In a few weeks, I will be flying to Frankfurt, Germany to attend Ambiente 2016 — a trade fair that, if memory serves me right, is not like a trade fair at all. If Instagram had been big in 2013 when I first attended Ambiente, I would probably have gathered enough material to make my IG page #feedgoals-worthy. I remember finding a chair that doubled as a planter at the Design Plus exhibit — it was odd then, but not so odd now that bohemian style in interior decorating has blurred the lines between indoors and outdoors. I remember seeing a display of rustic, cabin-inspired home décor, and then saw similar woody, shabby-chic designs at the mall a couple of years later. It was there that I first saw the most hipster-looking hobby bike I’ve ever seen, only to see it everywhere in my own country a few trend cycles later. It helps to know what I know now: there’s no way to prepare for the sensory overload that 578,000 square meters of displays brings, except to come to the fair like a kid coming to a candy store (or an Instagrammer on a mission) and not dismiss anything, however ridiculous it may look. Nothing is ridiculous; you just don’t understand it — yet.
Held annually at Messe Frankfurt, Ambiente 2016 will take place from Feb. 12 to 16, and will be participated in by 4,800 exhibitors from more than 90 countries. This year is particularly exciting because, apart from the Philippine exhibit having a much bigger area, Ambiente is once again presenting its Trends Show, where it will showcase four themed scenarios: Artisanal Gardening, Futuristic Couture, Functional Simplicity, and Composing Freedom. These are trends in consumer goods design, made tactile for guests to experience during the five-day exhibit. I’m particularly looking forward to artisanal gardening, in the hope that technology finally found a way to salvage a black thumb. Covering the areas of “living, giving and dining” these future trends observe a “preserve and develop” mantra, in that neither creativity nor sustainability is sacrificed.
Also to be presented are the Design Plus Award winners: 27 new products that bested over 400 entries from 33 countries. The coveted award, launched by the Design and Life initiative of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition, the German Design Council, and the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce Berlin in 1983, is open to all Ambiente exhibitors with products that have not been on the market for longer than two years. It’s a platform that highlights their products for buyers and inspires consumers who appreciate innovation in design. This year, the winners range from designers who use premium merino wool and leather for plush rugs and storage systems, and explore cork as good material for furniture, to glass blowers that discover the maximum thinness of glass that enhances the wine-drinking experience, to makers of consumer goods that innovate on everyday items used in the kitchen. The main idea is to create products that appeal to end-users on a universal level — something that will be tested further at the internationally popular fair.
The Philippines, meanwhile continues to take pride in resources found in the country, with furniture, home accessories, fashion and jewelry made with indigenous materials. Ambiente, while it looks to the future of design, remains a preferred platform for manufacturers and designers from around the world, because it recognizes the improvement in the craftsmanship and technology employed in making use of these otherwise ethnic and traditional materials.
Most of all — my favorite bit — Ambiente also has a hall for wellness and beauty, where up-and-coming brands showcase the latest trends for the makeup, skincare, and other essentials for women. It’s not just an exhibit for entrepreneurs and businesses. It’s a destination for the eternally curious, where everyone from the hard-to-please to the easily-blown-away converge and spend hours upon hours for five straight days just wandering through the Messe Frankfurt halls.
Recently, Messe Frankfurt senior vice president Stephan Kurzawski held a press conference in Manila, urging would-be exhibitors to showcase their products at the fair. Worldwide Exhibitions Linkage Services (WE-Link), the official sales and marketing partner of Messe Frankfurt in the Philippines, was represented by general manager Wilbert Novero. WE-Link continues to provide full service to Philippine exhibitors at Ambiente, including stand management, booth design and production, shipment assistance, marketing and travel arrangements.
“WE-Link is here to build Brand Philippines all over the world by bringing the Philippines to major trade fairs through pavilion settings that will showcase Filipino talent through products that combine quality, form and functionality,” Novero says. “Aside from inviting exporters to showcase their products for maximum exposure, we also explore business opportunities for them all over the world through trade visit missions. This makes it a one-stop-shop for Filipino businessmen and their link to other parts of the world in the trade fair and industry conferences.” WE-Link represents selected world-class trade fairs for automotive parts, building and construction, fashion and accessories, home and contract textiles, furniture and furnishing, gifts and houseware, internationally.
My gadgets and their batteries are ready for Ambiente 2016. Those who are interested in joining us in making our #feedgoals come true, among other things like representing the country and doing business worldwide, call 893-7973. For information, visit we-link.gesi.com.ph. (Photos from Facebook.com/Ambiente)