From 18-21 May, the international flooring sector gathered once again in and around Kortrijk for the fifth edition of Flanders Flooring Days. Against a challenging market backdrop for the construction and interior design sectors, the event proved more than ever to be an important meeting place for professionals in hard and soft flooring and interior finishes from 71 countries.
This year, The Stocklists’ team attended both the Kortrijk Xpo as well as a number of showrooms in the area, including Lano, Lamett and Coretec. In line with the aforementioned market challenges, overall feedback from exhibitors suggested that (at least towards the beginning of the week) visitor numbers were somewhat subdued. Encouragingly, however, most of the exhibitors we spoke to strongly praised the calibre of visitor they received, explaining that although they might not have had as many conversations as they had hoped, the conversations they had were universally serious and productive.
“Flanders Flooring Days is a high-quality networking event. It connects you directly with the right people,” said Lut Dolphen, Benelux Sales Manager at Barlinek. “Our expectations have been more than met.”
Over a hundred brands showcased their innovations on the exhibition floor at Kortrijk Xpo and in participating showrooms across the region. National and international visitors discovered new collections, materials and applications in a unique combination of exhibition experience and showroom visits.
“Flanders Flooring Days is a fixture on our trade fair calendar,” said Bart Nietsch, International Sales Manager at RINOS. “We connect with international clients here that no other trade fair brings to the table.” Rene Verhoek, Sales Manager at Robusta, confirms: “Flanders Flooring Days attracts visitors who are focused and specifically looking for hard and soft flooring. This type of client makes the trade fair a real asset for us.”
In addition to product innovation and networking, the programme was very well received. One of the programme highlights was Living Lab Carpet. During various sessions, visitors discovered how companies, researchers and partners are collaborating on the future of circular carpets and extending the service life of floor coverings. The seminar ‘Our brains love wood’ also attracted a great deal of interest. Katja De Vos (Fedustria) shared inspiring insights from neuroscientific research into the impact of material choices on well-being and the way interiors are perceived.
“Flanders Flooring Days demonstrates that, despite challenging times, our sector remains committed to innovation, collaboration and international connections,” say the organisers. “The high turnout and positive feedback confirm the strength of this unique concept.”
Werner Verweyen, Managing Director at Tapibel, agrees: “The major added value for us is that this event primarily attracts a highly professional audience. We came to present our innovations and test them against the market, and we achieved exactly that.”
Unusually, at the time of writing, dates for a 2027 edition of Flanders Flooring Days have not yet been announced. Although this year’s show was by all accounts a success for visitors and exhibitors alike, the global economic situation continues to grow ever more precarious and 2027 is sure to bring new challenges. Watch this space!
In the meantime, we have collated a selection of some top exhibitors from this year’s FFD, highlighting new products to market and business innovation.
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