Esteemed guest
i4F Patents & Technologies has been participating in DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR since 2016. The technology developer headquartered in Turnhout, Belgium, is also a regular at international exhibitions such as DOMOTEX HANNOVER and the International Surface Event in Las Vegas. "Such occasions allow us to showcase our innovative solutions to a broad, relevant ánd international target audience," says John Rietveldt.

I4F Patents & Technologies is not a flooring manufacturer, but a technological company that develops innovations for the flooring industry. The company, founded in 2013 by, among others, current CEO John Rietveldt, plays an essential role in the development and patenting of flooring connections. "Our company once started with one technology, but now it operates globally with branches in the US and Asia, among others."

Presentation of HERRINGB/ONE, innovation for herringbone flooring
The major innovation presented by i4F Patents & Technologies in Shanghai is the HERRINGB/ONE technology. "We have been researching locking systems of herringbone patterned floors for years," said John. The ultimate bet? No more A/B planks, but a single A-plank that can be used for both sides of the herringbone.
According to John, this deployment is keeping the market very busy. "After all, the classic combination of A and B planks has numerous disadvantages, not only in terms of installation. Consider also the logistics where the two planks have to be coded and correctly processed in stock. It is a whole operation that the market would rather lose than keep." HERRINGB/ONE technology, backed by a patent valid for 20 years, is an answer to that challenge. This technology will be dosedly rolled out by i4F Patents & Technologies over the coming months in collaboration with a careful selection of licensees.

That the market is very receptive to this solution became clear during DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR. "We noticed a real rush at our large installation table where, in addition to HERRINGB/ONE, we also presented Ceramic Click, among others. The latter technology is our new locking system for ceramic tiles that we developed in cooperation with Turkish manufacturer Akgün Seramik."

Overall findings after DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR
John Rietveldt looks back on DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR with satisfaction. "It is always a challenge to maximise the return on investment with a small team. We certainly succeeded in this in Shanghai. The aisles were always well filled with visitors and we made quality contacts."
Besides showcasing product innovations, i4F Patents & Technologies also provided the necessary show. "Every day, visitors could win a nice prize at our booth through a scratch card. That kind of entertainment is very important in countries like China, the gaming country par excellence," John concludes. The CEO would like to call on the international floor show sector to definitely continue to pay sufficient attention to the entertainment content as well as the image of the flooring sector in general in the future. "The flooring sector is a competitive sector, but we must not forget to keep the sector itself attractive. In the end, regardless of technology or material, we all want the same thing, which is for the end consumer to invest in their flooring."

Websites:
www.domotexasiachinafloor.com 
www.i4f.com