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(c) Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH or Messe Frankfurt GmbH
05.10.2021

Heimtextil 2022: International Reunion eagerly awaited

Meeting business partners, discovering new products and gaining inspiration – all will be possible again when Heimtextil 2022 opens its doors in Frankfurt am Main from 11 to 14 January. With registrations from around 1,600 exhibitors from 50 countries, the Trade Fair for Home and Contract Textiles anticipates a highly promising return to the international stage. The Heimtextil Team has begun the decisive preparatory phase for this international meeting place for the sector with great commitment and enthusiasm.

Meeting business partners, discovering new products and gaining inspiration – all will be possible again when Heimtextil 2022 opens its doors in Frankfurt am Main from 11 to 14 January. With registrations from around 1,600 exhibitors from 50 countries, the Trade Fair for Home and Contract Textiles anticipates a highly promising return to the international stage. The Heimtextil Team has begun the decisive preparatory phase for this international meeting place for the sector with great commitment and enthusiasm.

“With four months still to go, there has been a tremendous response to Heimtextil 2022, especially from the international side. The yearning for personal encounters and the chance to examine the latest products in reality is greater than ever before. We are looking forward very much to welcoming the sector back to our fair and exhibition centre and have complete confidence that Heimtextil 2022 will be a safe and successful event for all concerned”, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies, Messe Frankfurt.

Trendsetting themes and a multifaceted product spectrum
In addition to the extensive spectrum of products to be seen, Heimtextil 2022 will offer inspiration and an attractive range of information services and events to help visitors discover the latest market developments in the sector. In particular, the presentation of the Heimtextil Trends provides in-depth insights into tomorrow’s furnishing themes. Also at Heimtextil, Interior.Architecture.Hospitality will spotlight offers for (interior) architects and hospitality experts. Moreover, particular emphasis will be given to the on-trend subject of healthy sleep, including numerous advisory services and products for the specialist bed trade. In this connection, the Heimtextil Sleep & More Conference will be a meeting place for representatives of the specialist bed trade with a high-grade programme of lectures, discussions and product presentations to choose from. Another important focal point at Heimtextil 2022 will be far‑reaching aspects for greater sustainability. Naturally, detailed information will also be available about this topic. Other highlights include presentations by Trevira and DecoTeam.

Digital services to supplement the trade fair
The range of products and information at Heimtextil 2022 will be rounded off by a blend of digital services. For example, the complete spectrum of Heimtextil Trends will be available for the first time in digital form – richly illustrated and visualised with the latest colours, designer features and short films. The Future Materials Library is also online with a first-class selection of sustainable material innovations. Also in planning are videos on demand about many of the items on the programme and tours of the fair via audio guides.

Another digital service provided by Messe Frankfurt is the order and data-management portal Nextrade, which offers a digital 24/7 business relationship between dealers and suppliers. The first digital B2B marketplace for the home and living, Nextrade brings together the demand and supply sides of the whole sector online and thus generates substantial value added for both sides.

(c) Neonyt/Messe Frankfurt GmbH
30.03.2021

Circularity and Fashion: Interview about the Business and Communication Platform Neonyt

Circular instead of throwaway economy - from fast fashion to zero-waste philosophy. The key elements of the circular economy in the fashion business are: Avoiding waste and pollution through new processes, continuous recycling of products and materials, and regeneration of natural systems. Textination talked with Olaf Schmidt, Vice President of Textiles & Textile Technologies, and Thimo Schwenzfeier, Show Director of Neonyt, from Messe Frankfurt about the Neonyt trade show as a business and communication platform for circularity & fashion.
 
It has been about 10 years since Messe Frankfurt ventured onto the "sustainable" fashion trade show stage. Initially with the Ethical Fashion Show, then with the Greenshowroom, there were two trade show formats in Berlin dedicated to the topic of green fashion. What prompted you as a trade show organizer to launch such a special format in Germany at that time?

Circular instead of throwaway economy - from fast fashion to zero-waste philosophy. The key elements of the circular economy in the fashion business are: Avoiding waste and pollution through new processes, continuous recycling of products and materials, and regeneration of natural systems. Textination talked with Olaf Schmidt, Vice President of Textiles & Textile Technologies, and Thimo Schwenzfeier, Show Director of Neonyt, from Messe Frankfurt about the Neonyt trade show as a business and communication platform for circularity & fashion.
 
It has been about 10 years since Messe Frankfurt ventured onto the "sustainable" fashion trade show stage. Initially with the Ethical Fashion Show, then with the Greenshowroom, there were two trade show formats in Berlin dedicated to the topic of green fashion. What prompted you as a trade show organizer to launch such a special format in Germany at that time?

Olaf Schmidt: Messe Frankfurt's Texpertise Network brings together the world's most important textile trade shows - at around 60 events worldwide, we show what drives the textile and fashion industry. We present the current topics and trends and set impulses for the entire textile value chain. Messe Frankfurt recognized the need for a suitable platform for the future topic of sustainability at an early stage. It was therefore obvious to expand our expertise in the field of fashion and to meet the demand from this segment. To achieve this, we have adapted and realigned existing formats: After launching the Ethical Fashion Show in Paris in 2004, Messe Frankfurt France took over the event in 2010. Two years later, Messe Frankfurt founded the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin in Germany and found, with the moving of the event to the polarizing capital, the ideal location for the coming years. Messe Frankfurt merged the already existing Greenshowroom with the Ethical Fashion Show, and from January 2015 the two shows took place in one venue. For Messe Frankfurt, hosting these events was the next logical step on our way to a sustainable fashion future - the concept is now established in the sustainable fashion market and has a continuous growth potential. The merging of the trade show duo in 2019, with the current name Neonyt, allowed us, our exhibitors and visitors a new content orientation and a holistic approach to the topic of sustainability as well as a more direct access to the conventional fashion market, especially with regard to retail. In summer 2021, Neonyt will take place for the first time in the new fashion hotspot Frankfurt as part of the new Frankfurt Fashion Week.

 
In 2019, both event formats were merged, the new trade show Neonyt was born and 1 + 1 became what? What components does Neonyt offer in addition to the previous trade show concepts, what is so "new-new" and how did you actually come up with the name?

Thimo Schwenzfeier: One plus one, as you so nicely put it, did not simply add up to two with Neonyt. One plus one equals unique, neo-new, internationally relevant: Among other things, the trade show business was supplemented by the international conference format Fashionsustain and a showcase to gradually bring
together the topic of sustainability with the topics of technology, innovation and prepress. Our content creator format Prepeek ensures the necessary lifestyle and the fashion show provides the glamour of the fashion world. Neonyt combines the most important elements of the international textile and fashion industry - style, business, inspiration, innovation, knowledge, fun and community. And that is exactly what makes Neonyt so "new-new". Progressive and polarizing - the artificial word Neonyt is derived from the ancient Greek word "neo" (eng. new, revolutionary) and the Scandinavian word "nytt" (eng. new). "The renewed new" - Neonyt is our synonym for the fundamental transformation process of the textile and fashion industry, a reinterpretation of what has already been there and our commitment not to stand still and to promote positive change together.

 
For the Neonyt trade show format, you have teamed up with partners - for example, for conferencing components and in the design area. What expertise do they provide, and what is the added value for exhibitors and visitors?

Thimo Schwenzfeier: We know which future topics our brands and the community are currently dealing with and therefore create the right platform - for personal encounters and exchange, for networking and successful business deals. To put it simply: we organize trade shows, we organize events, we provide the right setting, we connect people and business. Neonyt therefore forms the global interface between the various players in the textile and fashion industry - between industry, trade, politics, services and consumption. And so that a lively, transparent and, above all, authentic dialog can develop between all counterparts, we naturally draw on the knowledge of industry experts and form strong partnerships to push fashion and sustainability forward. Only together can we achieve real change and guarantee that our community is provided with sufficient and, above all, the right information to make self-determined decisions.
 

In recent years, the keyword circularity - or rather closing the loop - has been encountered everywhere in the fashion industry. Whether Stella McCartney, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, or large retail groups - many players and decision-makers are of the opinion that the future of the fashion world lies only in a circular economy and not in downcycling of any kind. What is Neonyt's view on this?
         
Thimo Schwenzfeier: That's right, the concept of circular economy is not new, nor is it limited to the textile and fashion industry. Circularity - actually the ultimate for every product, every industry, for our global society. The concept is supposedly simple: All materials and products are kept in a closed loop, the useful life is increased and at the end of the product life cycle everything is recycled. Many sustainable fashion labels are already showing how it's done. Neonyt brands are right at the forefront and are already implementing practices that should become the norm as soon as possible: starting with T-shirts or shoes made from recycled materials and take-back systems for collection items. As well as compostable clothing that "dissolves" at the end of the product life cycle and breaks down into its natural components, and on to repair services and leasing models for denim and co. - thinking holistically, acting in a sustainable manner and producing in a circular way are definitely the trends of the coming fashion seasons and at least one important, if not the most important, component of the future fashion world.

 
For the idea of a circular economy to be implemented successfully, there needs to be an interplay between technology, production, design and sales. What presentation options and forms of communication does Neonyt have in store for the various components?  

Thimo Schwenzfeier: The combined innovative power of technology, sustainability and digitization is an important driver of the current developments in the textile and fashion industry - including the topic of circularity. Processes and production sequences are changing along the entire value chain - the industry has to reinvent itself for the most part. Neonyt shows how this can work successfully in the long term, with the internationally established Fashionsustain conference format - including spin-offs in China, Europe and the USA - and the supplementary Showcase. Together, these two formats offer the ideal mix of orientation and inspiration to prepare the industry for the future. Virtual fashion, authentic brands and textile value chains, science and innovation as well as retail, business models and impact investment - at Fashionsustain, top-class experts will exchange ideas with an interested professional audience and discuss the change and new solutions in the textile and fashion industry. The Neonyt Showcase takes a deeper look at the topics and innovations presented and discussed on the Fashionsustain stage. Expert knowledge on-demand, so to speak: whether microfactories or installations - Neonyt brands as well as brands from the rest of the Texpertise Network of Messe Frankfurt, such as exhibitors at Texprocess, get the chance to present sustainable innovations, new technologies and materials, initiatives, change-maker campaigns or research projects. Here they interact directly and practically with Neonyt's international cross-sector community.
 

Last year was an unprecedented challenge for trade show companies due to the pandemic situation. Neonyt was also affected by this - and physical events had to be canceled. With a digital format "Neonyt on Air" you have tried to offer exhibitors and visitors an alternative platform. What has been your experience: Did the focus of the trade show and its community perhaps even help to make such a virtual event easier to launch? 

Olaf Schmidt: Corona has already changed a lot and will certainly continue to do so in one way or another. Nevertheless, it will continue to be our task as trade show organizers to offer the industry the best possible meeting platforms for presenting their new products worldwide. We are convinced that people will continue to want to meet in person and discuss new products as well as services in the future. This is particularly the case in the textile sector, where haptics plays a very crucial role. We expect that there will even be a certain catch-up effect after the crisis. Because what the last two very successful digital seasons of Neonyt on Air, for example, have nevertheless shown clearly: Fashion lives from personalities, presentation and inspiration. Digital formats can support this, but they cannot fully replace it.
 
Thimo Schwenzfeier: The digital Neonyt on Air was far from being a total replacement for the original physical seasons, but nevertheless a huge success. For one week, fashion, lifestyle and digital experts were discussing about more authenticity, immediacy and transparency in the textile and fashion industry in numerous keynotes, interviews and panel discussions. With more than 24,000 international followers on Instagram, we generated around 50,000 impressions and more than 4,700 content interactions with our presenting partners Grüner Knopf, Hessnatur and Oeko-Tex in just five days. These figures show, that the topic of sustainability has arrived in the middle of society and is being discussed across all industries. I think that the polarization and, above all, the prevailing restrictions, as far as trade and commerce are concerned, have certainly contributed to holding a successful digital format. Digitization was truly the booster for the fashion industry in this case: Instead of replacing personal exchange, it helps to maintain and expand the business activities of brands, especially in the current times. And quite clearly, the need for exchange in the fashion industry and the motivation to initiate together a change are still enormous. Neonyt on Air has once again shown us that clearly. However, we are already looking forward to the next physical edition of Neonyt.
 

The COVID-19 pandemic has also left its mark on the textile and clothing industry. When you look back on just under a year of "state of emergency" - what positive experiences do you take with you, where do you see a need for improvement, for what support are you grateful for and where did you feel you were left on your own? 

Olaf Schmidt: A year like no other - that can clearly be said about the last one. The Corona pandemic caught everyone off guard - us as trade show organizers, but of course also our exhibitors, visitors and partners. Especially in the near future, we must continue to expect, that trade shows can only be held under stricter health and safety regulations at first. Messe Frankfurt reacted quickly and developed a comprehensive safety and hygiene concept. One thing was clear: we all had to adjust and deal with a new situation. And so far, we've done a great job together, the team understanding among each other, the close contact - although physically at a distance, but globally networked - between all those involved, makes me feel positive about the future. For me, an important realization of this global pandemic, a credo almost, is to be open to new ways and opportunities and to find ways to combine things rather than separate them: Hybrid solutions, so to speak.    

