Wow, I finished the Orgatec and have incredibly much to tell you. After two days of walking around, soaking up input and listening, I'm now literally dreaming of chairs in mint and beige tones and of acoustic boxes 😅.
It's obvious that the world is transforming, and thank goodness there's no longer much talk of the outdated New Work either. Now in focus – sustainability (now finally for real!) and conscious use of space, changing working cultures, the new post-pandemic requirements (the evil P-word 🤫) and social diversity. To my perception, these "trends" which have been considered as cool 4 years ago, have evolved into must-haves without which no manufacturer or no company can compete. And that's a huge step forward 💪!!!
For me it was again a pool of inspiration, here as always summarized my most impressive insights:
🧠 the needs in society have changed drastically - it's getting real! Mental health, social diversity, work-life - the one recreation room in the building is not enough anymore. Working cultures need to adapt. What we are is what we say and what we do! Join in!
🧠 Sustainability no longer means green (washing) walls on your fair stand, but real implementation of sustainable materials and solutions: rethink, reuse, recycle. It is no longer a trend, no longer just words, it's already there!
🧠 Biophilia – finally the word for my philosophical theses about the interconnectedness and synergy of human, nature and design. This trend can be glimpsed in everything and I'm full of ideas on how to combine that with brand presence 😍!
🧠 "Design" and "beautiful" no longer means always new and perfect. It is conscious to let things age with honor. Just like people, things get their experience, wrinkles and patina. Isn't that beautiful?
🧠 My bonus insight from the sustainability talks: all the plastic already made is like our past. We can't bury it or deny it, but we can turn it into experience. Just as internal scars from past experience appear in people, we need to consciously manage and use this existing material, before we can finally achieve a fossil-free circular economy. How's that? 😌
🧠 Ineke Hans is so cool! I'm in love with her cloudy way of thinking and articulating 👏
🧠 "With design, we also pick up those who are in a position to really make a difference" – also the words of Ineke Hans. "Designers, users, makers & shakers" (as I understand, "shakers" comes from shaking hands 😅).
🧠 after 10 years of professional experience, I sometimes still feel like a student at her first design fair in Germany 🤓. With every such storm of inspiration I learn tons of new things and keep my ears sharp!
🧠 a quote from the crowd: "aaah man! I don't anymore recognize people from all the furniture!"
After 4 years of silence, Orgatec was still inspiring and I was able to achieve my set goal. This time I was interested in alternative manufacturers and solutions for spaces with sustainable approaches from the European market. And there were a lot of them! I met a lot of great people, thank you Markus Wille, Marco Huber, Thomas Nielsen and everyone else for the exchange, see you very soon 😉
Wow, I'm full of ideas and can't wait to put them to use 😍! I look forward to implementing the innovative approaches and intercepted trends for your brand in your corporate spaces. Let's get in touch for an informal consulation. Together we will translate your brand into the space, create a home, pick up employees and establish your spatial presence on all levels – tangible and sustainable!