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This is the conclusion that Stefan Pletzer, Managing Director of EGGER Retail Products, drew from the numerous conversations with customers and interested parties at the leading trade fair of the floor covering products sector, the Domotex in Hanover, Germany, which came to an end on Tuesday 15 January 2008. The EGGER team was also pleased with the international background of the audience: “Almost all the countries of Europe were represented – from Spain to Russia. The high proportion of visitors from Eastern Europe was particularly noticeable”, says Stefan Pletzer.
The audience at the EGGER trade fair event in the Convention Centre of the Hanover Trade Fair site was just as international – the guests came from all over the world. Over 200 specialist visitors enjoyed an evening with a show and music, all under the EGGER trade fair motto: “Feel the Spirit”.
“Feel the Spirit” also underlines the EGGER philosophy of building up long-term partnerships with customers and developing product innovations. The decors, formats and structures of the innovations displayed are all adjusted to give an optimum overall impression. The customers’ need for stability and continuity was also brought to the forefront in discussions at the trade fair: “Our customers expect a clear and long-term strategy and a reliable partner, not changes of the topics and assortments at short notice,” explained Stefan Pletzer at the press conference with specialist journalists from around the world.
Another topic was, of course, the absolute innovation of the DPR laminate floors (produced using direct printing). The flooring is impressive, not least because of the improved product characteristics (warmer, quieter and smoother) and the positive eco-balance, which was presented in Hanover. In 2008, EGGER plans to increase the production volume of directly printed laminate flooring to a total of 15 million square metres.
Focus on high-volume trend topics
At the EGGER trade fair stand new decors were used to give example demonstrations of how EGGER adjusts each decor individually to the surface to enhance the natural effect of the flooring. This is also complemented by the correct format. Each decor has a different size so that it is shown at its best: The different versions are Small, Medium, Classic and Kingsize In addition there is a choice between bevels on four sides or two sides, depending on the decor and customer taste, to perfect the appearance of the wood floor and make the decor even more authentic. “We received a lot of encouragement for our assortments from the visitors to the fair”, sums up Stefan Pletzer, “our customers value the fact that we focus on current, high-volume trend topics that target the needs of the end customer directly”.
Innovative topic collections
The ideally adjusted decors in the EGGER topic assortments emotion Kingsize, Megafloor Dimensions and Floorline Compact were presented:
In the emotion Kingsize assortement, the Kingsize format 1,292 x 326 mm means that the decors can be even more detailed and expressive. The new wood, stone and metal decors are evidence of individuality and taste. A new level of quality and a fascinating play of colours provide a completely new feel-good factor.
In the new Megafloor Dimensions assortment, the name says it all: The two different formats complement the respective decors in the best way possible. Six selected wood decors are presented in the narrow Medium format 1,292 x 134 mm, in the wide Kingsize format 1,292 x 326 mm one wood, one stone and one metal decor are shown off to even better advantage.
Floorline Compact offers the maximum combination options: Under the motto "Beautiful, natural appearance of narrow boards", the assortment features ten selected decors in the narrow 1,292 x 134 mm medium format. In addition to these ten decors there are also five available in the Classic format 1,292 x 192 mm. Mixing different board formats permits a series of fascinating contrasts that create a perfectly coordinated whole.
Decor trends in the Kingsize format
In addition to the focus on innovation when it comes to surfaces and formats, the trade fair visitors were also shown some outstanding decor developments, that can all show their effect in the Kingsize format. There was a lot of discussion in particular about the strong black tones and the white tones of White Wood and Black Oak. The metal decors Metallica brown, Metallica bronze and Metallica anthracite blue, which are particularly suitable for the commercial sector, are very effective in the large size. A typical EGGER trend topic, the stone decors, were extended to include the addition of Jaipur white and Jaipur blue. |
Visitors at the EGGER stand |
