Expectations greatly exceeded at first edition of Design Nation 

The brand-new trade event Design Nation was set up with a clear message: to efficiently show professionals active in the contract and project market the design products and trends of tomorrow in a pure B2B concept. The 2652 design professionals, who dropped by nicely spread over the two days (Thursday 19 and Friday 20 October), illustrated how much the sector needs this initiative organised by Kortrijk Xpo.

We gathered numerous reactions on the exhibition floor and received confirmation that Design Nation more than lived up to expectations. Moreover, we found that visitors were very charmed by both the unique, inspiring scenography and the many lectures on the trend stage where trend watchers and other experts shared their vision of design and the future with their fellow professionals.

"We were aiming for 1,500 to 2,000 visitors over the two days. If you then notice that you almost fulfil your wildest ambition on the first day, it is a great pleasure," responds exhibition manager Hannelore Caenepeel. "We received confirmation that Design Nation does fill a gap and that this concept is very promising. Whereas Architect@Work focuses more on the technical side, we noticed that professionals appreciate that with Design Nation we emphasise more the aesthetic, beautiful side of the offering. Finally, there is now a solid, all-in b2b concept for furniture providers! This seems like the right continuation of Biennale Interieur, with no longer an end-user focus."

On the show floor itself, we got nothing but confirmation that Design Nation's debut was more than promising. The exhibitors and visitors we polled about their experiences all responded enthusiastically.

"We really liked this new approach in a unique concept and with excellent service," say Gregory Gyselinck and and Christian Drescher, respectively agent for Belgium and France for Tecta and owner of Tecta. "We stepped in very quickly and received confirmation that our belief in this new approach was justified. What really pleased us is that we had nothing but the right professionals coming over, especially architects and interior designers. We feared beforehand that a Thursday and a Friday might not be ideal days, but practice showed that this was not an obstacle."

We recorded a similar reaction at BuzziSpace: "We are very pleased with the particularly good atmosphere that prevailed here and with the quality of the visitors," Yves Vandermoere responds. "We particularly noticed the excellent mix of architects and interior designers working in the project world, this was literally particularly well prepared by the organisation. Whether the high turnout surprised us? Actually not, it was already clear beforehand that this concept had everything to make it!"

Among visitors, enthusiasm was correspondingly high. We spoke to, among others, Gerd Couckhuyt, a local product and interior designer who has already won numerous design awards and who occasionally pushes the boundaries with architecture: "I was sceptical at first, but after my visit I completely changed my mind," he says. "This concept is light-hearted, very direct and really highlights the products. I also really like the way it targets B2B visitors and responds to the spirit of the times. Whereas in the past the focus was mainly on the spectacular, now you have to create a wow-effect in a smaller setting and stay 'to the point', even if your intention is to present more lifestyle."

We caught a similar sound from Michèle Perneel, who with Tom's Factory is known for her mostly woollen carpets with bold colour schemes and often geometric motifs: "I don't regret my visit at all. This is an interesting concept, in which I made some great discoveries. To cite just one small example: the recycling of smaller residual materials used to make fun, new things. I have literally nothing to criticise about this organisation, the only thing that might need some attention is the signage. It took me a while to find what I was looking for."

To mark down in your diary now: the next edition of Design Nation will take place on 17 and 18 October 2024, again at Kortrijk Xpo. After that, it will be organised biennially, each time at the same location.