By any measure, the 15th edition of Domotex Asia/Chinafloor, held earlier this year in the cavernous Shanghai New International Exhibitions Centre in Shanghai, China, was a success. A total of 1,122 international and domestic exhibitors showed off their latest construction building products in 130,000 sq. meters of exhibit space.

The three-day meeting welcomed 42,165 visitors. In a sign of China’s increasing economic importance on a global scale, the number of international visitors increased by 14 percent to 11,379. Showgoers traveled from 107 countries, including the United States and Canada, South Korea, Japan, Australia, India and parts of Europe.

Show organizers stated in a post-show press release, “Flooring industry players should never forget that the Chinese market (both the construction and flooring market) is developing fast and facing important changes. China has become one of the biggest consumers of floors in the world.”

Industry-specific events. The show played host to a number of events geared toward specific segments of the construction industry. The Wood Flooring Forum, with 322 attendees, featured among its topics a discussion on Chinese and American flooring markets, e-commerce development in the flooring industry and opportunities for cooperation between wood flooring manufacturers and real estate developers.

The Shanghai Architect Fair drew 26 speakers and 100 members of the A&D community to explore new trends in architectural design, the business model and branding strategy of successful architecture and design firms, and Chinese architectural practices and material innovation, among other topics.

The Carpet Technology Forum, with 10 speakers from China and abroad and about 100 attendees, focused on developments in renewable fiber, the Chinese carpet industry, tufting technology, and green carpet and backing considerations.

The Materials for Future Floors Exhibit from Materia showcased flooring materials made of wood, metal and plastic, along with the latest in load-bearing glass floors, optic flooring and “reactive floors” designed to surprise and promote innovation, according to event organizers.

Also this year, Domotex Asia/Chinafloor debuted the InnovAction program, a marketing campaign aimed at new flooring products and materials. Floor maps, free show guides and booth signs highlighted participating companies, with 179 exhibitors signing up to join the inaugural effort.

Exhibits. Leading companies exhibiting on the show floor included Power Décor, Kronoswiss, Berry Alloc, Amorim, Sika, Gerflor, Armstrong, LG Hausys, Forbo, Balta, Mannington, DuPont and Oriental Weavers. Themed international pavilions housed products from America, Belgium, Germany, India, Iran, Pakistan, the Netherlands and Turkey.

Four halls (each 10,000 sq. meters) were filled with carpet products and technologies, along with two halls dedicated to resilient flooring and four additional halls dedicated to wood flooring products and technology.

An increased number of buyers and contractors visited the show this year, along with the traditional makeup of agents, distributors/wholesalers, franchise dealers, real estate developers, companies owning commercial and residential buildings, and government officials. Architects and designers were also drawn to the event, both for Domotex Asia/Chinafloor and a co-located show called Deco+ Exhibition dedicated to high-end construction products.

Domotex Asia/Chinafloor will return to Shanghai next year, March 25-27. For more information, visit www.domotexasiachinafloor.com/en/.