Koelnmesse has cancelled the January 2027 edition of imm cologne, saying difficult furniture market conditions and insufficient exhibitor support have undermined the viability of the event. The decision follows a repositioning of the fair in 2026 that failed to secure the participation needed for the following year.<\/p>\n
The international furniture trade fair had been scheduled for January 19\u201322 in Cologne.<\/p>\n
Koelnmesse said its assessment of the January 2026 edition and registrations for 2027 showed that the revised format had not attracted sufficient sustained interest to support an internationally relevant exhibition.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot proceeding with the 2027 edition is therefore the logical decision,\u201d said Oliver Frese, chief operating officer of Koelnmesse. He said the organiser\u2019s events must offer commercially viable prospects for participants.<\/p>\n
Another interruption after the 2025 cancellation<\/strong><\/p>\n The decision brings another interruption to the fair\u2019s calendar. Koelnmesse also cancelled the January 2025 edition following discussions with German furniture manufacturers and retailers.<\/p>\n At that time, the organiser cited weak domestic furniture demand and companies\u2019 reluctance to commit exhibition budgets. The suspension was intended to give the industry time to develop a format better suited to changing market conditions. The event subsequently returned with a revised positioning in January 2026.<\/p>\n German furniture sales remain under pressure<\/strong><\/p>\n The cancellation comes as German furniture manufacturers continue to face declining domestic sales. According to the German Furniture Industry Association, VDM, industry revenue fell 2.7% year on year to approximately \u20ac7.7 billion in the first half of 2026.<\/p>\n Domestic sales declined 4.1% to around \u20ac5 billion, while foreign sales were broadly unchanged at \u20ac2.7 billion. The export share increased to 35.2%.<\/p>\n Performance varied across product categories. Kitchen furniture revenue rose 1% to approximately \u20ac2.9 billion, while sales of living-room, dining-room and bedroom furniture, together with furniture components, fell 5% to \u20ac2.3 billion. Upholstered furniture sales dropped 10% to \u20ac423 million.<\/p>\n VDM\u2019s September forecast anticipated a roughly 3% decline in industry revenue for the full year. Manufacturers continued to report weak consumer demand, higher material, energy and labour costs, and limited support from residential construction.<\/p>\n Koelnmesse said Cologne would retain other events serving the furniture and interiors industry. These include idd cologne for residential interior design and ORGATEC for workplace and contract interiors. The organiser will continue assessing which exhibition formats meet the needs of the market.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Koelnmesse has cancelled the January 2027 edition of imm cologne, saying difficult furniture market conditions and insufficient exhibitor support have undermined the viability of the event. The decision follows a repositioning of the fair in 2026 that failed to secure … Continue reading