Textination Newsline

Most people want to live as independently as possible in old age. Exhibitors at the industry's leading trade fair ALTENPFLEGE from April 26 to 28 in Essen, Germany will be showing how senior facilities with modern interior design and smart equipment meet this need.

Demand for forms of housing such as service living is on the rise. Studies predict a need for around 540,000 new service living units in the coming years. One of the major trends at this year's 32nd edition of the Altenpflege trade fair is how senior facilities are meeting the rapidly growing demand with flexible room design and digital support. They can be seen in the Aveneo special show, including intelligent systems for stove shut-off, lighting control and room temperature, as well as for fall sensors and emergency calls.

Future tenants or buyers of serviced apartments are prepared to invest specifically in their own living environment (source: Terragon study 2021). The focus is on a feel-good atmosphere, a high level of security and the option of using care services if required. "This can be facilitated by a cleverly thought-out arrangement of the rooms within a serviced apartment, for example by arranging the bathroom and bedroom right next to each other and making the wall with the washbasin rotatable," explains Carolin Pauly, managing director of Universal Rooms, which considers itself to be the interface between the wishes of the operators and the products in the serviced apartment market. "The furniture and furnishings industry is called upon to design modern collections with hidden product features that make life easier in old age," Pauly demands. This could be, for example, a grab handle built into the washbasin or a dining table that can be accessed by a wheelchair.

Lighting management also plays an important role. It should convey a sense of well-being and security as well as provide orientation and safety. Age-related clinical pictures in particular place high demands on lighting. Here, lighting systems that simulate the natural day and night rhythm can provide help.

Living, care and digitalization combined
The Chief Executive Officer of the Evangelische Heimstiftung (EHS - Evangelical Home Foundation), Bernhard Schneider, sees "an individually and comfortably furnished apartment that uses intelligent technology to provide a great deal of security and self-determination" as the senior living of the future. "I am certain: In the future, in a sector-free setting, we will have to understand housing, nursing and care, and digitalization even more strongly as building blocks that can be combined as needed."

According to Schneider, this starts with housing: In a nursing apartment or an assisted living apartment, in a shared apartment or other form of communal living, in a residence or an intergenerational project. All forms of housing should be well integrated into the neighborhood - this requires reliable, financed advisory structures, for example through neighborhood managers. In addition, there is care, support and assistance, in the form of day or night care, a mobile service or volunteers. "And technology, for example through our Aladien system, i.e. with intelligent home emergency call, fall sensors, stove shut-off, roller shutters and light control, video door telephony, etc. In the future, Aladien will evolve into a service robot," predicts Schneider.

This makes it possible for people to live a self-determined life and participate in society, even in old age. That's what people want, he says: a pleasant living environment, social contacts, cultural offerings and the certainty that someone will take care of them if necessary. "What we need for this is political commitment in the form of an ambitious funding program for modern forms of housing in old age," demands the EHS CEO. This would not only help the older generation, but young families could also benefit because this would free up the far too spacious apartments and terraced houses of the older generation for them.

ALTENPFLEGE – Trade fair and congress for the care industry since 1990
The traditional leading trade show for the care industry has so far been held alternately in Hanover and Nuremberg. From this year it alternates between Essen and Nuremberg. It covers all segments of professional geriatric care: services and products for care and therapy, occupation and education, IT and management, nutrition and home economics, textiles and hygiene as well as space and technology. In more than 30 lecture blocks, the accompanying trade congress covers the current topics of the industry, such as digitalization, the future of professional nursing care, hospice and palliative care, training or the new collectively agreed payment under the Healthcare Development Act (Gesundheitsversorgungsweiterentwicklungsgesetz - GVWG).

Messe Frankfurt is ready to start up again. Speaking at the Corporate Press Conference earlier today, Wolfgang Marzin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Messe Frankfurt, said: “If the pandemic situation continues to improve, we have every confidence that we will be able to get fully started again in all areas in 2022. We are aiming for sales of over €500 million.”

Mayor Peter Feldmann, Chairman of the Messe Frankfurt Supervisory Board, also stressed: “Our trade fairs, congresses and other events are central elements in the global economy and part of the economic lifeblood of Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region in particular. I firmly believe that, once the pandemic has passed, Messe Frankfurt will be one of the top players in the international trade fair sector.”

Presuming that the pandemic situation and the restrictions imposed by local authorities permit this, events are also to be organised again at the Group’s Frankfurt base in the second half of this year. Since the pandemic broke out in March 2020, it has been scarcely possible to generate any sales at all in Germany. Outside Germany, Messe Frankfurt was only able to hold events to a limited extent, for example in China. The pandemic brought the Group’s decades of growth to an abrupt halt. Since then, Messe Frankfurt has focused on ensuring sufficient liquidity for the Group, with a flexible but strict budget. There are still no plans for redundancies.

Wolfgang Marzin: “In spite of the strict cutbacks, the backing of our shareholders – the City of Frankfurt and the State of Hesse – means that, even in times like these, we are in a position to seize opportunities and invest counter-cyclically. With outside capital and a shareholder loan, Messe Frankfurt’s financial position has been secured for the current financial year and well into 2022.”

After the final financial report for financial year 2020 was submitted, Group sales were approximately €257 million (2019: approx. €736 million). With a consolidated net loss of around €122 million for the year, the result was far removed from the consolidated net profits of previous years (2019: approx. €50 million). The current financial year will also see a decline in all the Group’s financial performance indicators.

In spite of very difficult conditions, a total of 153 events were held over the past financial year – these included 46 trade fairs and exhibitions (2019: 155) with more than 33,000 (2019: 99,246) exhibiting companies and 1.2 million visitors.

As Wolfgang Marzin summed up: “The need to hold all events entirely in digital form illustrated the importance of face-to-face interaction for success in business.” And Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, added: “The digital working environment and long-distance interaction that have been our everyday reality for over a year have led to a certain digital fatigue among many people. In the overall context of our events, hybrid events will continue to play an important part and to add value for the sectors.” It is not possible at present to predict exactly how the demand for digital and hybrid formats will actually develop. Wolfgang Marzin: “Changes will be of an evolutionary but lasting nature, with great advances being made in integrating valuable digital elements. Aspects relating to sustainability, growing environmental awareness and experience in digital interaction will lead to changes in behaviour – which, incidentally, was already happening before the coronavirus broke out.”

Messe Frankfurt is planning events in digital, hybrid and in-person formats for the third and fourth quarters of the current financial year. The premiere of Frankfurt Fashion Week took place in digital form under the Frankfurt Fashion Week (FFW) Studio label. Detlef Braun: “Back in April, we opted – together with everyone else involved – to hold an exclusively digital event. With an expected international component of 80 percent, a physical event would not have been feasible given that the pandemic situation was still volatile.” Automechanika Frankfurt Digital Plus will be launched in September according to the Plug & Play principle. As Detlef Braun explains: “We developed a hybrid concept that contains a condensed physical exhibition while also allowing all participants to present themselves and network internationally by digital means.” In 2022, Automechanika will be reverting to its original cycle of being held in even-numbered years. For the first time ever, Hypermotion will be taking place parallel to Automechanika. When Nordstil opens its doors in Hamburg in July, it will be the first in-person Messe Frankfurt event to be held again in Germany.

The 70 or so guest events scheduled to take place in Frankfurt in the second half of the year – including trade fairs like Franchise Expo, White Label World Expo, the Frankfurt Book Fair and Food Ingredients & Health Ingredients Europe – will also be creating new momentum at the Group’s Frankfurt base. Uwe Behm, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, commented: “We are delighted that our contract with DECHEMA has been renewed.” This means that the Frankfurt exhibition grounds will be playing host to ACHEMA – the world forum and leading show for the process industries – until at least 2027. Uwe Behm: “ACHEMA is a prime example of the kind of premium international event and personal interaction that will remain important in the future as well as sending an important signal for our Frankfurt base.”

As Mayor Peter Feldmann concluded: “Even in challenging times, Messe Frankfurt continues to invest in its future and in expanding its portfolio, having added a total of 23 events worldwide since 2020. These include, for example, the Cross Border E-Commerce Fair in Shenzhen – the first event of its kind in China – which was added during the current financial year. As well as this, the Group will be stepping up its activities in the North Chinese city of Tianjin. Located in the centre of the Circum-Bohai-Sea Economic Zone, the city’s economic importance is on a par with that of the Greater Bay Area and Yangtze River Delta and it is set to be a new global trade fair hotspot.”

Interview with Claudia Bitzer, Owner Bitzer PR, Albstadt

The past year was not only a big economic challenge for many companies, but also in terms of communication - whether in advertising or in PR topics - new ground had to be broken. Contact restrictions up to a strict lockdown, the cancellation of many trade fairs, congresses or other event formats made it necessary to rethink.

Textination discussed it with Claudia Bitzer, owner of the PR agency of the same name in Albstadt, Baden-Württemberg. Her customers include medium-sized companies from the textile and clothing industry as well as machinery manufacturers, public clients and the media.

With your PR agency based in Albstadt, you have also been busy in the textile industry for a good 5 years. If you had to introduce yourself in 100 words to someone who doesn't know you: Why did you decide to become your own boss after working for an agency, and what distinguishes your work?
Actually, self-employment gave me a call: An acquaintance suggested that I take over the communication for his employer, a textile machine manufacturer in the Alb, as a freelancer. When I was on the phone, I had our ten-day-old son in my arms. I was also a PR consultant at Ketchum in Stuttgart. Because I was curious, I got to grips with the matter over the next few months. With success: The textile machines have turned out to be surprisingly tangible products, after all, they make the clothes that we wear on our bodies every day. From this my access to the textile industry developed, which I would call my home base today.

Because I serve various companies along the textile chain, I have an overall view of the industry and can offer overarching stories with different perspectives. I also have a weakness for complex, "dusty" topics, regardless of the industry. I can delve in them with devotion in order to present them vividly. That's why I would call myself a content specialist.

In addition to German, English, Spanish and French, you speak Swabian fluently. Why is it important to have regional roots when you work for export-oriented companies in the textile industry in Baden-Württemberg?
You got that about fluent Swabian from my website, right? (Laughs) But yes, it is very helpful if you can feel whether "gschwind" – Swabian for “pretty fast” - tolerates a delay or has to be dealt with immediately.

I think the Swabian is really important in terms of the mentality behind it. I grew up in the Alb, my father ran a medium-sized company of his own. I understand many things without a customer having to explain them to me.

For example, modesty in relation to one's own person. Especially in long-established family businesses, the owners play an important role. They bear a great responsibility, both in the company and at their location. Nevertheless, the focus is always on the entrepreneurial performance, the product that, manufactured somewhere in the Swabian province, can keep up with the German, European or global competition. That doesn't happen by itself, but requires courage, entrepreneurial spirit and a great deal of openness to new things, and that fascinates me. I also often notice that by the passion, that these leading family businesses bring with them, I am carried away.

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, which entrepreneurial decision are you particularly glad to have made?
Apart from being self-employed? The first corona lockdown with home schooling and closed daycare centers was a big challenge. On the one hand, I was relieved that it became quieter on the customer side between the end of March and the beginning of June, otherwise it would not have been feasible either professionally or in terms of family. On the other hand, this silence scared me and I often asked myself whether self-employment was the right way to go.

In early summer, when the situation on all sides had stabilized somewhat, I tackled the problem head on: I looked for co-working spaces and took extensive further training in online marketing. Being honest, of course, these were business decisions. Fortunately, they are already paying off, even if I may sit alone in the office for now.

Is there any work you are particularly proud of? Which story moved you beyond normal and which thematic challenges do you love?
One project that I fondly remember is the communication referring to a repdigit anniversary one of my clients was celebrating. For this, I first put 111 years of the company’s history down on paper in weeks, no, months of archive work. Because I had delved so deeply into the subject, I came up with many ideas for the messages of the anniversary celebration. Fortunately, the client was quickly convinced. At some point we had a signet, a slogan and a really good story for the anniversary. Incidentally, we still benefit from the numerous proof points we worked out for the occasion in our product and corporate communications today.

In addition, the project has naturally deepened the relationship with this client. I also work closely with the advertising agency that accompanied the anniversary communication. I consider such long-term partnerships as a great asset.

Have the messages you want or need to communicate for your clients changed in Corona times? And what was the focus of your work in 2020?
Unsurprisingly, the focus of work in 2020 was on online communication. For almost all of my customers we will start planning and implementing new measures in this area in the coming year.