Thimo Schwenzfeier: There was no master plan for Neonyt, and in places there was also the impression that we now had to "reinvent the wheel": How does collaboration work when face-to-face meetings cannot take place? Can digitized contact compensate for the social distancing that is currently being imposed and still make it possible to work closely together? How can business relationships be maintained when stores are closed? How can priorities be set when well-tested solutions and established annual plans lose their validity? Who am I, who are 'the others' and what defines community? Never have questions about our creation and existence, about what makes us who we are and what we want to be, been more relevant than right now. One thing that I take away from the current situation and that allows me to continue to look forward positively despite difficult circumstances is the fact, that cohesion and solidarity with one another - both privately and professionally - have become increasingly important. Like a magnifying glass, the crisis has magnified existing opportunities, but also challenges, and brought the essentials into focus. I think that if we continue to try to experience things more consciously and not take them for granted, we will manage together to create a " new normal " and leave this crisis with more strength.
 

As in the past in Berlin, Neonyt is currently also located in Frankfurt in the environment of the Fashion Week and conventional trade shows. Can you imagine that a special event concept like Neonyt will be unnecessary in a few years, because the circularity concept will have established itself in the clothing industry worldwide?

Olaf Schmidt: A clear no. Sustainability per se is already no longer a unique selling point. The important thing is to keep up with the times, to follow trends or, even better, to track down new trends yourself and develop them further. Things, strategies, concepts will always change - if last year showed us one thing, it was certainly that. It is more than desirable that we all learn from this crisis and reflect on the really important values, on solidarity between partners, on climate protection and sustainability. It may be exactly for this reason, that companies that place particular emphasis on sustainability will emerge even stronger from this crisis. So you can be sure that we, as a leading international trade show organizer for the textile industry, will continue to focus on sustainability and support future-oriented companies and solutions. However, this will not make our formats obsolete due to the establishment and normalization of holistic business practices in the textile industry. But it is impossible to make an exact forecast for the coming decades. Over the last few months, we have all noticed ourselves in our personal everyday lives or in our professional lives, how uncertain and volatile the future is. What is clear, however, is that the fashion industry - the world in general - will change even faster than before. And therein lies the opportunity for formats like Neonyt. The ten-year history shows in how many directions Neonyt has already developed, content focal points have been shifted and it has reinvented itself - this will also be the case in the future.
 

Mr. Schwenzfeier, in addition to your role as Director of Marketing Communications for Messe Frankfurt's textile exhibitions, you have also been Show Director of Neonyt since 2018. You have spoken to many exhibitors and visitors - which ideas or creations have particularly impressed you?

Thimo Schwenzfeier: I think it's not so much the individual innovations or creations of the exhibitors at our trade shows. And I deliberately choose the plural here. Because in my function as Director of Marketing Communications in the Textiles & Textile Technologies division of Messe Frankfurt, Neonyt is just one of "my" events. I think it's more the variety of fashion, technical and professional innovations that brands, labels, companies, start-ups and designers present every year. But if I really had to choose one innovation, it would probably be the vegan "Currywurst" sneakers made of red pepper and recycled PET bottles - the same label also offers shoes made of wood, stone, coffee and mushrooms or now even meteorite particles. It is impressive to experience every season anew of how creative the textile and fashion industry is.
 

Breaking new ground means being willing to make decisions, overcoming fears - and thus also having the courage to fail. Not every project can succeed. In retrospect, about which entrepreneurial decision by Messe Frankfurt are you particularly glad, that you made?
 
Olaf Schmidt: Clearly the decision to create Neonyt. To establish our own trade show format for fashion, sustainability and innovation and to integrate the freedom and lifestyle, which entail this topic, into our event. After more than a decade, we may be saying goodbye to Berlin in 2021, but not to our community and our spirit. Together we look back on many fashionable seasons and great locations in the capital: starting in the Hotel Adlon Kempinski to the Ewerk, the Postbahnhof, the Kronprinzenpalais, the Funkhaus and the Kraftwerk to the last physical event in Tempelhof. With the turn of the year and in the setting of Frankfurt Fashion Week, Neonyt is about to move to the metropolis by the Main. In Frankfurt, worlds collide: Skyscrapers and 19th-century villas. Architectural sins and masterpieces. Business and middle class. Red-light district and luxury boulevard. Frankfurt Fashion Week sets new impulses in this area of conflict. And in the middle of all this is Neonyt. The signs are pointing to a new beginning - a restart for the entire fashion industry, together we are taking sustainability to the next level - the focus topics Applied Sustainability and Applied Digitization are creating a completely new Fashion Week ecosystem in the metropolis by the Main.
 

If everything works out, Neonyt can be held again as a face-to-face event for the first time in July 2021. What are your plans? What and who can visitors look forward to? And what backup is there for a worst-case scenario?

Thimo Schwenzfeier: Of course, due to the currently ongoing tense situation around Covid-19, it is difficult to make binding statements about the next physical event. However, we are cur rently expecting the situation to ease into the summer summer 2021 is therefore on the health of everyone - exhibitors, visitors, partners and employees of Neonyt. Messe Frankfurt has developed a concept that includes detailed hygienic measures: Hygiene, distance and fresh air supply are important factors, which we coordinate with the responsible authorities in Frankfurt and those in charge of Frankfurt Fashion Week. In due course, the Neonyt community will receive advice and recommendations for the trade show attendance and participation, that comply with current regulations. We have not yet thought about a concrete backup for a worst-case scenario, as we are currently anticipating a physical B2B event - but the last two seasons have shown, should it not be possible to hold the Neonyt face-to-face, that we are quite well positioned with the digital Neonyt on Air and could certainly adapt the format for another summer event. We regularly exchange ideas with all market participants and try to get a sense of opinions and wishes from our community through surveys. Wait and see, one might say - in the end, we also have to act according to what the current health situation allows and what decisions are made by politicians.

The Interview was conducted by Ines Chucholowius,
Managing Partner, Textination GmbH

Neonyt is going back “On Air” (c) Messe Frankfurt
24.11.2020

Neonyt is going back “On Air” - No physical winter edition in January 2021

The ongoing, difficult situation surrounding COVID-19 and the latest decisions made by the German government are once again making it impossible to plan Neonyt – and as a result, the physical event, from 19-21 January 2021, will no longer be taking place. A small consolation: the digital community format “Neonyt On Air” will be entering into its second round instead.

The ongoing, difficult situation surrounding COVID-19 and the latest decisions made by the German government are once again making it impossible to plan Neonyt – and as a result, the physical event, from 19-21 January 2021, will no longer be taking place. A small consolation: the digital community format “Neonyt On Air” will be entering into its second round instead.

After the COVID-19 situation eased in many places towards the end of summer and contact rules and travel restrictions were eased or lifted completely, the entire sector, and therefore also the trade fair and event industry, were looking ahead to a new start: “It wasn’t exactly “business as usual”, but we were hoping that there wouldn’t be a second lockdown,” says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President of Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt. “But this is precisely the scenario we are faced with now and of course had to make a decision to protect the health and safety our exhibitors, visitors and also our employees.” Due to rapidly increasing infection rates and the latest decisions made by the German government, the organisers have been left with no choice but to cancel the winter edition of Neonyt.

But the sustainability community doesn’t have to forgo Neonyt completely. “The need of our exhibitors and visitors to interact and cooperate in person has only increased during the past few months,” says Thimo Schwenzfeier, Show Director of Neonyt. “A need that, after a forced one-year break, we would have loved to fulfil with a face-to-face event, but now we are having to do that virtually and in a reduced form.” Like last summer, January will see the return of the digital “Neonyt on Air” format – in numerous talks, panel discussions and masterclasses the community will be discussing the latest developments and innovations from the sustainable fashion and textile industry in the week from 18-22 January 2021. Further information about the line-up will follow on the Neonyt website and in the newsletter in the coming weeks.

The exhibitors’ order business has also been taken into consideration in the modified plans: thanks to Neonyt’s cooperation with B2B marketplace The Brand Show Circular, brands will have the opportunity to position themselves in an international order setting, maintain existing business contacts and acquire new customers – despite contact and travel restrictions. The digital services of the B2B platform range from classic marketing and order activities down to virtual showrooms with multimedia content. Interested exhibitors have already been informed in Page 2 Neonyt The global hub for fashion, sustainability and innovation Neonyt On Air, 18-22 January 2021 detail about the terms and conditions of participation.

Source:

Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH

ISPO Munich 1 (c) Messe München GmbH
13.10.2020

ISPO Munich 2021 as a hybrid event

  • Hybrid concept to combine the best of both worlds
  • Systematic enhancement of ISPO’s digital strategy
  • End consumers to be digitally integrated into the event for the first time

The world-leading trade fair ISPO Munich will take place from January 31 to February 3, 2021, for the first time as a hybrid event that will be held both in-person in Munich and online around the world. The new concept marks the event’s systematic transformation into a platform and applies the broad range of digital expertise that ISPO has gained over the past 10 years. With the threat of travel restrictions looming over the trade fair, the digital elements will create the ideal basis for integrating global target groups: While representatives from European markets are generally expected to attend the in-person event, the digital enhancements will enable an intercontinental audience to participate as well.

  • Hybrid concept to combine the best of both worlds
  • Systematic enhancement of ISPO’s digital strategy
  • End consumers to be digitally integrated into the event for the first time

The world-leading trade fair ISPO Munich will take place from January 31 to February 3, 2021, for the first time as a hybrid event that will be held both in-person in Munich and online around the world. The new concept marks the event’s systematic transformation into a platform and applies the broad range of digital expertise that ISPO has gained over the past 10 years. With the threat of travel restrictions looming over the trade fair, the digital elements will create the ideal basis for integrating global target groups: While representatives from European markets are generally expected to attend the in-person event, the digital enhancements will enable an intercontinental audience to participate as well. Another new addition next year will be the digital integration of end consumers.

“Sports and outdoor activities – two areas that are closely related to the topic of health at the moment – have never been so socially relevant,” said Klaus Dittrich, the Chairman and CEO of Messe München. “This has created a growing desire in the industry for personal interaction. The urge to present and discuss new potential, partnerships and business models is greater than ever. The industry has been communicating this need to us, and we have come up with the concept to meet it.”

Personal interaction meets global participation
New participation options, new topics, expanded target groups: All of these things are reflected in particular in the large number of physical and digital attendance options devoted to the focus topics of creativity & digitalization, health and sustainability. In addition to product presentations in the trade fair halls, the event will focus on networking, matchmaking, knowledge transfer and innovations.

Thanks to the integrated hybrid stages, people will be able to attend presentations, talks and workshops not only on site, but also from locations around the world. Brands, key players and top athletes will speak with an audience that extends well beyond the walls of the trade fair halls. ISPO Munich will also include two single-day conference formats: ISPO Digitize Summit (February 1, 2021) and the Sports Tech Conference Europe (February 2, 2021).

In implementing the hybrid concept, the ISPO team has drawn on the digital expertise and reach that it has acquired over the past 10 years: They are based on the development of an eco-system with services that extend along the value chain and on the implementation of an entirely digital ISPO Re.Start Days in the summer of 2020.

New: digital integration of end consumers  
For the first time, end consumers will have an opportunity to experience something that was formerly reserved for the B2B audience: the chance to participate digitally and conduct a direct dialogue with the industry. With the help of presentations, workshops and master classes, the brands and companies will have an opportunity to make digital presentations to sports and outdoor fans around the world and speak directly to them. The ISPO Open Innovation Community has already demonstrated the effectiveness of this concept: Approximately 80,000 end consumers contribute their know-how to crowd-sourcing and market research campaigns and provide companies with valuable insights about new products and ideas throughout the year.

Personal interaction on the exhibition grounds in Munich will remain the provision of the B2B audience.  

Markus Hefter: “We are ready for ISPO Munich 2021 and are really looking forward to lots of new ideas. One thing is clear: Even though many issues can be solved digitally, the desire to meet and interact in person has grown dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic. We are really happy about the strong support we have received from the industry and will provide our customers with a safe platform.”

Maximum safety and flexibility  
A comprehensive safety and hygiene concept that Messe München worked out with the state government of Bavaria will be used during the on-site activities of ISPO Munich 2021. The safety of exhibitors and visitors will have the highest priority. Events began to be successfully held once again on the Munich exhibition grounds on September 1. The rule of thumb for international visitors is: Trade fair participants may travel from all countries to Germany provided that certain conditions are met because they are considered to be business travelers on an important mission.

Exhibitors will have more flexibility as a result of the extension of deadlines and flexible cancellation terms. If needed, pre-built booths may be used in order to cost-effectively and efficiently participate in the trade fair.

If exhibitors or visitors have any questions about the safety and hygiene concept, they may contact the Messe München hotline by phone +49 89 949 11400 or e-mail at corona.support@messe-muenchen.de. The service hours are: Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Venue Messe Frakfurt (c) Mese Frankfurt GmbH
22.09.2020

Heimtextil 2021 to be held in May

The next Heimtextil has been postponed from January and will now be held concurrently with Techtextil and Texprocess 2021 in Frankfurt from 4 to 7 May 2021. This will result in exciting synergistic effects for the sector.
 
The current situation with respect to the corona pandemic and the associated international travel restrictions have caused Messe Frankfurt to postpone the next Heimtextil, the world’s biggest trade fair for home and contract textiles, from the planned dates in January until 4 to 7 May 2021.
     

