. "Many people thought that trade fairs might lose out to digital contact, but we see that this is not the case."  

The numbers prove Braun right, as the fair attracted 46,000 visitors from 130 countries from Jan. 9 to 12. That was about 2,000 more than in 2023. That the number of exhibitors was larger was already known. That so many professionals would find their way to Frankfurt, however, was less obvious. Heimtextil unfortunately had to contend with difficult travel conditions as a result of nationwide rail strikes and regional demonstrations, but these apparently did not hinder visitors. According to Messe Frankfurt, visitors and exhibitors were also more positive about the fair. Visitors mainly because of the breadth and depth of the offer, exhibitors were impressed by the increased visitor quality and buying competence. 

Artificial intelligence and sustainability took center stage at this edition of Heimtextil. The fair provided insights into the textile application of artificial intelligence and the use of AI-guided sorting to refine recycled textile waste into new yarns. In the trend space, visitors' textile design ideas were brought to life on interactive stations using tools such as ChatGPT-4 and Midjourney. 

The next edition of Heimtextil is scheduled from January 14 to 17, 2025. Then Heimtextil will collaborate with one of the most important and influential international design studios: Studio Urquiola. A groundbreaking installation is planned, according to Messe Frankfurt, which should offer an immersive and unique design experience. 

Forest Group

The Forest Group is one of the regular awning exhibitors at Heimtextil. This year, among other things, the company is introducing a new line of remote controls, namely the Forest EasyTouch series, with the Entry Level Remote as its key innovation. This sleek and intuitive remote control sets the standard for effortless curtain management, according to Forest. It is a 6-channel remote with a streamlined design with easy-to-use buttons for seamless operation. To this will be added a 15-channel Forest EasyTouch Pro version and a wall switch. The new remotes can also be used to control Forest's existing window covering systems. Another novelty is a point-of-sale line consisting of a shop-in-shop display, a countertop display, and a demo flight case for rods and designer curtain rails. 

Flocart

"As a company whose products include curtain fabrics for the contract market, we are proud to announce that we are the first to have succeeded in producing a PFAS- and hallogen-free (heavy metals, ed.), 100% blackout and fire-retardant curtain fabric," said Flocart General Manager Denis Verstraete. "It darkens and meets the highest European fire standards without the use of chemicals." Incidentally, the company was also present at R+T, where it showed a new range of sun protection textiles. "Both for curtain fabrics and blinds, we try to bet on high technicality. We always do that in the most responsible and sustainable way, which is not always easy."

MHZ

MHZ stood with German interest group Decoteam at Heimtextil. Here the group set several trends, including bright, contrasting colors in pop art style. The central eye-catcher on the window is the Duette® honeycomb pleated Leo, which likes to stand out big, in the picture combined with honeycomb pleated Magenta. This version of Leo by MHZ has a striking graffiti pattern and is ideally flanked by color-coordinated surfaces, according to Decoteam. MHZ Duette® honeycomb pleated blinds with honeycombed air chambers fit well with the need to save energy and reduce heating costs.