The recent Domotex asia/Chinafloor show boasted a large contingent of designers and the first-ever pavilion featuring companies from the Anji region of the Zhejiang province, the heart of China's bamboo industry. The event drew close to 37,000 visitors, a drop of about 6 percent from last year.

"It was pleasing to see that, despite the adverse economic climate, Asia's biggest international trade fair for floor coverings was able to attract such a big audience," said Wolfgang Lenarz, director of show organizer Global Fairs at Deutsche Messe AG. "Exhibitors and visitors clearly valued the opportunity to put things in perspective and find ways out of the current difficulties facing the market."

The Anji pavilion attracted a wide range of visitors, according to organizers. Eighteen leading bamboo manufacturers from Anji showcased their top products and energy-saving, eco-friendly production methods. Part of the interest in the products may have stemmed from a call by the Chinese government for greater energy efficiency and environmental protection, organizers noted.

Also at the show, the area devoted to resilient floor coverings was bigger than in the past, with 111 exhibitors compared to last year's 96. The resilient flooring area completely filled an exhibition hall for the first time. Exhibits were spread out over 11,500 square meters (a sharp increase from last year's 6,700).

Another highlight of the show was the third Sino-US-Europe Wood Flooring Summit, which brought together experts from the wood industries of China, America and Europe. Representatives from the China National Forestry Product Industry Association (CNFPIA), the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) and the European Federation of Parquet Importers (EFPI) discussed issues including America's Lacey Act, the oldest US legislation against illegal wildlife trafficking; and the more recent FLEGT agreement between China and the European Union designed to combat illegal logging in tropical forests and tighten up the licensing of timber imports into Europe.

Domotex asia/Chinafloor 2010 is set for March 23 to 25 in Shanghai.