The next Heimtextil has been postponed from January and will now be held concurrently with Techtextil and Texprocess 2021 in Frankfurt from 4 to 7 May 2021. This will result in exciting synergistic effects for the sector.
 
The current situation with respect to the corona pandemic and the associated international travel restrictions have caused Messe Frankfurt to postpone the next Heimtextil, the world’s biggest trade fair for home and contract textiles, from the planned dates in January until 4 to 7 May 2021.
     
“The bulk of the international home and contract textiles sector want us to hold Heimtextil 2021. Many companies are hoping to give their businesses a boost by taking part in the fair following the restart. And we consider it a greater obligation than ever before that we play our part in this”, explains Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt. “However, the current travel restrictions and the renewed increase in the number of infections represent a big hurdle for our very international trade fair. We are in constant contact with our exhibitors and the appropriate authorities and will do everything in our power to ensure a safe and successful Heimtextil 2021.”

Over 90 percent of exhibitors come to Heimtextil in Frankfurt from outside Germany. As part of the preparatory work for an international trade fair of this kind in January, it is necessary, for example, to commission stand-construction companies, ship the goods and book flights and hotels in September. Thus, in view of the current travel restrictions, holding Heimtextil 2021 in May instead of January offers greater planning certainty for all involved.
 
“The trend-oriented order cycles of the home and contract textiles sector require an annual event towards the beginning of the year. Techtextil and Texprocess are biennial trade fairs and are next due to be held in May 2021. For Heimtextil, this is an opportunity to join forces with the two internationally successful textile trade fairs and present the entire textile value chain simultaneously at Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre”, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles and Textile Technologies.

Additionally, holding Heimtextil concurrently with Techtextil, the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens, and Texprocess, the leading international trade fair for processing textile and flexible materials, offers a host of exciting synergistic effects for the sector.

The close proximity to suppliers and buyers of technical textiles and nonwovens with innovative functionalities, as well as machines and the latest technologies for processing textile and flexible materials, is certain to generate interesting new perspectives for both visitors and exhibitors of Heimtextil. Indeed, the two textile fairs already aim at the home-textile sector with the ‘Hometech’ segment.
 
“We are confident that the situation with respect to the corona pandemic will have eased significantly by May, next year, and are looking forward to holding a successful and safe event together with our partners from the sector”, says Olaf Schmidt.

NEU: Nextrade - the digital marketplace
For the first time, Messe Frankfurt will provide a supplementary digital service in connection with Heimtextil 2021: Nextrade, an order and data-management portal offering new opportunities through digital 24/7 business relationships between trade-fair participants, especially against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic. There, dealers can place their orders with suppliers around the clock and, therefore, do so independently of any official pandemic regulations applying at the time. Nextrade also offers suppliers completely new sales and distribution channels, especially internationally. Nextrade was launched in conjunction with the Ambiente, Tendence and Nordstil consumer-goods and lifestyle trade fairs. As the first digital B2B market place for home and living, the portal brings together demand and supply from the whole sector and thus produces great value added for both sides:: www.nextrade.market

Techtextil / Texprocess
At the biennial Techtextil, the leading international trade fair for the sector in Frankfurt am Main, international exhibitors present the complete spectrum of technical textiles, functional apparel textiles and textile technologies for all areas of application. Techtextil is held concurrently with Texprocess, the leading trade for the garment and textile processing industry, which is aimed primarily at manufacturers of garments, fashions, upholstered furniture and leather products.

More information:
Heimtextil 2021
Source:

Messe Frankfurt GmbH

(c) SANITIZED AG
16.06.2020

‘WHAT SMELLS LESS HAS TO BE WASHED LESS OFTEN’

Swiss Quality Principles plus Innovation Strength: Hygiene and Material Protection from SANITIZED 

SANITIZED AG is known as a worldwide leading Swiss company in hygiene functions and material protection for textiles and plastics. Globally oriented, pioneering work is done with federal thoroughness in the development of innovative, effective and safe technologies for antimicrobial equipment. Textination had the opportunity to speak to CEO Urs Stalder about the growing importance of hygiene in times of the pandemic.

Swiss Quality Principles plus Innovation Strength: Hygiene and Material Protection from SANITIZED 

SANITIZED AG is known as a worldwide leading Swiss company in hygiene functions and material protection for textiles and plastics. Globally oriented, pioneering work is done with federal thoroughness in the development of innovative, effective and safe technologies for antimicrobial equipment. Textination had the opportunity to speak to CEO Urs Stalder about the growing importance of hygiene in times of the pandemic.

Founded in 1935, the majority ownership of the public company SANITIZED still lies with the founding families. You are the market leader in Europe in hygiene functions and material protection for textiles and plastics. If you had to introduce yourself in 100 words to someone who doesn't know the company: What influenced you in particular in the development of the company and what made it unique?
Preventing odor in shoes, that's how it started in 1935. This is where our business model came from: the antimicrobial protection of plastics and textiles.
SANITIZED develops ready-to-use additives that are individually tailored to the protection goals of the end products and that work, for example, against the development of odors in work clothing, against permastink (resilient odors) in synthetic textiles or against mold growth.
The 360-degree service is unique: This includes backing in product development, support for all regulatory questions and assistance with marketing topics.
SANITIZED AG is globally active and yet committed to Swiss quality principles. More than 400 brands worldwide use the ingredient brand Sanitized® on their end products.

Think global – act local? You have sister companies in France, the United States and Asia. Your roots and headquarters are based in Switzerland. The pandemic is currently increasing the question of intact supply chains. What does this mean for your company in the future?
Indeed, the broad global positioning enables us to do business locally. The local anchoring results in synergies, also in sourcing. That will be even more important for us in the future. And, of course, the issues of speed and customer proximity are also positive aspects of this approach.

From textiles to plastic surfaces to cans: SANITIZED Preservation AG was founded in 2018 to take care of colors and coatings. SANITIZED is thus opening up another market. Which markets are you particularly interested in and which product areas do you feel particularly challenged by?
Customers want paints and varnishes without solvents, which is better for people and the environment. But with the alternative water-based products, there is a high risk of contamination by microbes. This starts with the production, continues with the storage in the can and also in the application. The result is mold formation.
Antimicrobial protection for paints or coatings is particularly relevant in hygiene-sensitive areas of industrial production and, of course, in the medical environment. The risk of contamination and mold multiplies in regions with high air humidity. This is another reason why India is a growth market for this business area.   

To break new ground means decisiveness, overcoming fears - and thus the courage to fail. Not every project can succeed. In retrospect - about which entrepreneurial decision are you particularly glad to have made it?
Let me mention just three decisions that are important for corporate development: This is definitely the foundation of the SANITIZED Preservation division. This is about the antimicrobial protection of paints and varnishes. This also includes setting up our in-house TecCenter, in which we can perform laboratory services even faster. It was recently accredited by the International Antimicrobial Council. And right now it is the sales cooperation with Consolidates Pathway on the US market for our textile hygiene function solutions.

You state that innovation is embedded in the company's DNA. How do you live your inno-vation management and which role do the requirements of end consumers and your indus-trial customers play in this setting?
We ourselves as well as our global sales partners are in close contact with the manufacturers of textile products. This is also why we know the requirements and needs of the market. Sustainability is emerging from the niche in the mass market.
This is exactly what our product Sanitized® Odoractiv 10 has been developed for and awarded by the Swiss Innovation Award.
It is a dual-acting, biocide-free, patented technology against odor development and odor adsorption in textiles. Many customers appreciate our expertise and use it in the development of new products to create innovative textiles with additional benefits for the requirements of the market.

Tailor-made or solutions only for major customers? The topic of individualization up to lot size 1 takes up a lot of space today. What do you think about individual product solutions - or can you cover everything with the SANITIZED portfolio comprising 40 products?
We have a very versatile technology “kit” at our disposal. It is part of our daily business to respond individually to the special customer needs and the respective product requirements. We offer tailor-made recipes for this and our extensive application know-how flows into the advice for the individual application situation at the customer.

There are various definitions for sustainability. Customers expect everything under this term - from climate protection to ecology, from on-site production in the region to the ex-clusion of child labor, etc. Textile finishing does not always sound unproblematic. Public procurement is increasingly switching to sustainable textiles. What does this mean for SANITIZED and what do you do to bring the concept of sustainability to life for your company, and which activities and certifications do you focus on?
Resource conservation is a key issue for us. Since we “think” about the topic of sustainability along the entire production chain, including in research and development, resource-saving application techniques for the textile industry are important to us. Sanitized® additives can be integrated into standard production processes, so that additional energy is not required for complementary finishing processes.
Our portfolio also includes biocide-free products. Sanitized® Odoractiv10 prevents odors from sticking to textiles. Sanitized® Mintactiv uses the natural antibacterial effect of mint and was specially developed for cotton textiles.
And what smells less has to be washed less often. This saves water and electricity and extends the useful life of textiles.
          
SANITIZED supports its customers with a so-called 360° service. What do you mean by that and why don't you concentrate exclusively on the technical aspects of the products?
The SANITIZED brand wants to create real added value for its customers. That is why we have expanded our core competence as a developer and provider of innovative antimicrobial additives with an all-round service. The obvious thing to do is to support the production process, of course that is part of it. Furthermore; we also provide the latest knowledge on regulatory issues - world-wide. And we offer comprehensive marketing assistance for our license partners who use Sanitized® as an ingredient brand. Making correct advertising statements is important not only in times of Corona. Because it's always about transparency and security for people. Warning letters or delivery stops due to incorrect claims can be prevented.
Cooperation with the institutes is absolutely sensible; after all, it is their job to do research for com-panies that they cannot shoulder on their own. This includes testing facilities, as well as applying for funding, which is only possible in cooperation with research institutes. However, they are public institutions and therefore have different objectives per se than a company: We have to bring a promising idea to the market as quickly as possible to show a profit. A research institute does not have this pressure.

Which goal do you pursue with the website https://www.sanitized.house for example?
Yes, it may seem unusual when SANITIZED as a B2B company designs a platform for end customers. But more than 400 brands use Sanitized® as an ingredient brand. So, we are connected to the end customer in this way.
In the virtual house - Sanitized® the house -, visitors can playfully experience in which areas of life hygiene and material protection contribute to the quality of life. A click in the wardrobe links to products - including brand names - that have been equipped with Sanitized®: clothing in the wardrobe, the carpet in the living room or the towel in the bathroom. The best thing to do is try it yourself.

The company is working consistently on implementing Sanitized® as a brand. The hygiene function for textiles and plastics shall be documented and thus offer added value to customers and consumers. Co-branding is not always welcome, especially in the clothing, sports and outdoor sector. How rocky was the road until Sanitized® was advertised as an ingredient brand by 400 license partners on the product?
Of course, there are brands that do not want a second brand on their end product. But a trend is causing more and more manufacturers to rethink: Customers are increasingly asking questions about ingredients and their origins. Elucidation and transparency are growing needs. And that's exactly what we contribute to. In addition, this is an opportunity for a textile brand to stand out positively in the flood of suppliers. Differentiation through added value - donated by Swiss technology from SANITIZED. Those arguments work worldwide.

You have a diversified network. Just to mention to two of them - you have been a system partner since the foundation of bluesign® and you work closely with Archroma in sales matters. In which aspects do you see the special value of partnerships? Are there segments existing where you can imagine new partners and collaborations?
Partnerships are important and work if all pursue common goals and can mutually fertilize each other. For example, the partnership with the company Consolidates Pathway in the United States is brand new one.

For which socially relevant topics do you see a particularly great need for innovation and action in the next 5 years? What is your assessment that your company will be able to offer solutions for this with its products? And what role do the experiences from the corona pandemic play in this assessment?
Nobody can predict what the corona pandemic will change in the long term. Environmental protection and thus the conservation of our resources is and remains an important issue.
The fact that the textile industry can make a big contribution to this is slowly gaining awareness among the masses. Keywords are cheap production or water consumption for jeans production. People are becoming more sensitive to what companies and brands are doing. It will be all the more important to act and communicate openly and transparently.
For SANITIZED, it is a mission and a matter of course that only products with official approvals are used and that we work ac-cording to the bluesign principle. This is where traceability and transparency begin.


This interview was conducted by Ines Chucholowius, CEO Textination GmbH

(c) Messe Frankfurt
09.06.2020

Goodbye Berlin - Hello Frankfurt! Premium / Seek and Neonyt switch from the Spree to the Main

  • Frankfurt am Main is to become the "new hotspot of the international fashion and lifestyle scene"

Messe Frankfurt and Premium Group launched the Frankfurt Fashion Week yesterday, on June 8, 2020, under the title "Unveiling The Unexpected". From summer 2021, the Rhine-Main metropolis will become the new home for a future-oriented fashion and lifestyle community, with trade shows, conferences, runways and events based on the two pillars of digitization and sustainability, according to the two exhibition companies.

  • Frankfurt am Main is to become the "new hotspot of the international fashion and lifestyle scene"

Messe Frankfurt and Premium Group launched the Frankfurt Fashion Week yesterday, on June 8, 2020, under the title "Unveiling The Unexpected". From summer 2021, the Rhine-Main metropolis will become the new home for a future-oriented fashion and lifestyle community, with trade shows, conferences, runways and events based on the two pillars of digitization and sustainability, according to the two exhibition companies.

