We have recently welcomed back our design team from Orgatec – a trade fair for modern working environments! We hope you’ve had a chance to process all of the amazing things you saw while you were there. For those of you who didn’t get to go this year, we wanted to give you a little taste of what the biggest European office furniture fair is all about. So here are some Insightful takeaways from Orgatec straight from our team members who have returned from Cologne!
You could really feel the excitement in the air at the fair this year after returning from a hiatus. A welcome sight for many in the industry. With all of the big players in attendance, exhibiting or sending people to scope out the competition, it was clear that the office furniture market is very much alive and well.
Sustainability was a huge theme at the fair. Established as more than just a trend, it’s here to stay. It’s a very important issue that all the manufacturers looked to be focused on. With many manufacturers now in a race to find the best reused materials. There was a lot of innovation on display. From repurposing existing products to 3D printing new designs.
There was also a big focus on flexible and acoustic furniture solutions as people are returning to working in larger, open plan offices. We also saw a lot of flexible furniture, for collaboration or ideation zones. This type of furniture is very flexible, stackable and often on wheels, which makes it easy to create a solutions than will work for the long term in the ever-changing furniture landscape.
Another big trend was the focus on work pods and acoustics. With more and more people returning to work in open plan offices, there is a need for furniture that provides a quiet space to work. MANY brands were debuting new products in this area, and it is clear that this is a growing market.
A stand out concept for our interior design team was ECOsero’s immersive experience where the visitor could walk through a tunnel clad with acoustic panelling which allowed you to experience the absorbtion effect of it. A speaker playing music was situated at one end and as you walked through the tunnel the noise noticably gradually dampened. What a great way to showcase how their product worked whilst providing a memorable experience for the visitor. The product is wonderfully sustainable too as it is made out of recycled plastic bottles.
Overall, it was exciting to see the advancement in technology and design since the last Orgatec fair, and it is clear that the office furniture industry is in a period of growth and change.