Interzum 2017, the world's largest exhibition of semi-finished products, furniture and components for the furniture industry, opens in Cologne on May 16.
As the leading international trade fair, interzum has established a prime position for itself in interior construction and furniture production. Its three segments enable visitors to discover all the innovations and trends that will define tomorrow’s interior design.
In total, more than 1,700 exhibitors will be appearing at interzum 2017 on an area of ​​more than 200,000 square meters in 10 halls. German exhibitors grow, but above all growers from all over the world come to present their novelties in Cologne.
In addition to the exhibitors’ innovations, visitors in Cologne expect an excellent programme of events during interzum.
One of the highlights is the opening ceremony on 15 May 2017, where the prestigious interzum awards will be presented.  The awards are organised by Koelnmesse in collaboration with Red Dot and are exclusively reserved for interzum exhibitors. Awarded by a jury of experts, the prizes recognise the best products by the international furniture supplier industry and honour the creative achievements of ambitious design.
An event that is not to be missed is the Sixth Innovation Workshop for Wood-Based Materials, which is the ideal opportunity to discover the latest product innovations and discuss them with industry insiders in the following plenary discussion, and to engage in continuing professional development. The workshop, which takes place on Monday, 15 May 2017, is organised by the Association of the German Wood-Based Panel Industry (VHI) in close collaboration with the Institute for Wood Technology Dresden (ihd) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research (WKI).
Innovation and cooperation are the key themes for the opening day of interzum. At the VDID Industrial Design Day 2017, experts from the fields of architecture, psychology, materials development, technology, industrial design and marketing will present their work at a conference. Following the event, guests are invited to join a discussion. The highlight of the day will be the prize-giving ceremony for the Eighth VDID Newcomers’ Award. The prize is aimed at all students and graduates of product design and industrial design, who were invited to submit their work.
A must-attend event is the Upcycling and Sustainable Materials Cycle congress, which takes place on 18 May 2017 from 10:00 a.m. in the lecture area of the innovation of interior Piazza. In order to improve the reuse of raw materials, companies should integrate recycling processes into their production. Upcycling goes beyond simply reusing materials and transforms them into high-quality materials. Dr. Sascha Peters and industry experts will provide insights into this trend and discuss how recycling and upcycling can be promoted at the congress. The special Circular Thinking event area is the perfect complement to the congress and will present a range of examples and new ideas for sustainable material cycles.
www.interzum.com