The kick-off for Frankfurt Fashion Week is planned for summer 2021. Joining forces to get the event off the ground are the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds – Messe Frankfurt – and the organiser of Europe’s biggest fashion fair – the Premium Group – as the initiators, as well as the City of Frankfurt am Main and the German state of Hesse as hosts. Together they aim to create a brand-new ecosystem for tradeshows, conferences, runway shows and events for professionals and consumers in Frankfurt am Main.

 

“This will transform the financial centre of Frankfurt into a new hotspot for the international fashion and lifestyle scene and create a new, international fashion metropolis. Organising a Fashion Week in Frankfurt presents a unique economic opportunity for the City of Frankfurt am Main. We are expecting positive knock-on effects with the generation of more than 200 million euros per year for our hometown and the region,” emphasised the Senior Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main at press conference.

 

“It will bring a huge boost to the local hotel, hospitality and transportation sectors. Frankfurt is renowned for its style-defining impact on art, architecture and design and its unique club, bar and restaurant scene. Frankfurt Fashion Week will now also increase our appeal as an international fashion hotspot. We will be conveying the fashion and design theme to the rest of the city and complementing it with our own exciting events. It makes me proud that we have been able to attract these three prominent tradeshows with no less than 2,000 exhibitors from Berlin to Frankfurt,” concluded Feldmann.

“Securing this unique event for Frankfurt am Main is a huge opportunity to strengthen our image both nationally and internationally. In the next few years, the city is prepared to provide the necessary funds to show people from near and far that creative Frankfurt has what it takes to host a Fashion Week. Together with the State of Hesse and Messe Frankfurt, we, the City of Frankfurt, really want Frankfurt Fashion Week to get off to a flying start and make the city the fashion hotspot of Germany. And we will play our part in that,” adds Mayor and City Treasurer Uwe Becker, who together with the Councillor for Economic Affairs Markus Frank highlighted the development opportunities of Fashion Week in Frankfurt am Main.

Banking capital and fashion metropolis 
Skyscrapers and turn-of-the-century villas. Architectural eyesores and structural masterpieces. Business and culture. Red-light district and luxury shopping. It is against this backdrop that Frankfurt Fashion Week aims to inspire new momentum.

“The Rhine-Main Region is predestined to host an internationally significant event of this magnitude. We are cosmopolitan and international: out of the 6.2 million people living in Hesse, one third have their roots in other countries. And that makes the fashion here just as diverse and individual. At the same time, an event like the upcoming Frankfurt Fashion Week is of huge economic significance for Frankfurt as a trade fair location.

It is sending out an important and positive signal to an industry that has been particularly hard hit by the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The State of Hesse is committed to sustainable business practices, the conservation of resources and climate protection. Promoting the creative industries has been the aim of Hesse’s economic policy for years now. And as Frankfurt Fashion Week has made sustainability its overarching theme, it’s also a real gain from that perspective. There couldn’t be a better fit for Frankfurt and the State of Hesse,” says Tarek Al-Wazir, Hesse’s Minister of Economics, Energy, Transport and Housing and Vice Minister-President.   

A core component of Frankfurt Fashion Week are Europe’s biggest fashion fairs: PREMIUM, Europe’s relevant business platform for advanced women’s and menswear, SEEK, one of the most progressive tradeshows for contemporary fashion, and NEONYT, the leading hub for sustainable fashion. Together with the Fashionsustain and Fashiontech conferences, they are moving from Berlin to Frankfurt am Main.

“Five platforms, three tradeshows, two conferences, over 2,000 designers, brands and fashion companies – Frankfurt Fashion Week will become an extremely attractive and relevant destination for the international fashion business. We believe in the concept of a physical Fashion Week, but one that is different to anything we have seen before. Frankfurt Fashion Week will enable us to fully play to our textile strengths gained from over 50 textile tradeshows worldwide. And it will result in new synergies along the entire supply chain”, stated Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt.   

“Frankfurt Fashion Week is purposely aimed at a forward-looking, digital-savvy fashion and lifestyle community. B2B, B2C, B2P, P2P – all avenues are open. A synthesis of fashion, lifestyle, digital innovations and sustainability is always guaranteed to result in something new and unexpected. And that is exactly our aim. Unveiling the unexpected. Frankfurt is a fresh, new location for this. We’re looking forward to it,” says Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the Premium Group.

New Technology meets Applied Sustainability
Frankfurt Fashion Week wants to pool fashion, design, sustainability and technology, giving rise to unexpected cooperations and showing what is already possible today. ‘Applied Sustainability’ and ‘Applied Digitisation’ form the strategic pillars of the event. Frankfurt Fashion Week will make innovative, more sustainable products, collections and business models accessible to the wider market. At the same time, it also promotes the future-oriented interconnection of fashion and technology as part of the real-digital reality.

 

Photo: Pixabay
24.03.2020

Coronavirus: Cancellations and Postponements of German Exhibitions May Cost up to 3 Billion Euro

  • Calculation by AUMA - Association of the German Trade Fair Industry concerning the macroeconomic impact for Germany based on ifo-survey

Germany as a trade fair venue has already been hit hard by cancellations and postponements of trade fairs. Trade fair organisers and service providers like booth constructors are already suffering from heavy financial losses. Many other branches of business are affected as well, especially the hotel and catering industry, the transport industry and numerous local suppliers and contractors. These industries are suffering considerable losses in sales with a direct impact on employees. Due to sales losses the tax revenue will fail, hence cities or regions are directly affected economically.

  • Calculation by AUMA - Association of the German Trade Fair Industry concerning the macroeconomic impact for Germany based on ifo-survey

Germany as a trade fair venue has already been hit hard by cancellations and postponements of trade fairs. Trade fair organisers and service providers like booth constructors are already suffering from heavy financial losses. Many other branches of business are affected as well, especially the hotel and catering industry, the transport industry and numerous local suppliers and contractors. These industries are suffering considerable losses in sales with a direct impact on employees. Due to sales losses the tax revenue will fail, hence cities or regions are directly affected economically.

AUMA’s Institute of the German Trade Fair Industry has forecasted the consequences for Germany for the first time based on the calculation of the ifo Institut in regard to the macroeconomic relevance of German trade fairs in 2018.

Thus a loss of about three billion Euro for the national economy is to be expected – just by cancellations and postponements of trade fairs. This affects more than 24,000 jobs and tax authorities will miss over 470 million Euro of tax revenue.

These sums do not include lost sales of companies, which had expected to generate turnover during the trade fair. These figures are many times higher than the above-mentioned sums and can only be substituted to a limited extent through other measures. No other marketing device is able to represent a company and its products as comprehensively as the personal contact.

“Almost all plans for trade fairs during the next months are null and void. Organisers, exhibitors, visitors and contractors are losing any planning reliability. They have high up-front costs without the prospect of any benefit or they suffer from severe and acute loss of sales. The trade fairs’ annual contribution of more than 28 billion Euro to the national economy could decrease by 10%. It has to be made sure that the (German) economy – particularly small and medium-sized enterprises – in future will be able to utilise the highly effective instrument called “Messe” (trade fair) and can continue cooperating with potent contractors. Without governmental support this can hardly be realised, despite great efforts of the exhibition industry itself.”

Germany is number one worldwide in terms of organising international trade fairs. Annually 160 to 180 international trade fairs take place in Germany, with 180.000 exhibitors and ten million visitors. Partners from all over the world meet up on German exhibition sites.

German exhibiting companies are investing almost half of their b2b communication budgets in trade fair participations. The expenses of exhibitors and visitors for trade fairs in Germany result in macroeconomic production effects of more than 28 billion Euro. More than 230,000 jobs are ensured by the organisation of trade fairs. Tax revenues based on trade fairs sum up to approx. 4.5 billion Euro annually.

More information:
trade fairs Coronavirus
Source:

AUMA Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V.

22.10.2019

Germany’s Trade Fair Market

Number one worldwide  
Germany is the world's number one location for international trade fairs. Some 160 to 180 international and national trade fairs are held in the country every year, with around 180,000 exhibitors and ten million visitors. Trade fairs in Germany bring partners together from around the world. They are forums for communication and innovation that reflect the world's markets. Around two-thirds of all global trade fairs are held in Germany
 
Important for the overall economy
Exhibitors and visitors spend a total of around €14,5 billion a year for their activities at trade fairs in Germany. The overall effect on economic production amounts to €28 billion German exhibition organisers post sales of around €4 billion a year. Of the ten highest-grossing trade fair companies in the world, five are headquartered in Germany.   

Number one worldwide  
Germany is the world's number one location for international trade fairs. Some 160 to 180 international and national trade fairs are held in the country every year, with around 180,000 exhibitors and ten million visitors. Trade fairs in Germany bring partners together from around the world. They are forums for communication and innovation that reflect the world's markets. Around two-thirds of all global trade fairs are held in Germany
 
Important for the overall economy
Exhibitors and visitors spend a total of around €14,5 billion a year for their activities at trade fairs in Germany. The overall effect on economic production amounts to €28 billion German exhibition organisers post sales of around €4 billion a year. Of the ten highest-grossing trade fair companies in the world, five are headquartered in Germany.   
Trade fair organisation secures a total of about 231,000 jobs. An average of two employees at exhibiting companies work on trade fairs. With around 58,000 companies currently active in the B2B segment at trade fairs, that means more than 100,000 full-time jobs.

Advantages for Germany as a trade fair location

State-of-the-art event facilities

Germany has 25 exhibition venues of international or national significance, with a combined hall space of 2.8 million square metres. The country’s exhibition facilities set international standards in architecture, logistics and technology. German exhibition centers invest around 300 million euros a year in optimising their facilities.
   
Four of the world’s eight largest exhibition venues are located in Germany, and ten venues in the country each have hall capacities of more than 100,000 square metres. Regional exhibition centers offer an additional combined hall space of around 380,000 square metres.

High international presence
A special competitive advantage of German trade fairs is their international appeal – the fairs draw the world’s markets into the country. Almost 60% of the approximately 180,000 exhibitors a year come from abroad, and one-third of these from countries outside Europe. Of the 10 million visitors each year, nearly 30% come from abroad.

Leading service standards
German organisers offer exhibiting companies a wide range of services. They support exhibitors by booking travel and accommodations and by doing press, publicity and marketing work. They also continuously expand their spheres of activity. In addition, many trade fair organisers have installed permanent online marketplaces, making them expert marketing partners for exhibiting companies throughout the year.

Excellent cost-benefit ratio
Trade fairs in Germany have moderate stand fees compared to other international sites. At the same time, they attract a high quantity and quality of visitors, which means that exhibitors in the country come into contact with many potential customers. Costs per visitor contact are favourable compared to trade fairs in other countries and to other marketing media.

Attractive regional trade fairs
The international and national trade fairs are supplemented by a dense network of well-organised regional trade fairs for distinct target groups. They include both specialist and consumer fairs. These events draw a total of around 50,000 exhibitors and 6 million visitors a year.
 
The exhibition business structure in Germany

Organisers

Approximately 100 exhibition organisers are active in Germany, around 40 of which handle international fairs. The largest of them are amongst the highest-grossing trade fair companies in the world. This makes the exhibition business one of the leading service sectors in Germany, also in comparison to other countries.
The German organisers in AUMA put on around 300 trade fairs in other countries – primarily in major growth regions such as Asia, North America, South America and Eastern Europe. That too benefits the German economy, because it needs expert partners for its trade fair activities – particularly in highly competitive foreign markets.

Exhibiting companies
Around 58,000 German companies are active exhibitors in the B2B segment. The majority of them are in the manufacturing sector (55 %), followed by the service sector (23 %), and trade (20 %). Medium-sized companies dominate in terms of both number of employees and sales: 51 % of exhibitors have fewer than 50 employees, and 39 % have 50 to 499. Some 47 % of exhibiting companies post sales of up to 2.5 million euros, and 35 % of 2.5 to 50 million euros.

Visitors
The percentage of decision-makers among all trade fair visitors is exceptionally high at 63 %. Managing directors, board members and self-employed people from Germany make up 35 % of trade visitors, and 73 % of those from abroad. The latter group commands above-average decisional powers, with 91 % having determining or co-determining influence on business decisions. Thirteen per cent of trade fair visitors come from companies with more than 1,000 employees, including top decision-makers from global corporations. Some 54 % of trade visitors come from companies with fewer than 60 employees.

More information:
trade fairs Trade Fair Market
Source:

AUMA Association of the German Trade Fair Industry

18.06.2019

BERLIN FASHION WEEK: 01 – 06 JULY 2019

After just a few seasons (since the founding of MBFW), Berlin has established itself as one of the top 5 fashion sites worldwide with up to 70,000 visitors, more than 30 fashion shows during the Fashion Week as well as numerous trade shows, events and showrooms.
In 2018, around 200,000 people came to visit the Fashion Week, further fueling the city’s economy with up to 120 million euros. The broad range of Berlin’s fashion sector offers everything. from high-end couture and tailoring to eco-fashion and streetwear, from single pieces to collections. Green Fashion and Upcycling are becoming increasingly important; more and more fashion labels in Berlin concern themselves with production according to ecological standards. Neonyt as well as other major trade shows are showcasing numerous brands of the Eco-Portfolio.

