Intohome to Remain in Birmingham
December 12, 2000
Birmingham (UK) - The U.K. soft furnishings show Intohome will remain at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham in 2001. The decision follows speculation that the event would shift either to ExCel, the new conference/exhibition center in London's Docklands, or return to Manchester's G-Mex Centre, the show's original home.
The proposed changes were understood to be in response to exhibitors' concerns over facilities at the NEC and poor attendance figures at the 2000 show.
Intohome organizer Trade Promotion Services said the three venues had initially been booked, after which key exhibitors were consulted on the alternatives.
An ExCel show would have been a broad-based, international exhibition held in June 2001. An exhibition at G-Mex would have been a much smaller, national event with perhaps just 75-100 exhibitors in April.
However, a number of northern-based exhibitors were understood to be against a move to London due to the higher costs. And the Manchester venue is too small to accommodate the current size of the Intohome show. "To put it back into Manchester would have been a step in the wrong direction," said exhibition director Kevin Burnal.
TPS quashed the idea of holding shows at both centers, preferring to remain in centrally located Birmingham and retaining the originally planned dates (13-16 May, 2001).
"There was a question of doing both a national and an international show, but nobody including the buyers wanted two events," said Burnal. "And a survey indicated the trade preferred one show in Birmingham."
Burnal hinted that Intohome was in the process of being reedited to add interest for exhibitors and visitors.
Meanwhile, Design Interiors (Birmingham, U.K., 21-24 January 2001) has received official support from the British Contract Furnishings Association, following the increased presence of visitors and exhibitors in the contract sector.
The show has also joined forces with ACID (Anti-Copying in Design), the action group committed to fighting design piracy and raising industry standards.
Design Interiors event director Fiona Parkin said: "We are delighted our association with ACID is now official as it reinforces the integrity and professionalism, which are fundamental to Design Interiors." F&FI
The proposed changes were understood to be in response to exhibitors' concerns over facilities at the NEC and poor attendance figures at the 2000 show.
Intohome organizer Trade Promotion Services said the three venues had initially been booked, after which key exhibitors were consulted on the alternatives.
An ExCel show would have been a broad-based, international exhibition held in June 2001. An exhibition at G-Mex would have been a much smaller, national event with perhaps just 75-100 exhibitors in April.
However, a number of northern-based exhibitors were understood to be against a move to London due to the higher costs. And the Manchester venue is too small to accommodate the current size of the Intohome show. "To put it back into Manchester would have been a step in the wrong direction," said exhibition director Kevin Burnal.
TPS quashed the idea of holding shows at both centers, preferring to remain in centrally located Birmingham and retaining the originally planned dates (13-16 May, 2001).
"There was a question of doing both a national and an international show, but nobody including the buyers wanted two events," said Burnal. "And a survey indicated the trade preferred one show in Birmingham."
Burnal hinted that Intohome was in the process of being reedited to add interest for exhibitors and visitors.
Meanwhile, Design Interiors (Birmingham, U.K., 21-24 January 2001) has received official support from the British Contract Furnishings Association, following the increased presence of visitors and exhibitors in the contract sector.
The show has also joined forces with ACID (Anti-Copying in Design), the action group committed to fighting design piracy and raising industry standards.
Design Interiors event director Fiona Parkin said: "We are delighted our association with ACID is now official as it reinforces the integrity and professionalism, which are fundamental to Design Interiors." F&FI