As for the messages, little has altered. This is certainly due to the fact that the meta-topics have remained the same. Take sustainability, definitely a long-running favorite in the textile industry, and the sub-topic regionality. In contrast to previous crises, the Corona pandemic has not sidelined these approaches, but intensified them because it has shown us how dependent we are on production abroad. The same applies to the issues of transparency and quality.

Precisely because the themes have stayed the same, the crucial part for me is to find a unique story within these permanent themes so as not to disappear into the big river. That requires empathy, creativity - and a good portion of diligence.

Moving away from the simple advertising message to storytelling - what recommendation would you give medium-sized companies in general regarding their communication for the coming year? Are there any special features that the textile industry in particular should consider?
I think that will go in the direction of "We are still there, and even stronger than before". After all, the crisis demanded a lot from everyone. But it is always a productive phase, because when it comes to a head, it forces us to develop further that otherwise would not have been initiated or at least would have been initiated later. Therefore, it can represent a turning point, definitely for the better.

Take digitization, which is the most obvious approach: the crisis has given rise to a boost in this area; the online shop was or is to be expanded, the service is to become more digital.

Apart from that, there are certain individual changes in every company that the crisis has brought about. You can have the courage to name and tell them, because these are stories that interest everyone.

Goodbye Facebook - good morning TikTok. Which social media platforms do you recommend to your clients and under what conditions should medium-sized companies get involved?
TikTok has so far been more of a topic that I discuss with my daughter, who is almost 12 years old. But seriously: I recently read in a study published by Hootsuite that at the beginning of 2020, less than ten percent of Germans were using TikTok. On Facebook, the user share is still over 60 percent. For that reason alone, we shouldn't simply dismiss Facebook.

When I discuss the topic of social media with my clients, it is important for me not to think from the channels. Sure, it's tempting, but other questions should be asked at the beginning: What is the long-term goal of the social media activities? What resources are available - and what budgets? By now it is well known that social media is an extensive field of activity in its own right, which ties up corresponding resources. In medium-sized businesses, where I rarely have access to a multi-headed marketing team, a solid strategy is the be-all and end-all. It must be very, very clear which target groups are to be addressed. Then I can talk about channels and choose the most important ones. This almost certainly includes LinkedIn and Xing, as well as Instagram and Facebook, the latter especially in an international environment. By the way, the evaluation is just as important, it tends to fall behind. The relationship between measured values and corporate goals is anything but trivial.

Trade fairs, events, press conferences and meetings - these have almost completely fallen by the wayside in 2020. How important do you consider face-to-face communication to be in the long term, and which channels and measures do you recommend to your customers to compensate for these losses?
Face-to-face contact remains important! Of course, we all realised last year that not every event has to be a face-to-face event. A video conference saves time and money and, with the right discipline, can be just as effective as a face-to-face meeting. Many service cases can also be solved by video telephony, no one has to travel around. I am therefore convinced that we will not return to the meeting in person culture we had before Corona, even if this will be possible again at some point.

That's why I advise my clients to take advantage of the digital opportunities that are opening up everywhere. At the moment, everyone is still a beginner, you can only learn. Take virtual trade fairs: This is a fundamentally different approach than the classic presence fair. There is no need for a large trade fair team that is ready from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are no press appointments either. It is much more important to contact the visitors directly, i.e., to collect leads, to group the visitors and to stay in touch with them after the event by providing them with tailor-made content. Speaking of content: at the latest with such online events, it becomes clear how diverse content must be prepared. To pick up customers in the virtual space, you need graphics, videos, animations and much more.

Nevertheless, it will not work without direct, physical contact. I remain convinced that people buy from people. Video conferences work particularly well when the participants already know each other from real life. And the textile industry in particular thrives on haptics. I can never feel a yarn or a fabric digitally. Nor can I feel the production speed of a machine. With every revolution there is a slight breeze. You can't get that digitally.