 
 

MBFW

After just a few seasons (since the founding of MBFW), Berlin has established itself as one of the top 5 fashion sites worldwide with up to 70,000 visitors, more than 30 fashion shows during the Fashion Week as well as numerous trade shows, events and showrooms.
In 2018, around 200,000 people came to visit the Fashion Week, further fueling the city’s economy with up to 120 million euros. The broad range of Berlin’s fashion sector offers everything. from high-end couture and tailoring to eco-fashion and streetwear, from single pieces to collections. Green Fashion and Upcycling are becoming increasingly important; more and more fashion labels in Berlin concern themselves with production according to ecological standards. Neonyt as well as other major trade shows are showcasing numerous brands of the Eco-Portfolio.

 
 

MBFW

In July 2019, MBFW will showcase its fashion-focused, approachable concept according to the new claim „Follow MBFW – Focus Fashion“. Within the modern and digital format that successfully launched in 2018, Mercedes-Benz and creative agency NOWADAYS band together to further strongly promote Berlin as fashion location and offer an attention-drawing platform for upcoming designers as well as established fashion brands to present their collections twice a year. The collections for Spring/Summer 2020 will be presented at ewerk located in Wilhelmstraße, Berlin-Mitte. With its raw industrial look, the location offers excellent conditions to create an authentic atmosphere where high-end fashion is the centre of attention. Within the new concept, MBFW focuses on remarkably staged presentations by a selected number of designer labels and brands in one location. Fashion interested end-consumers have the chance to watch all MBFW shows live at the forecourt of the venue or follow via digital channels like the website www.mbfw.berlin or on Instagram: @MBFW.berlin.

Monday 1.7.2019 – Wednesday 3.7.2019
LOCATION ewerk Berlin
Wilhelmstraße 43
10117 Berlin
CONTACT buero@mbfw.berlin
WEB  www.mbfw.berlin    

PREMIUM INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PLATFORM FOR ADVANCED CONTEMPORARY FASHION

Begun in January 2019, the focus this season continues to be on the restructuring of the halls. The goal is to amalgamate the theme areas more precisely and make it easier for visitors to gain an overview, as well as to inspire them and appeal to their emotions. The exhibitors will present key looks rather than huge collections.On top of this we see the recurrence of a trusty PREMIUM theme: sustainability. As a result of this, there will be no plastic in the catering areas; a strong focus on rubbish sorting; and specific promotion of eco-brands.

PREMIUM has been the leading trade show among the most important international trade events since 2003, as well as the most relevant business and networking platform for advanced contemporary fashion. PREMIUM continually aims to inspire, strengthen business relationships and promote discussion across disciplines. B2B services are constantly being perfected and developed together with the key players in the industry.


Tuesday, 2.7.2019, 10am–7pm
Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 10am–7pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 10am–5pm
LOCATION STATION-Berlin
Luckenwalder Strasse 4–6
10963 Berlin
CONTACT PREMIUM Exhibitions GmbH
 +49 (0) 3062 908 50
 info@premiumexhibitions.com
WEB www.premiumexhibitions.com
www.facebook.com/PREMIUMBERLIN
www.instagram.com/PREMIUMBERLIN
www.twitter.com/PREMIUMBERLIN    

PANORAMA BERLIN
PANORAMA EXPEDITION

PANORAMA BERLIN is the groundbreaking meeting point for decision makers in the fashion and lifestyle business. Since its premiere in January 2013, it has become one of the most relevant European fashion platforms and, as the leading trade fair for Berlin Fashion Week, represents a comprehensive overview of national and international women & menswear.
Twice a year, together with the Tradeshow for Quality Garments SELVEDGE RUN & ZEITGEIST and the sustainable fashion show XOOM, PANORAMA BERLIN is an "all-in-one event" for international brands, which are divided into various sectors: smart formalwear, casual and sportswear, contemporary styles, denim, heritage and streetwear, accessories and shoes as well as sustainable fashion and lifestyle products.
Following the realignment in January 2019, PANORAMA BERLIN will be taking place from 2 to 4 July 2019 under the motto "BERLIN VIBES" and will focus on the topics of infotainment, eventisation and matchmaking. The concentration continues to target brands with relevance and clear messages. More sophisticated presentations, trend capsules and limited editions, which can only be found in Berlin, stage fashion in an exciting lifestyle context. From furniture to beauty products: In new, central concept store areas in halls 1 to 4, brands and products are presented in a new exciting relationship, providing a wealth of inspiration in terms of presentation and composition. Under the motto "Knowledge to go", PANORAMA BERLIN will be presenting a wide-ranging lecture program with leading keynote speakers in the Retail Solutions Hall on a wide range of future topics relating to international trends in retail, marketing, e-commerce and digitization.

Tuesday, 2.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 9am–5pm
LOCATION PANORAMA BERLIN
ExpoCenter City
Eingang Süd/Jafféstraße
14055 Berlin
CONTACT PANORAMA Fashion Fair Berlin GmbH
+49 (0) 3027 595 604 0
office@panorama-berlin.com
WEB www.panorama-berlin.com
www.facebook.com/panoramafashionfairberlin
www.instagram.com/panoramafashionfair

 SHOW & ORDER X PREMIUM
TRADE SHOW FOR FASHION, LIFESTYLE & EXPERIENCE

Thanks to the special department store concept, SHOW&ORDER X PREMIUM is different to other trade shows. Buyers gain inspiration and stories not only from the family atmosphere, but also from the spacious Experience Floor. In addition, the Beauty Lounge will be there again: the place to go to enjoy a quick freshen-up during the hustle and bustle of Fashion Week. It’s not just the KÜHLHAUS itself that has lots to offer again in July 2019 – the Outside Area, too, will be equipped for hot summer days with a beach lounge, bar and mouth-watering catering. Trade show for fashion, lifestyle & experience Over six partly open, gallery-like floors around 200 fashion brands will be exhibiting alongside beauty products, interior and design pieces, stationery, books, art, music, fragrances and magazines, as well as innovative food concepts, located in various experience spaces on the different floors of the KÜHLHAUS. The building is situated on the STATION-Berlin premises very close by to PREMIUM.

Tuesday, 2.7.2019, 10am–7pm
Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 10am–7pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 10am–5pm
LOCATION Kühlhaus
Etage 1–5
Luckenwalder Strasse 3
10963 Berlin
WEB www.showandorder.de
www.facebook.com/ShowandOrder

#FASHIONTECH BERLIN

#FASHIONTECH BERLIN, held twice a year during Berlin Fashion Week, is the leading tech conference for the fashion industry, discussing topics around digital transformation, innovations and disruptive technologies. Featuring keynote presentations with international experts on stage (#LISTEN!), interactive masterclasses to boost your specialist knowledge (#LEARN!) and the Exhibition Area, where visitors will be introduced to the latest developments, products and innovations on the market (#EXPERIENCE!), #FASHIONTECH Berlin has evolved to become a leading European content hub for technology, digitalisation, sustainability and innovation.
#FASHIONTECH BERLIN also creates the stage for interdisciplinary exchange between different industries. The networking areas give visitors the opportunity to network with the speakers, industry insiders and entrepreneurs, as well as to seek out new business partners and generate business leads. Since digitalisation has affects every aspect of modern lifestyle, FASHIONTECH BERLN is looking into the latest trends that shape our lives.

TOPICS OF OUR TIME IN THE ERA OF DIGITALISATION

  • DIGITAL BUSINESS
  • STREET CULTURE
  • E-SPORTS & GAMING IN FASHION
  • SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

 

Thursday, 4.7.2019, 10am–6.30pm
LOCATION Festsaal Kreuzberg
Am Flutgraben 2
12435 Berlin
CONTACT Michael Stracke
hello@fashiontech.berlin
WEB www.fashiontech.berlin
www.facebook.com/FashionTechBerlinConference
www.instagram.com/Fashiontech_berlin/
www.twitter.com/fashiontechber

FASHIONSUSTAIN BERLIN

Technology, sustainability and innovation are important drivers of the fashion and textile industry that will revolutionize the sector and its processes and production methods. On Wednesday and Thursday, 3/4 July 2019, the international conference format Fashionsustain is dedicated to precisely these topics.
The up-coming edition of Fashionsustain will be dedicated to the subject of water – from microplastics to water stewardship. Highprofile speakers from innovative companies will be presenting visionary approaches to help preserve this vital resource. In addition, the summer edition of Fashionsustain focuses on retail. This involves margins, assortments, collections, POS solutions and the communication of sustainability issues.
And the topics discussed on the conference stage will be brought to life in the “Showcase of Change” exhibition area. But taking place before that, from 1 to 2 July 2019, is the Thinkathon – a space for open dialogue and creative thinking processes. Fashionsustain is part of Neonyt, the global hub for fashion, sustainability and innovation (2 to 4 July 2019) – organized by Messe Frankfurt.


Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 10am–6pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 10am–6pm
LOCATION Kraftwerk Berlin
Upper level
Köpenicker Straße 70
10179 Berlin
CONTACT Falco Fuchs
Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH
+49 6975 755 938
falco.fuchs@messefrankfurt.com
WEB www.fashionsustain.com
www.facebook.com/FashionSustain
www.instagram.com/fashionsustain.berlin 

SEEK – A COMMON GROUND FOR INDIVIDUALS IN FASHION

The concept of the Trade Union, which was developed by SEEK Director Maren Wiebus and her team, will continue and will be polished from time to time.        
The bringing together of pioneers and industry visionaries will continue to have its dedicated space for promoting discussion, inspiration and food for thought. SEEK goes charity again! After the overwhelming success of the first initiative with One Warm Winter in January, SEEK and the Berlinbased NGO are planning to collect sneakers for the homeless this summer in front of the location during the show, but also before and after by collaborating partner stores. The project is supported by Sneaker Freaker.
Many reasons to celebrate: 60th birthday of Alpha Industries, 100th birthday of Champion and Farah plus a special Event OVERKILL x ASICSTIGER x SEEK Block Party Vol. 2 Fashion. Trade. Show. Each season, SEEK, the Voice of Street Culture, presents selected streetwear and urbanwear pieces that translate the current lifestyle trends for the industry. SEEK stands for democracy and fairness, clarity, friendliness and honesty, in keeping with the motto of “what you see is what you get”. The focus is on carefully selected style tribes that embody the modern zeitgeist and guarantee SEEK’s visitors valuable inspiration.

Tuesday, 2.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 9am–5pm
LOCATION ARENA Berlin
Eichenstrasse 4
12435 Berlin
CONTACT info@seekexhibitions.com
WEB www.seekexhibitions.com
www.facebook.com/seekberlin

SELVEDGE RUN & ZEITGEIST

The show will be all about quality and trust.
After the successful merger with Panorama Berlin, the architecturally impressive hall at the south entrance of the Berlin Expo Center is the new home of Selvedge Run & Zeitgeist. As an integrated part of Panorama Berlin, the tradeshow for quality garments and crafted goods presents a unique exhibitor mix of the latest streetwear topics, which are highly relevant for the market, such as: denim, craft, current and outdoor. The brand list of Selvedge Run & Zeitgeist includes international iconic and heritage brands and distinctive products, some of which can only be seen in Europe exclusively in Berlin.
In July 2019, Selvedge Run & Zeitgeist will again be the hot spot for the community, offering a meeting place with like-minded people and food & drinks to discover the best quality brands and meet buyers from all over the world. In the integrated "Marketplace" you will find curated concept brands that can be ordered as well as bought directly.

Tuesday, 2.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 9am–5pm
LOCATION PANORAMA BERLIN
ExpoCenter City
South Entrance/Jafféstrasse
14055 Berlin
CONTACT info@selvedgerun.com
+49 (0) 3027 595 604 0
WEB www.selvedgerun.com
www.facebook.com/selvedgerun
www.instagram.com/selvedgerun
www.vimeo.com/selvedgerun

NEONYT – GLOBAL HUB FOR FASHION, SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION

Changing fashion together. Through collaboration, communication and entrepreneurship. That is the vision of Neonyt, the global hub for fashion, sustainability and innovation.With its hub concept, Neonyt combines the most important elements of the fashion industry – style, business, inspiration, knowledge, fun and community – in a neo-new way. The hub is made up of the Neonyt Trade Show, the conferences Fashionsustain and the design-thinking format Thinkathon, showcases, the influencer and blogger event Prepeek, networking events and, last but not least, the Neonyt Party.
The Neonyt Trade Fair will present a good balance of leading brands and newcomers – from contemporary, casual and urbanwear to denim, streetwear and sportswear down to business outfits. In addition to men’s, ladies’ and kidswear, the assortment of products on show also includes outdoorwear, shoes, accessories, jewellery and beauty. Neonyt is organized by Messe Frankfurt.

Tuesday, 2.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Wednesday, 3.7.2019, 9am–6pm
Thursday, 4.7.2019, 9am–5pm
LOCATION Kraftwerk Berlin
Köpenicker Straße 70
10179 Berlin
WEB www.neonyt.com
www.facebook.com/Neonytberlin
www.instagram.com/neonyt.berlin

More information:
Berlin Fashion Week
Source:

Berlin Fashion Week

Magnascan auf Pixabay
04.06.2019

Trade fairs as central marketing instruments

Successful companies have clear goals, which they follow with equally clear strategies. On their road to success, they use a mixture of marketing tools. Amidst this interplay of suitable tools, trade fairs cover by far the widest range of functions – from acquiring new customers to forging contacts with the press. It therefore only makes sense that German companies make intensive use of trade fairs.

