(PRESS RELEASE) INHORGENTA MUNICH was the international meeting place for the jewelry, timepiece and gemstone industry for four days. Around 26,000 trade visitors from more than 80 countries attended the event in Munich from February 14 to 17 and experienced a diverse range of brands, top-flight talks and a dazzling supporting program.
Klaus Dittrich, chairman and CEO of Messe München, sums up the successful trade fair as follows: “The number of exhibitors and visitors, their internationality, the mood at the fair and the feedback from participants—simply everything was right over the past four days. INHORGENTA MUNICH’s concept is compelling and we’re delighted about that.”
Stephan Lindner, president of BVJ—Federal Association of Jewellers, Jewellery and Watch Retailers, also gave a positive verdict: “After a good 2019, a successful season and a decent start to the year, we expected a good attendance in Munich. However, the high quality of the jewelers there and the great demand doubtless came as a positive surprise to many an exhibitor. We’re very happy with how INHORGENTA MUNICH went.”
Excellent business platform for newcomers and established players
The challenging environment at present was hardly a topic and the trade fair again proved to be an ideal business platform, as confirmed by numerous exhibitors. That was especially clear in Halls A1—Timepieces and B1—Fine Jewelry: Both halls were booked out down to the last square meter and offered the many visitors a mix of established players in the industry and newcomers with innovative products. Jason Newman, country manager Germany and export director Worldwide at the Festina Group, was highly delighted to be back at INHORGENTA MUNICH: “Our expectations were fulfilled completely. Our main goal was to showcase our expanded brand portfolio in this international atmosphere. The fair’s success is reflected in the orders we obtained and the high attendance at our stand.”
The opinions were also positive in Hall B1, one example being Luisa Rosas, whose jewelry collection and stand design are strongly inspired by nature and who celebrated a successful premiere at INHORGENTA MUNICH. “During the trade fair we realized how important INHORGENTA MUNICH is in the market and how helpful it is for a new brand to be discovered,” is how David Geraldes, sales director, sums up the presence of the Portuguese newcomer.
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Partner country Switzerland and TRENDFACTORY MUNICH excite visitors
Not only many stands this year were inspired by nature, but also the central section of Hall C2 “Contemporary Design & Vision.” The focus of its content and design was on sustainability and future retail. The program of presentations on these two top issues in the industry was well-attended and the top-flight speakers were delighted at the keen interest. The designer Guya Merkle spoke at TRENDFACTORY MUNICH: “Sustainability is a very important topic. It’s courageous and commendable for INHORGENTA MUNICH to take the issue up.”
Exhibitors in Hall C2 were very pleased about the many visitors and the focal topics there. One of them was jewelry designer Claudia Hoppe: “I’m delighted that Hall C2 took up the issues of sustainability and the future of retail and I think everything worked out very successfully.”
Switzerland was this year’s partner country at INHORGENTA MUNICH. There was keen interest in the Salon Suisse, the heart of Switzerland’s presence as partner country, showcased top watch brands and a supporting program on Swiss watchmaking. The Salon Suisse was opened by Markus Thür, the Consul General of Switzerland in Munich. He was thrilled by his country’s presentation: “The presence is lively, diverse, radiates a great appeal and lets us experience the Swiss world of watches with a lot of emotion.”
The exhibitors at the Salon Suisse, which included the artisans Czapek, Parmigiani and Oscillon, not only displayed top-class timepieces, but also the underlying precision technology made in Switzerland.
Dirk Boettcher, sales director at Parmigiani Fleurier, summarizes his impressions of the trade fair: “INHORGENTA MUNICH is growing steadily in importance and will continue to do so in the industry moving ahead. The Salon Suisse is a small oasis in the hustle and bustle of the fair and goes down well with our retailers.”
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INHORGENTA AWARD and Jewelry Show: “The places to be”
The INHORGENTA AWARD Gala was fully sold out: Around 500 guests were there on Sunday evening to see the coveted trophy presented in eight categories. As is tradition, the focus was on the winners and their innovative designs, but the industry also used the gala evening to network intensively. There was another crowd puller that attracted no less attention: The Jewelry Show, where beautiful jewelry creations, such as by Hans D. Krieger, IsabelleFa and Gellner, inspired visitors. Claudia Hoffmann, who is a stylist and co-founder of the Fashion Council Germany and was at the Jewelry Show for model styling and also a member of the award’s jury, sums up the two events: “Quite simply, they were the places to be this weekend.”
Stefanie Mändlein, exhibition director of INHORGENTA MUNICH, is already looking ahead to the next staging of the fair: “The positive feedback from our long-standing and new exhibitors and from visitors is confirmation of our strategy of developing the trade fair platform further in close and constant dialog with our customers. We’ll be able to welcome further international top brands from the jewelry and above all the watch sector next year.”
The next INHORGENTA MUNICH will be held from February 19 to 22, 2021, at the Messe München Exhibition Center.