 

The interview was conducted by Ines Chucholowius, CEO Textination GmbH

Innovative design trends and top-flight expert panels: MARINE INTERIORS sets new standards for ship interior design. The inaugural trade fair is exclusively dedicated to this topic – marked by excellent exhibitor and visitor attendance

From furnishings to lighting systems, and from fine materials to kitchen equipment, the MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo, powered by SMM, which premiered in September 2019, provided a showcase to a wide variety of suppliers of cruise ship interiors. More than 100 exhibitors met up with architects and designers as well as decision-makers from shipyards and shipping companies. "These three days have shown that this new trade fair is received very well by the market. The successful debut of MARINE INTERIORS underlines our leading role as organisers of SMM within the maritime segment," said Claus Ulrich Selbach, Business Unit Director – Maritime and Technology Fairs & Exhibitions at Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH.
 
The exhibition instantly proved itself as a platform for this highly specialised segment, impressing participants with its quality and broad coverage: "Finding so much expertise in the field of cruise ship interiors at a single trade fair is unique in Europe. Compared with other trade fairs, MARINE INTERIORS excels in providing a high density of relevant contacts,” said Arjan Koole, Regional Sales Director Germany & Nordics at the kitchen equipment specialist Middleby Marine. The inaugural event attracted 2800 industry visitors to Hamburg's exhibition complex.

Hamburg – an ideal location  
The location of MARINE INTERIORS clearly was an advantage, as well: "Hamburg is an attractive city, and as a cruise hub it is an ideal place for such an event. I believe MARINE INTERIORS will rapidly establish itself in the market," said David Le Viol, Tender Manager at the Finnish turnkey solutions provider Almaco.

The professionalism of the trade fair preparations received praise, as well. An example is the response from Georgi Karhu, Chief Commercial Officer at Gettone Group: "Since the list of participating companies was available ahead of time, I was able to plan my exhibition participation perfectly and carefully prepare my conversations with existing and potential customers. This made this trade fair experience especially efficient and successful." Well attended social formats such as ‘Wine o’clock’ proved to be great opportunities for networking.

Compelling high-profile conference programme  
The exhibition was accompanied by panel discussions of international experts who shared views about brand identity and the establishment of new brands. They also talked about the safety regulation challenges faced by designers. Kai Bunge and Stefan Seidenfaden from Partner Ship Design Hamburg gave some fascinating insights into their work on board "Costa Smeralda". "Costa established the Motto 'Italy’s Finest'. This prompted us to explore how we could find a contemporary interpretation for traditional Italian elements such as art, fashion and Dolce Vita," said Seidenfaden.

The experts then discussed the meaning of brand identity for the cruise segment, and how designers can express it. The expert panel was moderated by Tal Danai, CEO of Artlink: "The inaugural MARINE INTERIORS event in Hamburg was a hive of energy. It encouraged and embraced socializing alongside good business encounters in an enriching atmosphere with a taste for more.”

In the second panel, titled "How to design to comply", David McCarthy, Director of Marine Projects & Communications at AD Associates, examined together with his guests how safety requirements can be integrated into an aesthetic room design concept. His impression: “The MARINE INTERIORS Forum with all its sessions was fantastic, and I was very pleased to have so many competent people to talk to."

Asia was the focal topic at today's Chinese Dialogue Sessions. Representatives of Chinese cruise associations spoke about the potential of the Chinese cruise market and unique design requirements for the Chinese audience.

New trade fair closes gap for the industry
The highly positive response the new trade fair received from visitors and exhibitors was aptly summarised by Päivi Mäkinen, Director Sales & After Sales Services at Marahrens Group: "Our expectations have been exceeded by far. The quality of visitors and contacts has been extremely good. Visitor attendance at our stand was excellent. The time was right for the launch of a trade fair like MARINE INTERIORS."
With this new format, Hamburg Messe und Congress caters to the needs of the booming cruise industry and complements its exhibition portfolio: While in even years SMM, the leading international maritime trade fair offers the industry an expansive platform through its Interiors area and the Cruise & Ferry Route, MARINE INTERIORS now shines the spotlight on interior design in odd years. The next event will be from 8 until 10 September 2021.
 
About the MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo, powered by SMM
The MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo, powered by SMM takes place every odd year and is held in parallel with the Seatrade Europe – Cruise and River Cruise Convention. More than 100 exhibitors from all areas of ship interior design took place in the inaugural event in Hamburg from 11 until 13 September 2019. They were joined by numerous top-ranking visitors, including decision-makers from shipping companies, shipyards and design firms. The new trade fair was accompanied by a conference programme featuring high-profile experts.

