M.O.W. 2025 Bad Salzuflen: Europe’s Key Furniture Trade Fair

Media ASKT
Sep 19
6 min read

“M.O.W.” in Bad Salzuflen – At a Glance

Name & Type: M.O.W. – Die Messe fürs Möbelbusiness (“The Trade Fair for the Furniture Business”) – a B2B order‐ & networking trade fair focused on consumer‐oriented furniture and related home furnishing goods.
Location: Messezentrum Bad Salzuflen, in the region of East Westphalia (Ostwestfalen), North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Dates 2025: September 21 to September 25, 2025.
Opening Times: Sunday through Wednesday from 9:00 to 18:00, Thursday from 9:00 to 16:00.
Admission: Only for trade / professional visitors (no general public). Many of the services like parking, WiFi, catering at in-fair restaurants are free of charge.

Highlights & What to Focus On in 2025

From the latest press releases and previews, here are the main features and things to watch out for this year:

Scale and Participation
- Around 553 exhibitors from 39 countries. This is a rise over 2024 (535 exhibitors from 40 nations).
- Exhibition area: ~85,000 m², halls 1 to 23.2 all occupied.
- International share of exhibitors ~ 60%. Key countries after Germany include Poland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, France, China, Lithuania, Turkey.
Product Ranges & Segments to Watch
M.O.W. is especially focused on high-volume, orderable, ready supply furniture for a wide range of sales channels. But this year there are particular emphases:
- Sleeping, upholstery, solid wood, dining are receiving special attention, including innovations, new styles, and presentation concepts.
- “Young Living” and self-service / self-assembly / flat pack furniture remain strong, but there is also more presence of higher quality / image‐building brands. Some players moving up the quality ladder and teasing premium goods.
- Increased private label solutions, innovative functional, creative or conceptual specialties (e.g. novel materials, decorative surfaces, finishings etc.).
Why This Edition Matters
- The fair comes at a time when the furniture trade faces economic, supply chain, and cost pressures. M.O.W. 2025 positions itself with the theme “The trade fair is here!” – emphasizing resilience, optimism, and a platform to re-orient.
- It offers a “market compass” – allowing retailers and furnishing trade professionals to see what is likely to succeed in the second half of 2025 and into 2026.
Services & Logistics Within the Fair
- Free shuttle service between halls during fair hours. To move from hall to hall efficiently.
- Exhibitor directory, hall overviews, site plans are made available (often in advance) so visitors can plan their route.

Getting There & During the Event

Important logistical things to know so your visit or exhibit goes smoothly.

Venue & Address

Messezentrum Bad Salzuflen, Benzstraße 23, 32108 Bad Salzuflen.
GPS / location coordinates ~ 52.052799; 8.756745.

Transport & Access

By car: Accessible via highway B239. If driving, plan for local traffic, parking is free near the halls.
By public transport: Local buses: lines 942 and 943 service the Messezentrum.
There is a free shuttle service inside the fairgrounds between halls, especially to help you move between distant halls (e.g. halls 1-9, halls 10-12, halls 19-23). Operates during the fair hours (9-18h).

Planning Your Visit

Download the exhibitor directory, hall maps / site plan in advance to target what you want to see. Saves time.
Since some halls and large exhibits take time, set up priorities: e.g. which furniture categories you must see, which brands or suppliers, new product lines etc.
Keep in mind opening/closing times. No late evening hours (Thursday ends at 16:00).

Accommodation

Where to stay matters, especially for multi-day trade fair attendance. Here are good hotels and lodging options, with their pros & cons.

Hotels & Lodging Near the Messezentrum / in Bad Salzuflen

These are among the most recommended:

Hotel / Lodging	Approx. Distance / Travel Time to Messezentrum	Key Features / Highlights
Maritim Hotel Bad Salzuflen	Very close – directly at Kurpark; a few minutes by car to Messezentrum.	4-star hotel. Green park surroundings, good amenities (spa, pool, fitness area). Ideal if you want comfort and quiet after fair days. Good restaurant onsite.
Best Western Plus Hotel Ostertor	~3-4 km from the Messezentrum.	Modern, good standards, central location in Bad Salzuflen, nice value.
Hotel Arminius	~3-5 km.	Historic charm; good breakfast; positive reviews.
Hotel Rosengarten	Fairly close; often first choice among visitors.	Quiet, good service; especially good if you prefer more tranquil surroundings.
Checkinn Hotel	~5 km from fairgrounds.	Simpler, fairly comfortable; maybe more budget-friendly.
Hotel zur Fürstabtei (Herford)	~11 km away (~10-15 minutes by car) from Messezentrum.	If more options are needed or if nearer hotels are booked. Good choice for combining fair + exploring region.

When to book: As with many European trade fairs, the best hotels fill up early, especially the “nice” ones. If you plan to go, try to reserve as soon as possible.

