SICAM 2023: Continental draws a positive conclusion
From October 17 to 20, 2023, the “who’s who” of the international furniture supply industry met at SICAM in Pordenone, Italy. Continental was also present, focusing on three new, particularly natural-looking designs as well as the deep matt furniture foils: skai® Perfect Solo, skai® PET PureLux 3D Touch and skai® rPET PureLux 2D.
At the end of October, a total of 653 exhibitors from 35 countries took the opportunity during SICAM to present exciting and innovative new products to the global public on almost 40,000 square meters of exhibition space. As a surface specialist, Continental focused primarily on the topics of naturalness and sustainability at this trade fair appearance. And in doing so, the technology group not only hit the mark of the times, but also the bull’s eye.
“The trade fair was very well attended and we had numerous promising and interesting discussions over the three days,” says Patrick Holz, Furniture Foils Product Manager at Continental, in his review of SICAM. “We took the opportunity to interact with our primary customers from around the world.”
Exhibits invite you to touch
The market sentiment was also a recurring topic. The economic situation is tight after the Covid-19 years, and given the current price pressure and competition, some are also falling by the wayside. However, this situation, which was not at all easy, did nothing to dampen interest in skai® products. On the contrary – the two large product displays in particular, equipped with the latest designs – skai® Memy, skai® Casella Oak and skai® Milano – attracted trade fair visitors to the Continental stand in droves, by giving them the chance to touch them and thus enjoy a haptic experience. “People literally got up close and personal and were able to experience the designs perfectly alongside the actual milling,” Holz continues.
Printed 3D PET was the pièce de résistance
In addition to the impressive designs, which included natural wood and stone looks and a special lamellar texture, the focus was primarily on the PET-based furniture foils. “Our printed 3D PET film, in particular, made quite a impact. That was definitely our trade fair highlight,” Heiko Gerstl, Head of the Furniture Foils division at Continental, sums it up. One aspect he appreciates about SICAM is that the trade fair is less about the companies’ self-promotion and more about the products. “Sustainability continues to be an important issue in this context. In this area, we offer attractive solutions for a wide range of requirements with our skai® furniture foils,” Gerstl explains. This includes PVC, PET, and rPET, all of which are currently in demand on the market. However, the long-term perspective clearly points in the direction of rPET and thus more sustainability along the entire value chain.