Orgatec, the biannual office furniture fair held in Cologne, Germany, is under way. At first glance, on opening day today, it appears that the show is going through a rejuvenation of sorts, finally coming to terms with the new ways of working which have mostly been eminating from the North America, the tech world specifically.

Once the European showcase for all things commercial furniture, Orgatec this year has taken on a new role. No longer concerned with "what's next" Orgatec instead is looking at the ways we work and asking why are we doing (working) the way we are.

But with anything concerning the workplace today, there is controversy in the large halls as well.

“We feel the conventional office desk and chair are dead. Products like our Soft Work (introduced this year by Vitra) are going to replace them,” said Edward Barber, who created the product with his long-time collaborator Jay Osgerby.

Meanwhile, Orgatec is a place to try a meeting space surrounded by swings, if you like. Hangaround, a unique swing product, was introduced today by the Finnish company Isku. The company displayed the product as a conference space — a table surrounded by swings where workers can actively meet. Hello playground.

“This is our third Orgatec,” said Antti Olin, director of the company's work products. “We have had a lot of interest already. I think these kinds of products are good for the show. This is what people want to see when they come to a furniture show — products that might inspire them.”

Absent from Orgatec this time around were familar names such as Steelcase, Herman Miller and Knoll. These companies have pretty much decided that there was little value-add in displaying their latest wares to a mostly European audience.

At first impression it appears that Orgatec might be back on track after a few previous shows that fell far short of the mark. If Orgatec succeeds this year it will prove that a show can survive — and thrive — by putting ideas before products.