Design fairs and exhibitions 2006
SLOVAK fair and exhibition companies are organizing several events focused on design, art, and fashion in 2006. They are commercial events but visitors will be able to observe trends in design and gauge the taste of the Slovak public.
Incheba Bratislava starts the spring part of Intermoda international fashion exhibition from February 28 to March 2. The autumn part of Intermoda takes place from September 21 to 23. From October 18 to 22 there are three events: Moddom - exhibition of furniture, housing and office interior and design, Luxdom - exhibition of lighting, glass, ceramics and porcelain, and Art - an exhibition of art.
Four large exhibitions take place in Agrokomplex - Výstavníctvo Nitra from March 8 to 12. They are Furniture and Living - a furniture and household accessories fair, Homelight - an exhibition of interior and exterior lights, Bytex - an exhibition of decorative textiles, and Forum of Design - an exhibition of furniture design. Dom Expo - build your own house exhibition takes place from April 20 to 23.
Výstavisko TMM Trenčín prepared the spring part of its traditional fashion exhibition Trenčín Mesto Módy (Trenčín City of Fashion) for February 22 to 23. Its autumn part will take place from September 19 to 21. From November 16 to 18 there will be an exhibition on the culture of living, Stavba - Dom - Nábytok (Construction - House - Furniture).
1. košická výstavnícka spoločnosť will organize the Nábytok (Furniture) and Interiér (Interior) exhibitions from September 21 to 23.
Furniture production on the up
AFTER several years of depression the Slovak furniture industry is recovering. In 2005 the upward trend continued in Slovakia, Agrokomplex-Výstavníctvo Nitra announced.
The industry experienced the worst recession in 1990 to 1994. The volume of wood production reached only 52 percent of the level of 1989. In 1995 the volume started to increase. While in 1989 furniture production was only 0.9 percent of the overall industrial production, in 2004 it was 3.3 percent.
According to Agrokomplex-Výstavníctvo the structure of the furniture industry reflected consumer preferences. For example, during the last years the share of mid-priced veneer-faced furniture decreased. Cheap furniture from laminated and folia covered materials from Poland and Asia grew significantly. This creates an enormous pressure for decreasing prices.
Apart from IKEA, which has been present on the Slovak market for several years, new furniture shopping centres arrived in 2005, such as Európa Mobel and Austrian KIKA. Consumers put off plans to buy furniture until these centres, promising low prices, opened. As a result, other shopping centres also launched large discounts.
- Prepared by Marta Ďurianová