Successful companies have clear goals, which they follow with equally clear strategies. On their road to success, they use a mixture of marketing tools. Amidst this interplay of suitable tools, trade fairs cover by far the widest range of functions – from acquiring new customers to forging contacts with the press. It therefore only makes sense that German companies make intensive use of trade fairs.

For companies that exhibit at trade fairs, these activities are their most important B2B communications tool. In 2019/2020 these companies plan to spend around 47% of their communications budgets on trade fairs. This is one result of the 2019 AUMA MesseTrend, a representative survey of 500 German exhibiting companies commissioned by AUMA. And for production companies, that figure rises to nearly 50%.
 
German companies therefore participate frequently in trade fairs, with their own stands. They average more than eight trade fair appearances within two years, of which a good five are in Germany and three in other countries. That figure rises to ten appearances every two years for companies that concentrate on industrial goods, with six appearances in Germany and four in other countries. The number of trade fair appearances rises substantially with the level of sales. Companies with annual sales of more than €125 million average 20 trade fair appearances in two years.
 
The major role played by trade fairs in B2B communications is also evident from another perspective. More than a quarter of German exhibiting companies (29%) plan to increase their investment in trade fair participations, both at home and abroad in 2019 and 2020. Some 56% plan the same level of investment and only 15% want to reduce their budget in this area.

Trade fairs consequently occupy a high position compared to other communications instruments. For around 83% of exhibitors, trade fair participation is important or very important for their B2B communication. Trade fairs are the second most important instrument, exceeded only by companies' own websites, which have become a standard feature of nearly every business today. After trade fairs, the next instruments are personal sales, which 76% of companies consider important or very important, and analogue or digital direct mailing (48%).

More information:
AUMA
Source:

AUMA - Association of the German Trade Fair Industry

(c) Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH
30.04.2019

SUSTAINABILITY A MAJOR TOPIC AT TECHTEXTIL AND TEXPROCESS

"Sustainability at Techtextil" and "Sustainability at Texprocess" are the two topics by which these leading international trade fairs for technical textiles and non-wovens, and for the processing of textile and flexible materials, will be explicitly turning their focus for the first time onto their exhibitors' approaches to sustainability. To this will be added a broad complementary programme on this topic. Among those contributing will be major players in the industry, such as Kering, Lenzing and Zalando.

"Sustainability at Techtextil" and "Sustainability at Texprocess" are the two topics by which these leading international trade fairs for technical textiles and non-wovens, and for the processing of textile and flexible materials, will be explicitly turning their focus for the first time onto their exhibitors' approaches to sustainability. To this will be added a broad complementary programme on this topic. Among those contributing will be major players in the industry, such as Kering, Lenzing and Zalando.

Fibres made of recycled polyester, bio-based high-tech textiles, waterconserving dyeing and finishing processes, functional and work clothing, using little or no solvents and adhesives: in the field of technical textiles, and when processing textile and flexible materials, more and more firms are adopting approaches to greater sustainability. Through "Sustainability and Techtextil" and "Sustainability at Texprocess" the leading international trade fairs, from 14 to 17 May, will be demonstrating exactly these approaches taken by their exhibitors. In addition, numerous event formats will be taking up the topic of sustainability at both fairs.

Fair guide for selected exhibitors
In the run-up to Techtextil and Texprocess exhibitors at both fairs were able to submit their approaches and evidence of their work on every aspect of sustainability to the fairs' organisers. An independent, international jury of experts on sustainability assessed the submissions, in accordance with the relevance and validity of current national and international product-sustainability labels, such as currently mainly Bluesign, Cradle-to-Cradle, EU Eco Label, ISO 14001, GOTS, GRS as well as SteP by Oeko-Tex.

Overall, 47 firms were selected, including 44 exhibitors at Techtextil and three at Texprocess. Visitors who are interested will find the selected firms in their own Fair Guide, which will be available at the Fair, via filter function under "Sustainability" in the online visitor search facility, and on both fairs' apps. In addition, the exhibitors so selected will be publicizing their participation at their exhibition stands.

Members of the international jury of experts: Chairman: Max Gilgenmann, Consulting Service International Ltd. (Germany and China); Claudia Som, Empa (Switzerland); Jan Laperre, Centexbel (Belgium); Heike Illing-Günther, Textile Institute of Saxony (Sächsisches Textilinstitut e.V., Germany); Karla Magruder, Fabrikology (USA); Lauren Zahringer, SAC Social Apparel Coalition (Netherlands).

Techtextil Forum featuring theme of sustainability
Taking "Towards sustainability" as its motto, the Techtextil Forum on 14 May between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. will be providing a series of contributions devoted exclusively to sustainable textile innovations. Chaired by Braz Costa, managing director of the Portuguese technology centre CITEVE, among the topics on the programme will be: textile recycling (TWD Fibres, Velener Textil), sustainable construction with wool (Minet S.A., Romania), sustainable textile coatings (Centexbel), biopolymers (RWTH Aachen University), traceability of GMO-free cotton (Hohenstein Institute) and low-cost, bio-based carbon fibres (Jules Verne Research Institute, France).

Techtextil Innovation Award
For the first time the Techtextil Innovation Award will be presented to two firms in the category of sustainability. The winners will be announced and the awards presented on the first day of the fair during the opening ceremony. During the whole time of the fair visitors will also be able to find out about the prize-winners and their award-winning projects at the Techtextil Innovation Award Exhibition Area in Hall 4.2.

Texprocess Forum with branch of Fashionsustain Conference
Through a branch of Fashionsustain Berlin, Messe Frankfurt's conference on every aspect of sustainable textile innovations, the Texprocess Forum on the morning of the 14 May will be devoted exclusively to the theme of sustainability in the textile and fashion industries in all its aspects. The first keynote, "Sustainable innovation – a matter of survival", will come from Micke Magnusson, co-founder of the Swedish start-up We are Spindye. Next, posing the question "Is Sustainability the Key to Textile Innovations?", will come a discussion by leaders in the industry such as Clariant Plastics and Coatings, Indorama, Lenzing, Perpetual Global, Procalçado S.A., Kering und Zalando. Fashionsustain will be chaired among others by Karla Magruder, founder of Fabrikology International.

Innovation Roadshow features sustainable footwear production
Next at the Fashionsustain Conference fibre manufacturer Lenzing, knitting-machinery producer Santoni and shoe-component manufacturer Procalçado S.A. will be presenting the Innovation Roadshow, entitled "The Future of Eco-Conscious Footwear Manufacturing." The roadshow will be supported by the Messe Frankfurt Texpertise Network. It will feature examples of the sustainable production process of a shoe, thus demonstrating how a fundamental change to sustainability can already be a reality in the fashion and textile industries today. The panel will be chaired by Marte Hentschel, founder of Sourcebook, the B2B network for the fashion industry.

Kettherstellung (c) Schmitz Textiles Kettherstellung (c) Schmitz Textiles
23.04.2019

Interview with CEO Stefan Ruholl (Schmitz Textiles): We are Textile

  • Innovations for Indoor and Outdoor Applications

At the beginning of 2018, the textile company Schmitz-Werke GmbH & Co. KG, Emsdetten, was restructured. In order to be able to react more quickly and flexibly to the markets and their demands, the brands drapilux, swela and mobiltex have since been combined under Schmitz Textiles.

Managing Director of this legally independent company is Stefan Ruholl, who has been working for Schmitz-Werke for more than 30 years, answering the questions of Textination. In 1996 he became head of the finishing department, three years later head of production and development for the textile finishing division, in the beginning of 2000 technical director, and finally 2018 he took over the management of the business unit and of the company Schmitz Textiles.

  • Innovations for Indoor and Outdoor Applications

At the beginning of 2018, the textile company Schmitz-Werke GmbH & Co. KG, Emsdetten, was restructured. In order to be able to react more quickly and flexibly to the markets and their demands, the brands drapilux, swela and mobiltex have since been combined under Schmitz Textiles.

Managing Director of this legally independent company is Stefan Ruholl, who has been working for Schmitz-Werke for more than 30 years, answering the questions of Textination. In 1996 he became head of the finishing department, three years later head of production and development for the textile finishing division, in the beginning of 2000 technical director, and finally 2018 he took over the management of the business unit and of the company Schmitz Textiles.

Schmitz Textiles is a family business that has been offering textile solutions for indoor and outdoor applications for more than 90 years. If you had to introduce yourself in 100 words to someone who doesn't know the company, what makes you unique?
As an almost fully integrated manufacturer in Germany, we have advantages that many other market players are likely to envy. We can respond flexibly, technically and with good service to the needs of our customers. Under the drapilux brand, we distribute intelligent design textiles for the contract sector, outdoor and sun protection fabrics under the swela brand and textiles for the automotive segment under the still young label mobiltex. All brands benefit from the broad know-how in production and product development. A few years ago, Germany as production location may have been regarded more negatively as a pure cost factor, but today we see this as valued by our partners as a clear strategic advantage.

In which product areas do market and partners particularly challenge you?
And with which product innovations in the field of technical textiles do you think you can move most?

In each of our fields of activity, we are confronted with comprehensive challenges. At drapilux, for example, we have to meet strict safety requirements in the context of fire protection certifications for the use of our materials on cruise ships and have invested massively in this subject. The sun protection sector is characterized by high demands on color and light fastness combined with optimum resilience - here we were able to gain a major technological advantage with the change from acrylic to polyester qualities years ago.
With the new, award-winning development of our convertible top fabric for mobiltex, also based on polyester, we were able to realize product properties that are completely new in this form in this segment.

For which socially relevant topics do you see particularly great need for innovation in the upcoming 10 years
and what is your assessment that the textile industry will be able to offer solutions with its products?

When we look at the next ten years, then it is surely the topic of sustainability that is already omnipresent today. At the moment we are living in a phase where we want sustainable products on the one hand, but, on the other hand, the willingness to pay higher prices for them is not yet pronounced and people tend towards staying with conventional products. This will change. Sustainable products from companies that really live sustainability in the dimensions of ecology, economy and society will win the race. The textile industry offers the best conditions to turn this vision into reality - albeit under investment in production and research and development.

Today, product and technology innovations mean to a large extent digitalization of production and business processes.
New business models often aim at verticalization and demand the path to batch size 1 - what does this mean for Schmitz Textiles?

For an industrial company with a B2B focus, such as Schmitz Textiles, "batch size 1" must be answered with a certain bandwidth. However, in principle, this topic is not new to us, for example in yarn dyeing, we can couple micro-installations for larger batches - and conversely control correspondingly smaller batches through our process chain. In the digital printing sector for the contract business, we are very individually and customer-oriented positioned with a minimum quantity of 25 meters. For our sister company and customer markilux we are supplier for their "Color on Demand" offer for the individual awning cloth with a choice of 1625 RAL colors. With an industrial production scale, you can hardly get much closer to "lot size 1".

To break new ground means decisiveness, overcoming fears - and with that the courage to fail. Not every project can succeed.
Which entrepreneurial decision are you particularly happy about having made it in retrospect?

If we look further back, about ten years ago, the decision to invest in digital printing and to build up know-how and our own production capacities was the right one. Having passed through these learning curves enables us today to expand our offer into the outdoor market without major problems. We are currently more convinced than ever that by entering the automotive segment with the still young mobiltex brand, we have established a new, important keystone for the long-term future of Schmitz Textiles.

The textile industry has been growing steadily worldwide for decades. The consumption of chemical and textile fibres more than quadrupled between 1975 and 2016. In terms of sustainability, there is, to put it mildly, a mixed feedback for our industry.
What is Schmitz Textiles concentrating on in order to fulfil their social responsibility?

If textiles are produced exclusively in Germany, the regulatory framework already requires a certain sustainable orientation. But of course, there is also room for maneuver. In order to meet the high demands of a sustainable and environmentally friendly production, we operate a very high expenditure. For example, all dyestuffs and textile auxiliaries are first checked for compliance with laws and regulations and for environmental and occupational safety aspects before they are used in-house. In addition, voluntary measures were implemented in the area of production long before legislation came into force, such as regenerative thermal post-combustion for the post-treatment of process exhaust air from finishing plants. This ensures that no harmful emissions are caused by exhaust air, waste water or noise. Many projects have also been successfully implemented for energy recovery from process waste water and process exhaust air. All process waste is either returned to the production workflow, recycled or professionally disposed of. A contribution to environmental protection, that should not be underestimated, is the use of synthetic fibres (here: polyester), which can be modified with much less chemicals than natural fibres and are much more durable.
 
The next Techtextil is just around the corner. What are your expectations at the Frankfurt trade fair?
We are a young but at the same time an almost 100-year-old company, having emerged from the corporate reorganization of Schmitz-Werke GmbH + Co. KG on January 1, 2018. Consequently, we are exhibiting for the first time as Schmitz Textiles GmbH + Co KG with our three brands mobiltex, swela and drapilux. We want to present ourselves as a textile competence center. However, the automotive textiles theme will be somewhat in the foreground. We are exhibiting a complete convertible roof with our mobiltex 388 soft top fabric, which was nominated for the German Innovation Award 2019 by the German Design Council, and we are confident that we may accept an award at the end of May.

 

Source:

The interview was conducted by Ines Chucholowius, CEO Textination GmbH

As part of its Newsline, Textination will give innovation leaders of the industry a special place to talk about success, experiences, forecasts and trends.

