Maison et Objet
Le magic bazar
5 days of happiness in the world of decoration, elegance, pleasure of the senses, such is the menu that the organizers of this back-to-school edition of the show have proposed to us. Maison et Objet.
These moments are all the more welcome as the time does not lend itself to frank laughter. After the dark years of the Covid, here is the world under the noise of the boot on the side of Eastern Europe, so on our doorstep and nothing has left to improve. These days lived on the side of Villepinte in a Exhibition which has nothing folichon on the environmental level have been a bath of youth, a form of enchanted parenthesis. Definitely, this show has a magical dimension that no one can deny.
Once again, the organizers have therefore hit the mark with their attractive offer, which makes it unique. In fact, no less than 59,000 visitors strolled the aisles to discover all the novelties and innovations that there is no shortage of, since if there is one show that gives pride of place to creators, it is that one. And then basically, should we talk about a living room in view of this multiple offer in the field of decoration and home furnishings. There is such a special atmosphere there that gives the visitor the impression of walking through a gigantic bazaar where you can find everything and even a little more, thus passing from the necessary to the superfluous, but never to the useless or in bad taste, standing and reputation oblige. Still, this unique offer, never equaled, we owe it to the 2200 exhibitors who competed once again, in imagination, in a unique atmosphere where the art of living is the common denominator of this meeting not like the others, without forgetting the many events which, as always, largely contributed to the success of this edition marked by the pleasures of returning to the "life before", that of physical meetings, exchanges of views between buyers and exhibitors. . This shows that nothing replaces trade fairs, especially an appointment like this, where each step awakens the senses. So here we are, hopefully, the great return of Maison & Objet to its usual cycle. It should be noted, however, that miraculously the show in all of its editions was less affected than others by the virus, while the major international meetings in all areas fell by the wayside.
never equaled
But disregarding the circumstances, we must admit that this meeting is a kind of UFO, which means that it has often been copied here and there, but never equaled. It is indeed very difficult to sweep the depth, the originality of the proposed offer, as it is so rich. There is therefore no point in making a Prévert-style inventory of them, which would make no sense. It is especially the “French Touch” which shows the whole world that it is still more than ever alive. Beyond the infinite variety of products that sweep all sectors of the house, it is above all the hand of the designers that illustrates the know-how, the taste for beauty that is exhibited in this large Villepinte exhibition center, pretty grim place let's face it. And yet in the space of 5 days, this ugly pumpkin turns into a carriage. You just have to soak up the unique character of this show like no other, which looks like a gigantic and superb magic bazaar, where you can find everything and even what you didn't come looking for. This is what makes its success, since its reputation is known and recognized beyond the borders. This is also the reason for the wide range of visitors, ranging from decoration brands to retailers and independents. These constitute the bulk of the troops. They come here to look for products that will appeal to their customers, and the subject is vast in the field. It is nonetheless true that in terms of the number of exhibitors, it is the French brands that make up the number. They were still 1059 to brilliantly represent our colors this year, so very majority, if we refer to a classification by country and we can only be delighted. Maison et Objet is a showcase of our art of living, which proves that it is still very real, despite a gloomy climate. We must also see in it the image of the city of Paris, which despite the outrages it suffers from those who run our magnificent capital, remains as strong as ever. Indeed, and whatever happens, it remains invariably the reference in the field of decoration, home furnishings.
Paris will always be Paris
This is also why the attractiveness of a Parisian trade fair, whose site where it takes place is hardly attractive in terms of the environment, is so strong. The mere name of the city of light is enough to attract the whole world. It is still necessary to know how to seduce and keep these visitors. This has been perfectly successful Maison et Objet by knowing how to capture the essence of the charm and the capacity of attraction of Paris, namely this Glamor side which attracts the whole world, thanks to a requirement on the part of the organizers and an offer in line with its reputation. It is this alchemy that works fully on Maison et Objet. Be careful, however, not to misunderstand this is not a Made in France platform. It is also an International show and the figures prove it in an irrefutable way since the foreign exhibitors from all nations were counted in the very substantial number of 1211 from 66 countries. It should also be noted that 589 new brands took their first steps at the show this year, which also proves the level of seduction of Maison et Objet. By studying a little more closely the typology of those who made the trip, we see out of the 58,688 unique visitors, very precisely, an astonishing increase of 20%. on the other hand, 21,025 of them came from 147 countries, which is also remarkable, when one knows the difficulties inherent in air transport and the border restrictions of many Asian countries and not the least, at the especially in China, whose buyers are very fond of our national production in terms of decoration. All this proves that the show has taken on a truly international dimension in a very specific context, which augurs well for the future when the borders will once again be completely open everywhere.
Europe at the forefront
Unsurprisingly, however, and for all the exogenous reasons mentioned, it is the Europeans who have taken the lion's share of this 2022 edition. Thus, in the field of visitors, the Top Five is made up of Belgium, our closest neighbour, which should however be commended for its performance with 2972 visitors followed by the inevitable Italy (2093) the Netherlands (1599) closely followed by Germany (1545). Finally, it is the United Kingdom which closes this ranking with 1394 subjects of the new King Charles 3. At the level of exhibitors, it is unsurprisingly Italy, another paradise of decoration which wins with 142 exhibitors, ahead of the Netherlands (119), Belgium (118) Germany (106) and Denmark (92). All of these countries except Italy, which is leading the race, hold each other very closely.
Omnipresent animations on house and object
Beyond the figures, what should we remember from this 2022 edition? A thousand and one things. However, we have noted the return of iconic brands to their markets. They are called in particular Ethnicraft, The heirs, Seletti, Ibride or Maison Berger and Bonton, who signed their return. On the Visitors side beyond the Top Five, we could note a return from Korea, Japan and a growing interest from North Americans and Canada. Another remarkable fact, a quarter of the exhibitors presented themselves for the first time on Maison et Objet. Numerous activities brightened up the event, in particular chef demonstrations organized by Gault & Millau. We should not forget either, the place granted to new exhibitors named Spotlight and “Future on Stage” springboard for young talents, nor the staging of Christina Celentino Designer of the year, or the immersive palace named reminiscence.
Finally, visitors were invited to discover an excerpt from the programming of the now famous Paris Design Week. Obviously the show is now preparing its January 2023 edition (from 19 to 23) with as many flagship programs, including the city route “Maison & Objet in the city” inaugurated last year. Let’s not forget the monthly Web channel reserved for professionals and dedicated to market decryptions and training.
So that's basically what to remember from this 2022 back-to-school session. All the indicators are green, the organizers are full of projects. All that remains is for the international situation to come together, for the Covid to be forgotten. But all this is another story beyond us.
