Interzum Award 2019: the winners

Right on time for the 60th anniversary of Interzum, the best designs in the global furniture supply industry and interior design have been selected.

23.05.2019 During the award ceremony for Interzum Award: intelligent material & design 2019, the deserved winners accepted their awards on the evening of 20 May in Cologne’s Theater am Tanzbrunnen. They entered the competition with their products, product refinements, materials and innovations, and won over the six-member jury with their design quality.

New record number of registrations

Participants from 22 countries entered their products in Interzum Award  2019, which was held for the tenth time already by Koelnmesse in cooperation with Red Dot. The manufacturers submitted a total of 260 entries to be in with a chance of winning the respected industry label. This marks an increase in the number of registrations, highlighting the significance of design as a factor that adds value.

Six experts tested, discussed and assessed the objects live and on site. Their decision was taken based on criteria such as the level of innovation, material quality, form, functionality and sustainability. Together the jurors selected 59 products that clearly set themselves apart from comparable objects thanks to their outstanding design and awarded those products the distinction High Product Quality. They also awarded 12 Best of the Best titles, the top distinction for outstanding design achievements that set new standards for form and function in their industry.

Award ceremony

The achievements of the winners of Interzum Award : intelligent material & design 2019 were recognised on the evening prior to the launch of this year’s Interzum.

In the course of an exclusive reception, Matthias Pollmann, Vice President Trade Fair Management at Koelnmesse, and Red Dot Vice President Vito Oražem handed over the well-earned certificates to the winners of the distinction High Product Quality. The category Tiny Spaces featured in the award for the first time, with Koelnmesse recognising and responding to the trend of small-space living.

Best of the Best

The Best of the Best winners were officially honoured as the central part of the traditional kick-off event for Interzum. President and CEO of Koelnmesse Gerald Böse joined the jury members to hand over the certificates on stage to the winners to mark their success. The jurors included Dutch designer Dick Spierenburg as well as Belgian designer and Professor at the Royal College of Arts in Gent Prof. Danny Venlet.

Other jury members were Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Martin Stosch, who lectures on the Wood Technology degree programme at Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences, and designer Winfried Weber from Hülsta. The jury was completed by Prof. Martin Beeh, materials expert and university lecturer on Design Management, and Vito Oražem, who congratulated the winners on their remarkable success. These manufacturers are the Best of the Best BekaertDeslee from Belgium, Välinge Innovation Sweden and the Vita Group from the UK together with Veldeman Bedding from Belgium are just some of the 2019 Best of the Best winners.

Winning products to be on show during Interzum 2019

Other laureates that received the top distinction in Interzum Award  included Salice and Vibo from Italy as well as Austrian manufacturers Fritz Egger and Sperrholzwerk Schweitzer, with the latter winning not one but two awards. There were also German companies amongst the winners of the sought-after industry prize, namely Hettich Marketing- und Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG, Homapal, Karl W. Niemann and out for space. Their success bears testimony to the outstanding design quality of their awardwinning solutions as well as their competitiveness.

From 21 to 24 May 2019, more than 1,700 exhibitors from all over the globe will present their innovations at the world’s leading trade fair for furniture production and interior design. As part of a meticulously created special exhibition, the award-winning products in Interzum Award  2019 will be presented to visitors from industry, trade and commerce. Additionally, they will be presented permanently online on the Interzum Award website at www.interzum-award.de

* For further information: www.interzum.com