Some hotels will offer special rates or packages for trade fair visitors; worth asking.

Dining & Local Food Tips

Bad Salzuflen is a spa town (“Kurstadt”) with a historic old town, parks, and a reasonable hospitality infrastructure. Here are dining suggestions plus tips to enjoy evenings off the fairfloor.

Recommended Restaurants & Styles

Casa Rustica – Mediterranean cuisine in the historical old town (Fachwerk setting at Haus Alexandra). Good ambiance if you want something a bit more upscale or to unwind in style.
Ratskeller Am Markt – in town center, typical German/regional food. Convenient and atmospheric.
Restaurant Alexandra – in a lovely Fachwerk building. Focus on fish & meat dishes; highly rated. Good wine selection; pleasant for a sit-down dinner.
Flamme AN! – for more casual / barbecue / fast food options. Good when you want something quicker or informal.
There are also more than 140 restaurants, cafés, bistros etc in Bad Salzuflen. Plenty of choice from cafés (for lighter meals or breakfasts) to more formal dinners.

Where to Eat & When

Breakfast: Many hotels include breakfast, but for differing styles (continental, buffet etc.). If you’re staying further out, perhaps pick a hotel with a good breakfast to start early.
Lunch at the fair: The trade fair offers catering / restaurants inside Messezentrum; useful when time is tight.
Evening options: Once the fair closes (typically 18:00 or 16:00 on Thursday), Old Town Bad Salzuflen is pleasant for walking & dinner. Try somewhere within walking - or short drive / taxi distance.

Practical Tips for Visitors & Exhibitors

Here are things you’ll want to plan/prepare so you get the most from M.O.W. 2025.

Visa / DocumentsIf you are coming from outside the EU, make sure you have necessary Schengen visa / entry documents. Also bring business cards, import/supply / trade documentation if you're sourcing products internationally.
What to Bring
- Comfortable shoes (you’ll be walking/standing a lot).
- A good bag or lightweight backpack for catalogues, samples, literature.
- Power bank for phone.
- If you are an exhibitor: sufficient materials for booth, digital backup of your presentation/catalogues, translation tools if needed.
LanguageGerman is the local language; many people will speak English in trade fairs, but knowing basic German business phrases helps. Exhibitor and visitor directories are generally in German and English.
Money & Payment
- Credit cards are widely accepted, but smaller restaurants or cafés may prefer cash or local debit.
- Keep small change for public transport, café tips etc.
- Check if your credit card has foreign transaction fees if your home bank charges them.
Timing Strategy
- First day(s) are best for seeing many booths, getting a broad overview, “newcomers” & trend showcases.
- Mid-days often busiest; maybe schedule meetings early or late in the day to avoid the peak crowd.
- Last day (Thursday) ends early (16:00), so plan your wrap-ups ahead of that.
Networking & Business
- Schedule meetings in advance if possible. Exhibitors are international, so arranging pre-meetings helps.
- Take plenty of contact info; many good-quality leads come from face-to-face contacts beyond just viewing products.
- Follow up after the fair (catalogues, images, quotes) while memories are fresh.
Local Culture & Leisure
- Bad Salzuflen has a beautiful Kurpark, old town, parks and gardens. If you have spare time, a stroll in the Kurpark or older town centre is relaxing.
- Depending on your travel origin, check flights/rail ahead and anticipate local transport from airports or train stations.

Why For Furniture Buyers & Retailers This Is One Not to Miss

Because it’s focused on the “middle of the market” but increasingly with “best-of-market” features, M.O.W. offers both breadth (many exhibitors, many product types) and depth (solid quality, private label, trending features).
It’s an excellent place to spot what furniture styles, materials, finishing, functions are likely to succeed in upcoming seasons (especially for “mainstream” retail channels, discount & self-service, online).
Also good for cost control: seeing many competing suppliers in one location, comparing price vs quality, innovation vs cost of production.
For exhibitors, high international presence means exposure beyond local/regional Germany; potential leads from across Europe.

Potential Weaknesses / Challenges to Plan For

To make sure you avoid problems, be aware of:

Crowds & scheduling: Some halls may be very busy; plan your route to avoid backtracking.
Accommodation cost / availability: Good hotels near MesseCentro fill up, and prices surge during fair. Book early.
Time constraints: With so many exhibits, browsing everything is impossible; pick priorities.
Logistics for carrying samples or heavy catalogue materials, especially if you are flying in.

Conclusion & Key Takeaway

M.O.W. 2025 in Bad Salzuflen is shaping up to be one of the more important autumn furniture trade fairs in Europe. With its strong exhibitor roster, increased international presence, and a clear strategy to balance mass-market and premium offerings, it gives retailers, furnishing chains, online retailers, and suppliers a chance to see where the market is heading, source new products, and build business relationships.

If you plan to attend: