Frankfurt, Germany - The visitor count at last week's Heimtextil show rose 3%, with exhibitors up 5%, according to show organizer Messe Frankfurt.

"Important for us, however, is not just the growth in participant numbers but also the increased quality of the fair, which both exhibitors and visitors rated as being very good," said Detlef Braun, a member of the management board.

More than 73,000 attendees came from 136 countries. The 10 best-represented nations were Italy, Turkey, Great Britain, China, Spain, USA, France, The Netherlands, Poland and the Russian Federation. Visitors from outside Germany accounted for two thirds of attendees.

They included retailers, importers, interior designers, architects and contract furnishings buyers.

The next Heimtextil, International Trade Fair for Home and Contract Textiles, will be held in Frankfurt from Jan. 11 to 14, 2012.