Three Paris shows vie for attention

-- Home Textiles Today, 11/12/2004 12:06:00 PM

PARIS — Three home furnishings shows will compete for buyers during the final weekend of January 2005: the annual Maison et Objet, the bi-annual La Biennale and a debut trade fair, IWT-Expo.

Biennale will kick off first, running from Thursday, Jan. 27 through Monday, Jan. 31 at the Parc Floral de Paris. The roster of 125 exhibitors will expand this year from the traditional focus on luxury fabric and trim makers to include producers of luxury furniture, carpets, tabletop, wallpaper, leather decor pieces, bronze decor pieces and light fixtures. Information is available at www.forumcsta.com or by calling 33 (0) 156 26 52 00.

Maison et Objet will take place from Friday, Jan. 28 through Tuesday, Feb. 1 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte exhibition center featuring roughly 3,000 vendors of a variety of home furnishings. Information is available at www.maison-objet.com or by calling 33 (0) 1 44 29 02 00.

While the Biennale and Maison shows showcase high-end Western European producers, the new IWT-Expo will feature 200 to 250 home furnishings designers from Asia , Africa and the Americas as well as Eastern and Central Europe .The show takes place Sunday, Jan. 30 through Wednesday, Feb. 2 at Paris- Le Bourget fairgrounds. Information is available at www.iwt-expo.com or by calling +49 211 6549453.