Kind + Jugend gathers more than 1,000 exhibitors | Key4Communications |

The babycare trade fair Kind + Jugend closed on Sunday after gathering more than 20,000 trade visitors from 110 countries, that visited 1,014 exhibitors from 45 countries. During four intensive days, the exhibitors from the areas of children's furniture, safety seats, textiles, prams, hygiene articles, toys and baby clothes presented their innovations and product developments. More than 80% of exhibitors came from abroad. At 70%, the amount of international trade visitors was also at the same high level as last year.

This year, Kind + Jugend recorded an increase in the number of visitors, particularly from the US and Asia. According to Koelnmesse, “with its unique exhibitor structure, which unites nearly all international top players in the one place, Kind + Jugend also reaches all relevant visitor target groups. For international wholesale, top sourcers and procurement associations all the way to traders from medium-sized and small companies, Kind + Jugend is the most significant industry meeting point of the year”.

This fact was also confirmed by the visitor survey conducted during the event: Almost 85% of visitors were satisfied to very satisfied with the achievement of the targets of their visit, while more than 90% would recommend Kind + Jugend to their business friends.

Furniture design as new focal point
The new design initiative kidsroomZOOM! presented selected design objects for children's rooms, including several items which had never been displayed in Germany before. Altogether, almost 40 designers from all over the world took part in the new exhibition format.

In passage 3/11, the Afilii initiative also presented game products, living accessories and children's furniture from designers from 16 nations. With the two special design areas as well as a higher number of exhibitors in the children's furniture segment, Kind + Jugend was able to appropriately reflect the increasing importance of furniture design and lifestyle in children's rooms.

Conferences and awards
This year, the new Trend Forum offered numerous presentations and discussion rounds, international experts talked about market-relevant topics from the baby and toddler outfitting industry. The thematic line-up ranged from current market figures, new distribution channels in the online and offline market and studies of typical consumers to safety topics and design possibilities in the creative process of product design. The Trend Forum enjoyed a large number of visitors on all days of the trade fair and is planned to be continued in the coming year and expanded by further informational offerings.

The Kind + Jugend Innovation Awards were also announced during the first day of Kind + Jugend, choosing  winners in eight categories plus a runner-up incentive price among 183 products proposed by 145 companies from 24 countries.