Young talent, innovative design take center stage at IMM

From January 16 to 22 exhibitors in the fields of household accessories, bathroom design, bedroom furniture and high-end interior design from 54 countries will converge on Germany for the 29th annual trade show IMM Cologne, which also honors young designers and innovative interior ideas.Billed as a \"central meeting place of exhibitors and designers,\" IMM Cologne attracts over 1000 exhibitors and nearly 140,000 visitors each year.  Under the tagline \"Create. Furnish. Live,\" IMM Cologne showcases a huge variety of household furnishings, accessories and interior design trends from a wide range of international exhibitors including, for the first time in 2012, furniture manufacturers from Ukraine, the Philippines, Luxembourg, Latvia, Lichtenstein and Chile.  The show, which runs parallel with lighting, flooring and bathroom exhibition Living Interiors, also hosts a several specialized annual events and awards including: D3 Design Talents - a design competition focusing on young graduates who are required to have already won a major international competition in order to be invited to IMM Cologne. There is also an exhibition of young independent designers and studios titled D3 Professionals. Last year joint first prize was awarded to AKKA for the OLA foldable table and Harry Thaler for his ‘Pressed Chair\' -- an aluminum chair that can be ‘pressed\' into a flat space-saving shape. Interior Innovation Award - organized by the German Design Council, the Interior Innovation Award was first launched at IMM Cologne in 2002 and honors innovative products across a variety of categories including furniture, bathroom, office/workplace, kitchen/household, textiles and lighting. All winning products will later be showcased at the Boulevard of Innovations exhibit.Together IMM Cologne and Living Interiors will showcase the latest and most innovative products in the fields of household design and give an overview into the interior design trends of 2012.IMM Cologne overlaps slightly with the biannual Maison & Objet in Paris, the first edition of which takes place January 21-25. As one of the biggest interior design events of the year, Maison & Objet, along with IMM Cologne, establishes interior design trends for the following season.