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Spring awakens in Frankfurt: 2,967 exhibitors and 83,600 visitors from all over the world begin the new business year.

New market opportunities through product presentations and links between the classic and digital worlds.

Everything there revolves around tomorrow’s trends, impulses and business opportunities: 2,967 exhibitors (2012: 2.963*) from 66 countries presented their latest products and marketing concepts at the Paperworld, Creativeworld and Christmasworld trade fairs in Frankfurt. Together with 83,600 visitors from 145 countries (2012: 86,541*), they filled the three leading international fairs with life and ensured a confident start to the new business season.

“We are very pleased with the results of all three events against the background of the economic situation in the fields of paper, office supplies and stationery, hobby and artists’ requisites and festive decorations”, said Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt. “Although numbers were down somewhat, the visitor standard was very high. Above all, the increased number of visitors from outside Europe underscores the international significance of our trio of fairs and offers exhibitors new opportunities in the lucrative export field.” Altogether, 58 percent of visitors came from outside Germany. Last year, the figure was 56 percent.

The new hall concept for Paperworld also generated new impulses and both exhibitors and visitors said they were satisfied: “Moving writing-utensil manufacturers from Hall 3.1 to Hall 4.2 was a good thing from our point of view. We had more visitors compared to last year when we were in Hall 3.1 and our new, open exhibition-stand concept was given a very good reception by our customers”, said Rolf Schifferens, CEO Europe, A.W. Faber-Castell Vertrieb GmbH.

Manufacturers are accompanying the change from conventional writing and the classic office to the digital world with a variety of products that establish links between these two worlds, e.g., office machines with operating elements in the form of touch pads. There is also a trend towards the individualisation of products intended for personal use. One possibility for this is an option already offered by some manufacturers for creating the product desired on the internet. High quality is another important trend on the buyer side of the paper, office supplies and stationery sector.

Individualization and do-it-yourself are the driving forces of the hobby and creative sector. Every conceivable item of daily use can now be given its own personal design, from home decorations, via jewellery, to Smartphone cases. The use of materials and technology is no less individual with everything being combined – fine-art paints for home decorating, handicraft decorations in art. And, the owl is the top favorite motif for everything from address stamps, via jewellery pendants, to iron-on transfers.

In the coming season, the owl will also be a constantly recurring motif in the festive decoration sector. White and silver remain the dominant colors at Christmas. A pastel-shaded spectrum of berry colors, from light rosé to dark violet, as well as earthy and green nuances, ensure a bright undertone. Nature continues to be the main source of inspiration. Besides the candle as a romantic scene-setter, hand-blown glass baubles are the leading decoration element whereby the surface design is becoming more elaborate and imaginative. Decorated with a wide variety of glittering ornaments, printed or metalized in snow white, they are the highlight of every Christmas tree. However, consumers also like to hang them on plain branches where they can be seen outside of the holiday periods. Particular mention must be made of the trends towards staging themed and experiential worlds for all seasons and festivals of the year.

Next Paperworld from 25 to 28 January 2014