ZOW show brings 'WOW' effects: the 2002 ZOW furniture supplies show in Bad Salzuflen, Germany, showcased the newest surfacing materials, with lots of dazzlinq choices. (FX Special Effects).

Brightening up the gray f February skies of East Westphalia, the heart of Germany's furniture manufacturing region, the eighth annual ZOW show gave more than 12,000 attendees an eyeful of the newest laminates, veneers, panel products, hardware and related items. With 580 exhibitors from 25 countries, the bigger-than-ever event filled furniture manufacturers' and designers' heads with ideas to create new looks and develop new trends in the furniture they will introduce at the upcoming market.

"There are too many new things," said Dietmar Hentschker, a designer for a high-end German furniture company that sells about $40 million worth of furniture in Germany, Austria, Slovakia and the surrounding region. "It's hard to process it all."

In a unique concept for a trade event, zow is structured to be a "workshop" where supply manufacturers can exchange information about technology and new products with each other and with customers -- and not a selling show. To achieve this atmosphere, ZOW limits the amount of space for its exhibitors to a maximum of 90 square meters (about 950 square feet) and places strong restrictions on the types of displays that can be shown. There are no conventional booths; instead, there are "transparent walls" between exhibitors' spaces so that attendees can flow easily from one area to another.

The concept has been widely successful, with record numbers of suppliers clamoring to exhibit their wares to record numbers of attendees who enjoy the compactness of the show and the ease with which they can see what's new in a concise amount of time. In fact, the event is so successful that it is expanding elsewhere in Europe to accommodate the growing interest and still stay faithful to its initial concept of being a venue for exchanging information informally. (See sidebar for details.)

More Metals, Strong Weedgrains and Patterns Are Dominant Trends

As at other European industry trade shows, metallic looks were a hot trend at ZOW and are still seen as a strong complement to wood in furniture and cabinet designs.

However, the metals are not static -- they continue to undergo refinements to add textures and finishes that create new plays on light. Patterns with a strong, almost 3-D effect were shown and seem to be constantly moving when viewed from different angles. Similarly, German foilmaker Kroning GmbH introduced "Chameleon," a surface that mimics the effect of a shimmery metal and changes hue as one moves around it. Doellken-Woodtape introduced the 3D-Cool-Line of edgebanding in aluminum, copper and brass, as well as new metallic finishes to offer a wide spectrum of designs ranging from muted to vibrant.

Strong looks also are emerging in woodgrains. While light, natural, even-toned species dominated in the real wood veneers and woodgrain laminates shown at ZOW, also appearing with regularity were species with strong patterns, especially a "stripey" effect like zebrawood.

Outside the woodgrain and metal realm, laminate patterns could only be described as "funky," as graphic decors reminiscent of the '70s were brought back afresh. Bright colors with prominent squiggles and lines provide other creative possibilities for trend-setting designs.

Finally, Erlinger offered yet another new choice, introducing "Bellino," real leather wrapped seamlessly around MDF without visible joints. Available in a wide range of colors, the new product can be used for horizontal or vertical applications, opening up "new vistas of design options," the company says.

All-in-all, ZOW brought a lot of eye-popping "wow" looks to European designers.

Editor's Note: For more in formation about the ZOW show, visit www.zow-messe.com or contact Peter Meyer's Survey Group at Survey, Mittelstr. 50, D 33602 Bielefeld (Germany); Phone: [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail].

RELATED ARTICLE: What is ZOW?

The new non-traditional show known as ZOW that has been growing by leaps and bounds since it was first held in Bad Salzuflen, Germany, in 1995, is the brainchild of German entrepreneur Peter Meyer, who created the concept to fill a variety of needs he perceived in his local furniture-producing region.

Meyer was involved both with panel producers and with the German furniture makers association at the time. He explains that early each year, designers would traipse to countless open houses held by panel suppliers to see what was new in order to develop their new lines in time for spring furniture markets. The trade shows covering new supplies were held later in the year -- too late to help the designers with new ideas.

In addition, traditional shows were fashioned more as selling events. Meyer saw a need for a quieter, less showy atmosphere in which information could be exchanged about styles, technology and new developments amongst furniture makers, designers and their suppliers.

Also, traditional shows were expensive to attend, with entrance fees, catalog fees, parking costs, coat-checks, food, etc. At ZOW, decision makers and designers from top furniture manufacturing companies are invited to attend free-of-charge, with free parking, catalogs, coat checks and even food and drink. Exhibitors pay a good price for their booths, but since space is limited and displays are bare-bones, the total cost of participating in ZOW is far less than at other industry trade shows.

The response to Meyer's concept has been explosive. Suppliers have begged to exhibit; furniture makers from far beyond the local area flock to the event. The only "problem" has been to manage that growth and still keep the original concept in tact. Meyer feels he is at the maximum size he can be in Germany; therefore he expanded by taking ZOWs to Italy, Spain and, in a modified version, to Poland. He also is "exploring the idea of expanding overseas."

With so many factors that differ from the norm, ZOW is an event that is hard to define. Most visitors simply say, "It's great." And while "ZOW" could be taken as an adjective to describe the show, it actually stands for "Zuliefermesse Ost-Westfalen" or loosely translated, East Westphalian Furniture Supply Fair -- a reflection of its roots as a regional "workshop" for furniture manufacturers.