From 7 to 11 February 2020 the fair will be welcoming several well-known first-time exhibitors as well as companies that have had a break and are now back in prominent positions at Ambiente.
“Ambiente is the central hub of the entire consumer goods industry,” says Nicolette Naumann, vice president of Ambiente.
“Exhibitors from over 90 countries will be acting as trendsetters in and beyond the year 2020. In addition, we are planning to expand Dining, and so the new HoReCa hall will be the perfect port of call for national and international decision-makers in the hospitality segment. In this way we want to respond to the specific needs of the industry.
“In the future our visitors will be able to focus even more closely on topics at the interface between hospitality, tableware and interior design.”
Visitors looking for innovative kitchen and household products will find a varied, well-chosen selection at Solutions. The curator of this area is the London designer Sebastian Bergne. True to the motto ‘Form follows function’, the choice of curated products focuses not only on the aesthetic character of a product, but particularly also on its functionality and innovative capability.
To prepare for the event and at the trade fair itself, the free Ambiente Navigator app has become an indispensable tool. The latest update will be available a few weeks before the start of the trade fair and can be downloaded from the App Store and the Google Play Store. Its many practical features include a hall and site map, an exhibitor and product search, an Academy program, a program of events and the latest news and tweets on Ambiente. Needless to say, free Wi-Fi will be available throughout the exhibition grounds.
One of the highlights at Ambiente 2020 will be the launch of Focus on Design, featuring outstanding products and detailed insights of current design highlights in a selected country.
This year five different Brazilian design studios will be showcasing their designs. In addition, young Brazilian designers will be presenting their unique handmade items and limited series.
“By setting up the special presentation Focus on Design we’ll be honouring important designer nations that may not be quite so well-known yet,” says Naumann.
More and more gift and homewares brands are expanding into other areas including hospitality. Ambiente is tapping into this growing market with a whole new hall dedicated to this sector.
“For a growing number of people, hotels are now turning into temporary homes several times a year,” says Thomas Kastl, head of dining.
“And gastronomically, the world is getting smaller too, particularly when you consider the vibrant hospitality market.
“Whether it’s a motley collection of tableware items in fine dining, bowl food sharing or solo dining to counterbalance the hustle and bustle of everyday life, when the new HoReCa Hall opens its doors for the first time at Ambiente 2020, its unprecedented front-of-house diversity will provide vital answers to the hospitality trends of tomorrow.”
There is nothing wrong with consumerism as long as it’s fair and socially responsible. Sustainability is a meta-trend that is gaining more and more momentum and this is also reflected in the Ambiente Ethical Style Guide.
The curated directory for 2020 features 340 exhibitors from 49 countries who follow eco-friendly and socially responsible production standards. This is an increase of 66 companies compared with the previous year.
“Classic consumerism is currently giving way to an increase in ethical consumerism,” says Naumann.
“People want to feel positive about the things they surround themselves with, and this makes them more mindful and critical in their buying behaviour. Moreover, they are usually well informed and ask about the origin, manufacturing method, materials and social responsibility associated with a product.
“But it also presents retailers with new challenges. It means deciding between recyclable solutions and fair trade projects as well as between good marketing and greenwashing: Which suppliers and which products are genuinely sustainable and in which areas? Answers to such questions can be found in the Ethical Style Guide.”
