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#Trade Shows & Events

Deconstructing Decorex

UK, London. Last week saw the 37th edition of Decorex take place on the grounds of Syon House, west London.

A stunning backdrop for the event, the last day of the event was indicative of the buzz that was surrounding the show despite it’s relocation from the very central location of Kensington Park. We spoke to some of the exhibitors about how they felt the show went and whether the move from central London had caused them to note a lower attendance than in previous years, or if indeed the return to Syon Park provided a fresh take on the event.

Tania Johnson, Tania Johnson Design

Overall the show exceeded my expectations, given the new location, and we received more visitors to our stand than last year. We will be able to measure our success based on follow up over the next few months regarding projects we discussed at the show. I had concerns initially about the location of Decorex this year. We had a great show at Kensington Palace last year and I was worried there would be less foot traffic at a venue outside central London. For attendees arriving by public transport, there seemed to be a mixed response to the location. Some found it quite a trek to get to by public transport and felt there was poor signage from the train station. Coming by car, we were quite oblivious to this but maybe more buses need to be supplied for visitors arriving from London going forward. As yet, we do not have a showroom in the UK and Decorex provides an opportunity for us to present all of our new designs. All our rugs are hand knotted in wool and silk and without seeing/touching them, it is hard to get a sense of the level of skill required to weave the intricate designs. Designers attending Decorex are working on luxury, high-end projects, both residential and hospitality, and this is specifically the market we work with. Mari Ianiq

Decorex is always a fantastic show both for visitors and exhibitors. The fact that the venue isn’t too large means it’s easy to navigate and network. We were pleased to receive lots of compliments on the collections on show, and hope to see these convert into both enquiries and orders in the coming weeks. Decorex is uniquely positioned as a luxury interiors show, so it offers exhibitors a focused audience for their brands. I can’t say I preferred the show being based in Syon Park, because the venue is a bit out of the way. As much of The London Design Festival activity takes place in central London I think some visitors could be put off travelling out to Syon Park. The space and brands on show were marvellous, and I thought the event was very well organised. My only concern is the location – as a retailer I would hate to think anyone missed out on attending because of the distance to travel. I believe Decorex was the perfect showcase to launch Mari Ianiq, and look forward to attending next year. Overall, I really enjoyed the show.Belgin Bozsahin

I was showing at Decorex 2014 for the second time. I found Decorex to be a very good show to expose my work to the high-end designers, architects, art consultants and buyers. There were some logistical problems in the setting up of the show. Yet the space and the quality of the co-exhibitors, the level of attendees have made all it worthwhile. Now I have a long mailing list that consists of well-established names. I suppose the success of the show will only be judged with what it produces in future months. However I have already three international art consultants (China, Saudi Arabia and Portugal) who would like to represent my work in those parts of the world. The quality at Decorex is high and it attracts and brings together the right people, both as exhibitors and attendees, and it is a good networking environment for exhibitors. As in most shows there are educational sessions from professionals and a chance to learn different aspects of the market as well. It is international and it is an important date in the calendar, however, there are still problems with logistics i.e. getting in and out of the show, simple services such as offering good quality food and drinks (they are not good and very expensive for what they are). Paula Sousa, Munna/Ginger & Jagger

This was the third time we exhibited at Decorex, and it has always been great for us. The icing on the cake was being awarded with the Best International Exhibitor Award at the show, judged by an esteemed panel of industry experts. We were delighted with the award, the second we got in London in a week, as we had previously won an International Product Design Award from Design Et Al for our Hughes Sofa, winner of the Best Seating category. This year is proving to be one of exponential growth for both Munna and Ginger & Jagger, so we couldn’t be more satisfied with the outcome of these events and the location of Syon Park was a breath of fresh air. We enjoyed the transition from the lovely bucolic scenery, to a fantastic venue buzzing with excitement. It just had great energy. Decorex is the flagship interior design event in the UK market, and it provides us with a great platform for balancing brand and design statements with business opportunities. We couldn’t be happier with this year’s event, but we are sure that the Decorex team will surprise everyone again next year with an even better show.

Despite the change in location, Decorex once again met the high expectations that exhibitors have come to expect from the event. With next year’s show, which is due to run 20-23 September, also taking place at Syon Park, exhibitors and attendees will now be more familiar with the new location and surroundings.

The Hughes sofa

Details

  • London, UK
  • Decorex International