Photo: Goshadron auf Pixabay
12.03.2019

RUSSIAN ONLINE RETAILERS ARE FOUNDING LOCAL AMAZONS

  • E-Commerce Market continues to grow rapidly

Russia's online retailers are entering into strategic alliances. The market is maturing and consolidating. German suppliers must prepare themselves for tougher competition.
Russia's online trade continues to record strong growth rates. In 2018, sales increased by 19 percent year-on-year to around Rubel 1.2 billion (EUR 15.5 billion; 1 EUR = 74.04
Rubles, annual average exchange rate 2018). This corresponded to about 290 million orders, according to Data Insight's analysis. By the end of 2023, the investment bank Morgan Stanley expects annual growth of 25 percent to Rubles 3.5 billion. In 2018, the cross-border Internet trade increased by 29 percent to the equivalent of EUR 4.7 billion.

  • E-Commerce Market continues to grow rapidly

Russia's online retailers are entering into strategic alliances. The market is maturing and consolidating. German suppliers must prepare themselves for tougher competition.
Russia's online trade continues to record strong growth rates. In 2018, sales increased by 19 percent year-on-year to around Rubel 1.2 billion (EUR 15.5 billion; 1 EUR = 74.04
Rubles, annual average exchange rate 2018). This corresponded to about 290 million orders, according to Data Insight's analysis. By the end of 2023, the investment bank Morgan Stanley expects annual growth of 25 percent to Rubles 3.5 billion. In 2018, the cross-border Internet trade increased by 29 percent to the equivalent of EUR 4.7 billion.

Development of the Russian online trade
  2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Sales (Bn. Rubel) 1) 560 650 805 965 1.150
Change (in %) 2) 34.9 16.1 23.0 20.0 19.0


1) Physical goods only; excluding cross-border trade, deliveries of ready meals, tickets for transport and events, coupons, consumer-to-consumer and multi-level marketing;
2) Nominal year-on-year; variance due to rounding.
Sources: Market research institute Data Insight; Association of Online Retailers (NAMO)

The share of e-commerce in retail sales is currently still around 5 percent. With the "Strategy for the Development of Online Trade by 2025", the government wants to increase this up to 20 percent. The conditions for further growth are good, as Russian consumers are Internet-savvy and open to technical innovations. Already 76 percent of all Russians have an Internet connection. According to the national "Digital Economy" project, broadband Internet penetration is expected to reach 97 percent by 2024.
 
Growth potential far from exhausted
Russia's online retailers are following this trend by modernizing their websites and are investing in goods logistics. Electronic marketplaces are becoming increasingly popular. This is because they offer smaller Internet retailers in particular the opportunity to assert themselves against the market leaders.
In the Forbes ranking of the 20 most valuable Internet companies in Russia, online retailers Wildberries and Ozon rank fourth and fifth respectively. The Russian fashion mail order company Lamoda - a foundation of the German Rocket Internet - is in ninth place.     
The Otto Group realigned its business model in Russia in 2018 and removed its subsidiaries Quelle and Otto from the market. The Hamburg-based group relies on the online brands Bonprix and Witt as well as on the eSolutions platform, which offers B2B services in the areas of marketing, sales, logistics and IT.

Leading online retailers in Russia
Company Productportfolio Sales 2017 (Bn. Rubel) Change 2017/2016 (in %) Number of orders (in Mio.)
Wildberries Clothing, Shoes,
Accessoires
63.8 40.0 39.8
Citilink Goods of all kind 55.2 35.0 5.2
DNS-Shop / Technopoint Entertainment electronics,
Household appliances
38.9 61.0 5.8
M.Video Entertainment electronics,
Household appliances
36.7 41.0 3.6
Eldorado Entertainment electronics,
Household appliances
23.7 2.0 4.3
Lamoda Clothing, Shoes,
Accessoires
23.6 6.0 4.0
Ozon Goods of all kind 23.4 44.0 8.6
Ulmart Goods of all kind 23.1 -37.0 5.9
Bonprix Clothing, Accessoires 16.5 10.0 4.0
Svyaznoy Entertainment electronics,
Household appliances
15.7 35.0 1.5

Source: Data Insight (http://datainsight.ru/top100/)

Russia gets two "local Amazons" at once 
Russian online trading is already firmly in the hands of a few large players who are continuing to expand their market presence. The market leader Wildberries added electronics and household appliances to its range in 2018. AFK Sistema Holding of the oligarch Yevgeny Yevtushenkov has increased its stake in the online retailer Ozon and is investing in the construction of new logistics centers In addition, Ozon started selling medicines, jewellery and ready meals.  

In April 2018, the Russian technology group Yandex and Sberbank agreed to establish the Beru and Bringly online marketplaces. The aim is to further develop the Yandex.Market platform into a "Russian Amazon". Russia's largest bank brings in the customer data of 100 million account holders.
Beru and Bringly's range mainly includes high-priced goods such as electronics, clothing, shoes and cosmetics. Bringly cooperates with the British cosmetics chain Feelunique, among others. In September 2018, Yandex.Market also concluded a cooperation agreement with Hepsiburada, Turkey's largest online marketplace. 

Alibaba expands its market presence in Russia
In September 2018, the next major merger in Russian online trading was announced: The Mail.ru Group and Megafon (part of the company empire of the oligarch Alisher Usmanow), the Russian Fund for Direct Investments and the Chinese technology group Alibaba intend to establish a joint online marketplace by the end of the first quarter of 2019. Alibaba intends to expand its presence on the Russian market.
The Mail.ru Group provides access to the data records of around 100 million users - an enormous new customer potential for the Chinese online giant. On March 5th  2019, AliExpress, the Russian subsidiary of Alibaba, also launched a platform for the sale of passenger cars of the Chinese brand Chery.

Duty-free limit continues to fall
Two thirds of Russian online buyers also order goods from foreign traders. 90 percent of the deliveries come from China. If the price and weight of the product are within the exemption limits, no sales tax is payable. On 1 January 2019, the exemption limit for cross-border online trading was halved to EUR 500 and the weight limit was lowered from 31 to 25 kilograms. From January 1st   2020, the tax-free allowance will fall to EUR 200.  However, this measure is unlikely to generate any additional revenue for the Russian State. In 86 percent of cross-border online purchases, the maximum value of goods is at about USD 22.

Above all, capacity bottlenecks in the delivery of online orders are currently putting the brakes on sector. VTB-Bank is therefore investing around EUR 410 million in the construction of 40 logistics and distribution centers for the Russian Post Office (Potschta Rossii) by 2021. The state-owned company intends to profit from the growth in the online commerce and increase its revenue from parcel services for e-commerce to Rubel 122 billion by 2023. Since September 2018, the Russian Post has been distributing deliveries from China via hubs in Siberia and the Far East.
The logistics service provider DPD has been working with the Avito advertising portal since October 2018. In future Its customers will be able to collect their parcels at around 1,500 DPD stations. Since June 2018 DHL and eBay have been working together on logistics services in Russia.

The development of B2B platforms is becoming increasingly important in Russia's online trade. The potential is huge: the Russian B2B online market amounts to around USD 20 billion - and the trend is rising. Pioneers such as Sewerstal, Alrosa or Technonikol already rely on B2B platforms to sell directly to their end customers. In 2018, the Chinese Fosun Group acquired around 20 percent of the shares in the B2B platform Prod.Center, on which agricultural products are traded.

More information:
Russia E-Commerce
Source:

Hans-Jürgen Wittmann, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

RETAIL IN HONG KONG EXPECTS STRONG UPTURN Photo: Pixabay
27.03.2018

RETAIL IN HONG KONG EXPECTS STRONG UPTURN

  • Sales increase of 4 to 6 per cent targeted for 2018
  • Population favors traditional shopping experience

Hong Kong (GTAI) - Hong Kong's favorite pastime is shopping. Chinese tourists also visit the city just for shopping quite often. The demand for jewelry, watches and cosmetics in particular is booming. The retail sales of the Special Administrative Region (SVR) is expected to rise to around USD 60 billion in 2018. The status-conscious consumers prefer Italian and French luxury goods. German providers can score in certain categories.

  • Sales increase of 4 to 6 per cent targeted for 2018
  • Population favors traditional shopping experience

Hong Kong (GTAI) - Hong Kong's favorite pastime is shopping. Chinese tourists also visit the city just for shopping quite often. The demand for jewelry, watches and cosmetics in particular is booming. The retail sales of the Special Administrative Region (SVR) is expected to rise to around USD 60 billion in 2018. The status-conscious consumers prefer Italian and French luxury goods. German providers can score in certain categories.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) retail sector experienced one of its worst years of recent history in 2016. According to the statistics office, sales shrank nominally by 8 percent compared to the previous year. On the one hand, domestic consumers showed themselves buttoned-up side in the face of a rather sluggish economy. Private consumption rose in real terms by just under 2 percent.
 
On the other hand, the number of foreign visitors decreased. The tourism authority counted around 57 million arrivals in 2016 only, which was almost 5 percent less than in 2015. Three quarters of the tourists traditionally come from the neighboring Chinese mainland and are particularly eager to buy. But in 2016, they restricted their purchases.

Domestic consumption rose in real terms by nearly 7 percent in the third quarter of 2017
However, the second half of 2017 brought the turnaround. The overall economy of SVR revived noticeably. Consumer spending in the third quarter increased by nearly 7 percent in real terms compared to the same period of the previous year. The number of tourists also rose again. From January to December, the authorities registered a growth of more than 3 percent.

Foreign visitor arrivals in Hong Kong (in millions)
Year Visitors
2014 60.8
2015 59.3
2016 56.7
2017 58.5
2018 *) 60.0

*) Forecast
Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board

Retail sales rose in 2017 as a result by just over 2 percent to more than USD 57 billion. Especially at the end of the year, business had developed very briskly. In the fourth quarter, revenues increased by nearly 6 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year. That leaves the economic researchers hoping for 2018. The auditing company PWC, for example, expects a market growth of 4 to 6 percent. As a result, the total revenues should rise to around USD 60 billion. It would thus be on about the same level as in 2014, but only in nominal terms.

Hong Kong retail sales (in USD bn, change on year to year in %)
Year Value Change
2015 60.9 -3.7
2016 56.0 -8.1
2017 57.2 2.2
2018 *) about 60,0 4.0 to 6.0

*) Forecast
Source: 2014 til 2017: Hong Kong Statistical Office; 2018: PwC

The individual sectors of the retail trade developed very differently in 2017. The demand for electronic articles was weakening. But the business with jewelry, watches and cosmetics flourished. These are small and light goods, that Chinese tourists usually can take across the border without customs clearance. The equally lively sales of food and beverages as well as motor vehicles is mainly due to the greater spending pleasure of domestic consumers.

Retail sales in 2017, by product group
(in USD bn, year-on-year change in %)
Product group Value Change
Jewelry and Watches 9.6 3.4
Textiles 7.7 0.2
Medicine and Cosmetics 5.6 5.5
Food and Beverages 5.4 3.2
Electronic Articles 3.1 -9.0
Automotive, incl. parts 2.0 3.1
Furniture 0.9 2.2
Books and Stationery 0.9 1.0

Source: Hong Kong Statistical Office
 
For German providers of consumer goods, the former British colony is a not unattractive market. Although the population of 7.4 million is quite small, it has a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita that is at the level of Germany. Since there is virtually no manufacturing industry, almost all goods need to be imported. The Chinese tourists increase the volume of demand. In 2017 45 million visitors from the People's Republic came to Hong Kong. Many of them came just for one day, whose only goal was shopping.

German consumer goods are quite popular with both domestic consumers and Chinese tourists. However, there are big differences between the different sectors. Apparel, leather goods and cosmetics are dominated by French and Italian brands in the upper market segment. For furniture (especially kitchens) or stationery German suppliers however play a significant role. Also body care and food "Made in Germany" enjoy a great popularity.

Big chains dominate the market
The retail sector is predominantly in the hands of large corporations. In the food sector the chains Wellcome and ParknShop dominate, in the drugstore area Watsons and Mannings as well as in the electronics division Fortress and Broadway. The e-commerce however has undermined its dominant position a bit.
However - the population still prefers the traditional shopping experience. Purchasing via the Internet does not yet play a major role for the end customer as in other countries around the world. But it has changed the business in the B2B area. In the meantime restaurants and hotels mostly shop online.

Internet addresses
Name Internet address
Census and Statistics Department http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/home/index.jsp (Homepage); http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp320.jsp?tableID=089&ID=0&productType=8
(Overview of retail sales);
http://gia.info.gov.hk/general/201802/01/P2018020100410_277399_1_1517469181773.pdf
(Detailed retail sales statistics)
Hong Kong Tourism Board http://partnernet.hktb.com/filemanager/intranet/pm/VisitorArrivalStatistics/ViS_Stat_E/VisE_2017/Tourism%20Statistics%2012%202017.pdf
(Visitor Information and arrivals)  


   

 

More information:
Hong Kong Retail
Source:

Roland Rhode, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

Ambiente 2018 Photo: Messe Frankfurt GmbH/Pietro Sutera
24.02.2018

Record number of visitors – Buyers from 168 countries make Ambiente 2018 the most international ever

After five action-packed days the world’s leading trade fair of the consumer goods industry finished in an upbeat mood today. Trade visitors from more countries than ever before spent their time networking and ordering the latest products from all over the world for their companies. They also obtained worthwhile stimuli for a digital future.

