So this year, the decision was made that the show would open on the Thursday and that no buyers would be allowed in on the previous day. This gave buyers two working days to visit the show without eating into their weekend. (Major buyers tend not to like working on a Saturday and Sunday!). The Saturday and Sunday were therefore freed up for independent buyers who preferred not to leave their businesses during the working week.

On the whole the change met with approval, although it did mean that the show was extended to four days. As a visitor to the show, I welcomed the extra time to see what was on show, but for some exhibitors it meant yet more time simply hanging around for the next visitor. Although visitor numbers are high at Kind und Jugend, not all of them are interested in your stand. It can therefore be very down heartening to see passers-by glance at your stand and then - pass by! However, when someone does stop, examine what's on offer and begins to talk turkey that turkey can be very big indeed!

Kind und Jugend is a very successful show and very much an international one. The number of exhibiting companies rose by more than 100, increasing from 644 companies last year to 749 companies from 40 countries at this year's event. Visitor numbers were up by 10% with about 15,700 trade visitors from 97 countries. Some 78 per cent of the exhibitors and 75 per cent of the trade visitors came to Cologne from abroad. Significant increases were particularly registered for visitors from Eastern Europe and North, Central and South America.

Not only the exhibitors but also trade visitors report that the trade fair was a great success. This is confirmed by initial responses to the visitor survey. More than 80 per cent of the visitors said they were either "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with Kind + Jugend.

With such a big show, there's a lot of walking. The exhibition is arranged over four halls - two upstairs and two downstairs. In common with most trade exhibitions, the larger stands were concentrated in the centre of the halls with the smaller stands arranged towards the sides and the back. Many of the larger stands had high walls so many of the aisles had very little to see, and some exhibitors felt that this was unhelpful to the overall ambience of the show. One, who understandably wishes to remain nameless, said, “we could see the visitors coming down the escalators into the hall and disappearing onto the larger stands. But so few of them seemed to make the trek behind those stands. Our aisle was very quiet compared to the front of the hall. Overall the show was very disappointing for us.”

Others however, felt differently. Gideon Wilkins of Wilkinet was exhibiting for the first time at Kind und Jugend. “We have had the most amazing experience in Cologne; the stand was simply packed every day with people wanting to buy our carrier, from Spain to the States. We made a lot of very useful contacts.”

Many of the major UK buyers were there and it was interesting to spot them on interesting stands: Oh look there's so-and-so, shaking hands with a very pleased looking representative. Does this mean they've just concluded a deal or…? Time will tell!

Kind und Jugend Innovation Awards

World of Baby Safety:
Römer King Plus from Britax Römer. The jury praised the car seat's new automatic child safety belt tensioning system. A loud click informs the user when the safety belt is properly adjusted to the child.

World of Baby Furniture & Textiles:
Hoppop nappy bag from BabyArt®. The jury appreciated the practical idea of a nappy bag that can be converted into a child's seat when necessary. Parents can easily reach all of the compartments and contents of the nappy bag even when the child is comfortably sitting on it.

World of Baby Care:
Shampoo Rinse Cup from TrendyKid Ltd. The jury liked the practicality of a product which enables parents to wash an infant's hair without letting shampoo or water get into the child's eyes.

World of Baby Toys:
Shop & Play 2-in-1 Activity Centre from Infantino UK. The jury appreciated the innovative idea of a play mat that can be spread out in the child's seat of a shopping trolley, enabling parents to shop without distractions.

World of Baby & Kids' Fashion:
The Thirty Seven Degrees Ltd. The innovative material used for this line of children's clothing was the deciding factor behind the jury's decision. The textile fibres can store heat and also give off heat when necessary and ensures that the body temperature is regulated.

Kind und Jugend 2008 - Wednesday September 11th to Sunday September 14th

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---