PRESS

“There is always something going on during Trends Up West in Düsseldorf. Apparently we’re getting the region going,” says organizer Willo Blome (blomus) jokingly. After two hurricanes during the February edition, the Show Days for wholesalers and dealers, which took place from August 12th to 14th, were this time affected by another incident. A bomb defusal in the Pempelfort district on the start day of the event not only led to the evacuation of 17,000 residents, but also made it necessary to close the A44, which complicated the journey for many visitors.

Up to this point, Willo Blome and his Trends Up West colleagues Florian Burghard (Sompex) and Marco Hübecker (fleur ami) had a very successful start to the 4th edition. But with the unwanted “bombshell atmosphere” on Friday afternoon, an interim low set in, which also influenced Saturday, when only 450 visitors found their way to mid-summer Düsseldorf. Sunday was then able to return to its usual form with 900 guests. In total, the consumer goods show had 1,900 dealers from all sectors.

The combination of bomb defusal, tropical heat and weak consumer sentiment led to a third fewer visitors to the Böhler area than at the previous Trends Up West. However, there is nothing wrong with the format, because the uniqueness of the event was even more evident in the Schmiedehalle, the new, fully air-conditioned and larger exhibition hall. The brand setup was as high-quality as ever with many international labels, the selection was curated and the commitment of the exhibitors was energetic. A total of 150 brands showed their products for autumn, winter and spring in the main consumer goods areas – home and kitchen accessories, cookware, table settings, candles, lamps, home textiles, stationery, gifts, toys, small electrical appliances, fashion and food.

That’s why the quality of the visitors was good this time too, and they could be assigned to all relevant retail sectors. In a relaxed atmosphere, they were seduced into ordering by the products with a high trend factor. Some exhibitors even reported more sales on less space than at previous summer consumer goods trade fairs. “Trends Up West has won many fans and is now a permanent fixture on the annual calendar for key purchasing groups. We see the positive feedback from visitors as confirmation that we will continue to develop the format,” says Florian Burghard (Sompex).

However, there was one downer: the fact that more than 800 no-shows were counted out of over 2,700 pre-registrations led to an organizational problem. Finally, the organizers had arranged catering on a corresponding scale. In order to be able to plan better and more sustainably in the future and partially compensate for the increased energy costs, a small entry fee will be charged upon registration from the next edition of Trends Up West. At the event, guests can then park, eat and drink as usual as needed.

The course is already being set for the next edition; after all, the winter edition is, as one can now say, particularly strong. The Trends Up West organizers have therefore booked the 8,500 square meter forge hall again for the start of the year from February 11th to 13th, 2023 and are continuing to rely on a curated portfolio of exhibitors.

“Trends Up West has established itself as a B2B quality event and really manages to defy all forces – with the highest trend factor in the West. We will continue like this next year, because our industry is very happy with this show,” says Marco Hübecker (fleur ami), looking ahead.

If you would like to find out more about the concept or participation options, you can contact
Contact event management Christian Kasch (email: christian@trendsupwest.de, phone: 0211-52280920),
who will be happy to answer any questions about the next editions of Trends Up West.

Trends Up UG (limited liability)
To Hubertushalle 4
59846 Sundern

www.trendsupwest.com