After five action-packed days the world’s leading trade fair of the consumer goods industry finished in an upbeat mood today. Trade visitors from more countries than ever before spent their time networking and ordering the latest products from all over the world for their companies. They also obtained worthwhile stimuli for a digital future.

Occupying an exhibition space of 308,000 square metres (gross), [1] 4,441 exhibitors from 89 countries [2] revealed the trends of this coming business year. 81 per cent [3] of all exhibitors came from outside Germany, making Ambiente the most international consumer goods trade fair of all times. The proportion of senior international decision-makers across all trade sectors had gone up by six per cent compared with last year, making up 60 per cent of visitors. It was the highest share ever recorded. This led to good export transactions and an excellent mood in the halls. In total, 134,600 buyers from 168 countries [4] visited Frankfurt am Main to attend Ambiente. As expected, there were fewer German visitors in Frankfurt. This was partly due to changes in the German retail landscape, and partly because the event coincided with Carnival as well as school holidays in Germany’s southern states, while being dependent on the international trade fair calendar.

“Consumerism is fashionable! Ambiente hosts the entire world. Every February, the international consumer goods industry receives direction here for the entire year. This is impressively borne out by the number of orders and the quality of German and international buyers,” says Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH. A similarly positive conclusion is reached by Thomas Grothkopp, Managing Director of the German Trade Association for Residential Accommodation and Offices (HWB): “Ambiente has shown us once again that nothing can replace personal contact with new and existing suppliers and their innovative products. This trade fair in Frankfurt has totally met the expectations of the retail trade.”
The top ten visitor nations after Germany were Italy, China, France, the United States, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, Korea and Switzerland. Satisfaction ratings among visitors remained stable at an extremely high level of 96 per cent. Above-average growth in visitors’ numbers was recorded from China, Korea, Russia, the North African countries, South Africa, all of South America, Turkey, Lebanon and Cyprus.

Exhibitors’ voices

Despite a slight dip in Ambiente’s visitor numbers, the quality and number of visitors were just right. On this point all exhibitors at Ambiente were unanimous.

Dining

Birgit Dubberke, Marketing Director at BHS Tabletop, says:
“We keep being impressed by the internationalism of Ambiente – not just in terms of exhibitors, but also visitors. It’s the meeting point of the industry. It’s a place for making valuable contacts with countries we’d normally never get to. As I see it, the HoReCa market is very much up and coming. The visitors are different, requiring a more emotive appeal – as private individuals – and this is reflected in the restaurants, hotels and the food. And we can also see it at Ambiente. The demand is there.“
Maren Lehmann, Director of Internal Sales at the porcelain company Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen, says:
“Ambiente 2018 went very well for us. We reached our targets, and so we can be pleased with the results. Meissen presented itself in a new way. We wanted to show that we can do far more than be traditional – and we’ve succeeded. The trade fair provided us with an excellent platform. And the organisation was first class, too.”

Living

Alexander Haas, Sales Manager at Scholtissek, says:
“Whether it’s architects, hotels or restaurants and cafés, Ambiente attracts the B2B visitors we want to appeal to. Contract business went extremely well again this year: Both the quality and the number of visitors were just right. We achieved our sales targets, and we are pleased.”
Michael Rossmann, Managing Director at PAD Home, says:
“Ambiente has an international audience and a very good venue. Our stand had a great atmosphere, lovely products and committed staff. This is why things went so amazingly well for us at Ambiente 2018. When it comes to internationalism, then the trade fair was in an even better position this year: Our stand was visited by an unusual number of Italians, as well as Argentinians and other South Americans, which was quite new to us.”

Giving

Rebecca Staton, Sales Manager for France and Germany at Jellycat, says:
“The trade fair went pretty well for us. This was already the case last year, and so we are very pleased. Although there were lots of people just having a look, we also received a good number of orders. The quality of visitors was good, and so was the level of internationalism. France was there, lots of visitors from Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland, and a few Asian countries. Another figure that met our expectations was the number of new customers we gained.”
Ralf Vogt, owner of Noi:
“We are pleased with the result. Ambiente went well for us, our collection was well received, and there is a general demand for it. Also, I can’t complain about the quality of visitors or their willingness to place orders: those who come to Ambiente are also authorised to place orders.”

Vaarwel Netherlands, Namaskar India!

The world’s leading trade fair ran very much under the Dutch banner in 2018. The traditional partner country presentation had been staged by the Dutch industrial designer Robert Bronwasser. DO DUTCH put consumer goods from the Netherlands into a new and unusual context. Also, numerous activities and events were held on the partner country day – all masterminded by Dutch organisers. The guest of honour attracting everyone’s attention at Ambiente yesterday was Sylvie Meis. The well-known TV presenter and entrepreneur, who is also from the Netherlands, went on a tour round the exhibition halls exploring modern design from the Netherlands and Germany. Next year’s Ambiente will be held from 8 to 12 February 2019 and will be focused very much on the Indian subcontinent.

Pakistan invites to the 10th Expo © EXPO Pakistan
17.10.2017

PAKISTAN INVITES TO THE 10TH EXPO

  • Fair as an opportunity for cooperation
  • Investment climate is improving

Bonn (GTAI) - With a population of almost 200 million, a high proportion of young people and a growing middle class, Pakistan offers good prospects. In particular, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor has the potential to trigger a new growth spurt and attract foreign investment. The 10th Expo Pakistan, which takes place in Karachi from November 9th -12th 2017, provides an opportunity to initiate business with Pakistani partners.

Largest trade fair

  • Fair as an opportunity for cooperation
  • Investment climate is improving

Bonn (GTAI) - With a population of almost 200 million, a high proportion of young people and a growing middle class, Pakistan offers good prospects. In particular, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor has the potential to trigger a new growth spurt and attract foreign investment. The 10th Expo Pakistan, which takes place in Karachi from November 9th -12th 2017, provides an opportunity to initiate business with Pakistani partners.

Largest trade fair

EXPO Pakistan is the largest trade fair in the country and offers the most comprehensive presentation of the country's export economy and service sector. In addition to local companies, numerous exhibitors from the neighboring countries also present their products to international visitors. Among others goods from sectors leather, textiles and clothing, sporting goods, automotive and automotive parts, pharmaceutical products, machinery and services in the field of information technology, logistics and health will be exhibited.

The four-day EXPO Pakistan, which has been held every two years since 1997, is directed exclusively to foreign buyers during the first three days. B2B meetings between suppliers and buyers will be arranged by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP). According to the Pakistani Trade Promotion Agency at the last trade fair in 2015 business contracts worth of approximately USD 1.2 billion were generated. In addition more than 70 declarations of intent were signed. The framework program for the trade fair participants included, among other things, company visits and fashion shows. Within the framework of EXPO 2015, 571 Pakistani manufacturers and exporters exhibited their products and services. According to the organizers a total of 750 foreign buyers and importers from 77 countries visited the fair.

Prospects for the economic development remain positive.

In the recent years the Republic has recorded an annual economic growth of around 4 percent. According to the forecasts of the International Monetary Fund, the gross domestic product (real) will reach 5 percent in 2017 and will increase an average growth of 5.5 per cent by 2020. Growth drivers are above all the increasing privat consumption as well as high investments in the transport infrastructure and the energy sector. As uncertainty factors remain the domestic policy conditions before the parliamentary elections in the second half of 2018 as well as the macroeconomic stability. The analysts of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) expect an average current account deficit of 4.4 percent of the GDP from 2017 to 2021.

The course of the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE 100) has steadily improved to more than three times since 2012. The index provider Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) has once again raised Pakistan from a "frontier market" to an "emerging market" in May 2017. The financial crisis in 2008 led to a temporary closure of the stock exchange due to a liquidity bottlenecks and thus to the exclusion from the MSCI EM Index. An improved market classification was followed by a strong course correction. The in July published trade deficit of USD 27.5 billion, as well as the rising government debt contributed to a 20% drop in the courses by mid-September.

A major contributor to Pakistan's current high debt is not least the high investment in the mega project China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The corridor is a collection of various infrastructure projects with a current value of around USD 62 billion, which has been realized throughout the country since 2013. They are part of the Chinese Megaproject "Belt and Road" with investments in the sectors energy, transport and special economic zones. The Republic finances many projects primarily through borrowing. The impact on the country is assessed. The through the corridor improved location attractiveness of the country is expected to promote the domestic economy, reduce the trade deficit and relieve the state budget.

Economic structure and trade

The Pakistani economy is the second largest in South Asia after the neighbor India. The gross domestic product rose from around USD 35 billion in the early 1980s to just under USD 283 billion. Above all the transformation from an agricultural to a service state has promoted this positive development. The service sector accounts for about 59 percent of the GDP. Central segments are trading, transport, storage and communication. The industrial sector however with a share of 20 percent is still upgradeable. The clothing, leather and textile sector has the most important share of the industry and represents the largest export sector with 67 per cent.

Germany was the fourth largest customer of Pakistani goods with USD 1.7 billion in 2016. Textiles and clothing as well as leather and leather goods had a share of about 87 percent. In the same year, German companies however exported goods worth USD 1.2 billion. Machines 33 percent, chemical products 18 percent and electrical equipment 7 percent formed the main export goods.

Improvement of the energy supply

The establishment and management of a factory for foreign companies in Pakistan are still proving difficult. According to the Doing Business Report 2017 the World Bank Pakistan ranks 144th out of 190 countries. Corruption, protection of intellectual property rights, protracted legal enforcement and poor power supply are among the greatest obstacles. A positive change in the power supply situation or the overall infrastructure should become achieved by the CPEC.

The Trade Department of the Pakistani Embassy is available for further questions and information during the 10th EXPO Pakistan.

Contact:

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Commercial department
Schaperstrasse 29
10719 Berlin, Germany
T +49 (30) 212 442 02
cc@pakemb.de, tdo@pakemb.de

Automotive GROUPE JEC
29.03.2016

BIG SUCCESS FOR THE FIRST EDITION OF JEC WORLD

JEC World, the largest international composites show, opened at the new Paris Nord Villepinte venue for the first time. Its content, design and scenery were the object of much admiration. New records have been reached this year, with a total surface of 62,000 sqm, 1,300 exhibitors and 36,946 professional visits in attendance. One of the show’s new features consisted of the “Planets”, four new display areas totalling  more than 1,800 sqm.

JEC World, the largest international composites show, opened at the new Paris Nord Villepinte venue for the first time. Its content, design and scenery were the object of much admiration. New records have been reached this year, with a total surface of 62,000 sqm, 1,300 exhibitors and 36,946 professional visits in attendance. One of the show’s new features consisted of the “Planets”, four new display areas totalling  more than 1,800 sqm.

A World of Difference
JEC Group presents composites in a completely different style

According to JEC Group President and CEO Mrs Frédérique Mutel, the unanimous reaction to the show was pride in the composites industry and delight at JEC Group’s showcasing of it. “The JEC teams have indeed done a wonderful job at presenting composites to the world in the most impressive way,” she said. “An enormous range of products and technologies were presented, shared and showcased at JEC World 2016. Composite materials continue to become more widespread. In a world where energy savings and recyclability are sought, composites seem to stand out as one of the best answers. Innovative solutions must be found for current and upcoming challenges in terms of higher performance, lower weight, reduced costs and processing time, and of course, addressing the pressing matters of environmental concerns.”

This year’s event also featured the launch of four Innovation Planets, each one addressing a specific end-user market (the Aero Planet, the Auto Planet sponsored by Hexion, the Sports Planet and the Sustainable Planet). These areas were very popular ones, where attendees could see, touch and experience Innovative composite parts, observe demos, and ask questions about the innovations.

New name, new venue for the comfort of all attendees
To truly reflect the global dimension of the exhibition, which included participants from more than 100 countries, the event has taken on a more suitable name, “JEC World”. For the convenience of exhibitors and visitors, it has also moved northward from the southern part of Paris, in order to be closer to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, train stations and many other connecting opportunities. The total surface has
increased to 62,000 sqm, offering visitors and exhibitors a bigger show with enhanced features to improve the visiting experience. These include a new mobile application, Internet connections on the entire floor, a concierge service open to all, and digital touch screens.

High-level content delivered by JEC Expertise
Over the three days, participants were able to gather a wealth of information from the 11 top-notch conferences, some of them organized in partnership with Inovev, Cetim, e-Xstream, Stanford University, Onera, Composites Innovation Cluster, AZL and Dassault Systemes. The 30 technical sales presentations and the 40+ presentations on the “Planets” also covered a vast range of current and future composite topics.

A large delegation of Korean visitors and exhibitors showed up to proudly represent the Republic of Korea, the event’s Country of Honour. They showcased their latest advances, particularly in carbon, proving to the world that they have become a key player in the composite industry.

Other noteworthy events included the JEC Innovation Awards with its 29 prizewinners; the Automotive Composites Circle; the Live-Demo zones; the Composites in Action areas; and the 1,950 B2B Meetings that were organized.

The popularity of the event keeps on growing, which is very encouraging for next year’s session. Many exhibitors have already confirmed their participation.

SAVE THE DATE
JEC WORLD 2017 - Paris Nord Villepinte
March 14-16, 2017
More information: www.jeccomposites.com