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NEWS
20 II / 2023
Interview with Sonia Wedell-Castellano on Domotex 2023
“We are still thrilled at how well it went over.”
Domotex was held in Hannover again in January 2023, coming back after a lengthy pause. Following up the trade fair, Carpet Home spoke to Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Global Director Domotex, about how the fair was received by the industry and what the plans are for Domotex going forward.
Carpet Home: It had been three years since the last Domotex. What were the impressions you and your team members had of the fair ?
Sonia Wedell-Castellano: Even now we are still thrilled at how well it went over, receiving positive feedback during and after the fair from many quarters. We were honestly surprised, along with the companies exhibiting at Domo- tex, at how strong attendance was in this post- pandemic era, even with a not-so-great econom- ic situation currently. It shows how much people are enjoying getting to finally meet up again in person, and also indicates how the industry is really behind Domotex as a platform. There
was a great atmosphere in the halls throughout the entire fair – everybody was exhilarated at coming together again at last to share ideas and do some business. All in all, I have to say this Domotex restart was fantastic.
Carpet Home: It was surprising how upbeat the mood was at Domotex, especially among the exhibitors. I say ‘surprising’ because of the shaky economic situation we have seen in recent months, which of course impacts the trade fair business. What does the mood say to you – how will that influence your planning for future fairs ?
Sonia Wedell-Castellano: Attendance far ex- ceeding anybody’s expectations was partly what created such energy at Domotex. Some exhibi- tors even said it was the best Domotex experi- ence they had had in many years. It proved to us as a team that Domotex can still be highly successful, even in a tough economy and with fewer exhibitors. It also shows the fruits of go- ing the extra mile with our marketing efforts, and with visitor communications in particular. The exhibitors too, of course, played a substan- tial role in attracting visitors. So for us the take- aways for planning the next upcoming fairs are: stick with the concept, full speed ahead ... in fact let’s take it up a notch.
And it also means: we will be sticking with the rhythm of once a year! That has indeed been a
Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Global Director Domotex
PHOTO: DEUTSCHE MESSE