An attractive demonstration arena of more than 100 square meters will be created in Hall 9 for this new event, aimed at visiting tradesmen. The aim is to show floor-laying professionals how to avoid accidents and how to perform their various tasks safely and dependably. The special presentation “Initiative for Safer Working Practices“ in Hall 9 is a joint initiative by interior furnishing trade association ZVR, the leather industry trade association and Deutsche Messe. Richard A. Kille, Director of the Institute for Floors and Interior Furnishing in Cologne and an expert in the techniques of parquet laying, interior furnishing and general flooring work, will be hosting a series of demonstrations, which take place every two hours from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of the show (12 – 14 January 2008). The talks will be held in conjunction with a live demonstration of the CUELA measuring system (computer-assisted recording and long-term analysis of musculoskeletal loading), not seen so far in public, and here displayed on a large-format projection screen.

 

As well as addressing health and safety issues affecting floor-laying professionals, the “Initiative for Safer Working Practices“ will also feature tools and work aids that protect the user against accidents and also enable him to perform the work safely and dependably. A number of exhibitors at DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2008 have made their tools and work aids available for this purpose, some of which will be unveiled here for the first time.

 

 

The Skilled Trades Forum in Hall 8 is dedicated to the needs of visiting flooring professionals. Well-known speakers will be talking about their own experiences and offering practical tips for fellow tradesmen – explaining, for example, how to avoid damaged floors through careful preparation, modified laying techniques and new test methods. The team of experts includes Oliver Erning, who heads the Institute for Construction Materials Testing and Floor Research in Troisdorf, which is affiliated to the Federal Association for Screeds and Floorings; Dr. Andreas Rapp, who teaches at the Leibniz University in Hannover, and who will be talking about technical aspects of timber decking, now very much in vogue; and Jörg Baumann, a master painter, qualified civil engineer and study group leader in the Central Association of Parquet and Flooring Technology.

 

The installation of floor coverings is increasingly of interest to painters and decorators, and next year’s show will feature an item – “A market opportunity for painters” – that looks at floors and floorings specifically from the perspective of this group. Other topics featured on the program are “The unseen technology” and “Floors for all seasons”. Hosting the proceedings at the “Skilled Trades Forum” will be Norbert Strehle, director of the Institute for Flooring Technology in Koblenz and an expert in the techniques of parquet laying, screed laying and general flooring work. The “Skilled Trades Forum” takes place from Saturday 12 January to Monday 14 January 2008 in Hall 8, beginning at 10.30 a.m. each day and continuing through to 5.30 p.m.

 European Team Floorlaying Competition (Hall 9)

 

The European Team Floorlaying Competition is being staged for the fifth time at DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2008. In Hall 9 teams of professional floor layers from seven countries (six in 2007) will put their skills to the test in five different disciplines. The allotted tasks are as follows: laying and stretching carpet; laying vinyl floor tiles to a prescribed design; laying carpet tiles; laying linoleum; and laying click-fit laminate flooring. Competing for the first time alongside teams from Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom and will be a team from the Czech Republic. The resulting display of manual dexterity and seasoned knowledge is always a great hit with the visiting public. Speed, skill and quality of workmanship are the criteria by which the international jury will be judging the teams’ performance. This sporting contest between skilled tradesmen from across Europe gets under way on the first day of DOMOTEX (Saturday, 12 January 2008), when the competing teams will be introduced. The winner will be announced in a ceremony taking place on Tuesday, 15 January 2008.

 

 

This coming January young members of the skilled trades from Germany, Austria, Italy (South Tyrol) and Switzerland will be taking part in the first-ever “European Competition for Interior Furnishing Trades”. The winners of their respective national heats will compete against each other on the first two days of DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2008. The competition will test skills in the following areas: wall coverings, window dressing, floor design and upholstery work. Prizes will be presented to the winners on the second day of the show in Hall 4 by Mr. Urs Kern, the President of the European Association for Interior Furnishing (Eurointerior).