IDEA is a new an exhibition of new technology, machinery, components and materials for the furniture industry Koch Technology, IKEA, SCM Group, Igus. These are just some of the names that will be included in the first edition of the international exhibition held in Bergamo, but the ability to excel and innovate is not solely available for the big players. IDEA will also focus on small yet outstanding companies, enabling them to stand out like one of the bigger companies.

According to the organiser, the experts are gaining interest in IDEA – Innovation Design Expo Area – which is being held from the 12-15th of April 2016 in Fiera di Bergamo concurrent with the world-renowned furniture fair and the Milan Design Week. With more than 300,000 visitors already in Milan and the surrounding region, the organisersw have timed the event perfectly giving professionals an opportunity to view and interact with the latest solutions related to woodworking machines and the world of furniture components.

Attracted by this formula, important players in the furniture industry have given their support to participate at the show, joining in various capacities – as an exhibitor, by taking part in the conference programme, or as a strategic partner – to ensure the project is structured well.

The first edition, taking place this April, will incorporate and revolve around two words critical to the future of the industry: excellence and innovation.
SCM Group will be present at IDEA 2016 – visitors will admire the best technological units of the renowned group leader, as well as at least one innovative solution that is a first of its kind – a requirement of IDEA.

The organiser calls this its innovation rule: it requires participants to bring to IDEA at least one innovative technological solution. Exhibitors will only have the green light to display these innovative solutions after being reviewed by a committee, made up of leading figures from the worlds of industry, design and academics.

The first companies to sign up as exhibitors, give immediate resonance and relevance to the event. Among them are Koch Technology a renowned German Machinery company which for over 50 years has focused its industrial research in the design and manufacture of special machines for the production of furniture and its components, whose common feature is innovation and maximum reliability) IKEA, with a series of conferences discussing the strategies of those who will shape
the future of furniture and Igus, leading manufacturer of polymer components for high quality furniture.

The vision of IDEA is that innovation is an equal opportunity, from the smallest to the biggest. “There are small and medium companies,” says the creator of IDEA, Romano Ugolini, “that have a great capacity for innovation. The problem remains, however, communicating these features in a competitive manner. Our exhibition was created with this in mind, namely to signal to the market that there are new and dynamic ideas that have no reason to remain submerged”.

The ideas, which this new event intends generate within the conferences being organised will provide significant emphasis to key issues such as Industry 4.0, robotics, digital printing, laser technology, new tool-less assembly systems, glue-less manufacturing processes and more besides.