• Strong Triple: COMPOSITES EUROPE, International Composites Conference and Lightweight Technologies Forum
• “Process live” special areas showcase technological progress
• Co-located event: Foam Expo Europe

The composites industry provides important impetus – for lightweight construction and material innovations in automotive, aviation, mechanical engineering, construction, wind power as well as in the sports and leisure sectors. So in international competition it is solutions with a high degree of automation that are in demand. COMPOSITES EUROPE from 10 to 12 September will present the trends and advances in the production and processing of fibre-reinforced plastics in Stuttgart. The trade fair will be accompanied by the International Composites Conference and the Lightweight Technologies Forum. Also held in parallel at the Messe Stuttgart premises will be Foam Expo Europe.

Trade fair visitors will meet with over 300 exhibitors from 30 nations who will be displaying materials, technical solutions and innovative application examples in Stuttgart. Apart from novel products the trade fair will place special emphasis on innovative process engineering. Visitors will learn about the state of play in serial production and new applications in the composites industry in the exhibition area as well as on numerous special areas, on themed guided tours, at the accompanying International Composites Conference and at the Lightweight Technologies Forum, which is dedicated to the trends in multi-material lightweight construction.

“Process live”: Technologies in Synergy
Perfectly coordinated processing and manufacturing processes will be centre stage at the “Process live” event. On shared exhibition space machinery and equipment manufacturers will exhibit their technologies in concert and – what’s more – in operation so as to show the different individual processes in a real context.  

On display, to name but one exhibit, is VAP®, the Vacuum Assisted Process patented by Airbus, which will be in the limelight in the Trans-Textil and Composyst special area. This process permits the one-step production of large-surface and geometrically complex components without an autoclave, which is why it is particularly suitable for structural components in aviation, wind power, shipbuilding, in rail and road transport, in machinery and device manufacturing as well as in architecture and in the leisure industry.

The “Process live” special area care of cutting specialists GUNNAR from Switzerland specifically targets the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) with its small and medium-sized companies. Jointly with laser projection expert LAP and composites engineering expert SCHEURER Swiss, GUNNAR introduces a connected overall process that fuses modern machinery and software with specialists’ manual jobs. The point of departure here is an automated manufacturing process for sorted layer placement in small and medium quantities involving a certain degree of skilled labour.

Fibre composite specialist Hacotech will present CNC-controlled cutting processes and various finishing possibilities in cooperation with Aristo Graphic Systeme and Lavesan. Alongside cutting, production preparation and customised sizing, the production of dimensionally correct templates and the cutting and custom-sizing of composite materials and prepregs will be on show.

Cutting technology is also centre stage in the special area of Rebstock Consulting, Broetje-Automation and Zünd Systemtechnik, which will be taking part in “Process live” with “Automated Sorting and Kitting”.

Composite producer Saertex and chemical company Scott Bader will demonstrate the RTM process for producing and curing a laminate that complies with the highest fire protection requirements in as little as 1 hour.   

5th International Composites Conference (ICC)
Serial production, stable processes, new markets – the International Composites Conference (ICC) is set to inject a fresh breeze for innovations into the market and to this end brings together processors and users of fibre-reinforced plastics from all over Europe. For the first time, this renowned Conference will be held in parallel with COMPOSITES EUROPE. The lecture programme put together by the trade association Composites Germany and the trade fair will also move closer in terms of content.  

One of tomorrow’s cross-cutting themes keeping the entire industry on its toes are multi-material solutions in nearly all industrial applications. In the construction sector the Conference also deals with the rising use of carbon concrete. Process engineering will focus on processing thermoplastic materials for serial production and stable processes for thermoset plastic processing.  

The partner country of the Conference is the United Kingdom. Especially against the backdrop of the current Brexit debate the ICC aims to foster exchange among all European countries. After all, the UK is among the biggest producers of composites components in Europe.

Themed Tours on Digitalisation, Fibre Glass, Thermoplastics, Automotive and Wind Power
Guided tours and hands-on demonstrations in the exhibition halls complement the conference programme. Themed guided tours revolving around composites application, materials and markets guide trade fair visitors and congress delegates right to the stands of selected exhibitors, who will share with visitors their innovations in the fields of digitalisation of composites production, automotive manufacturing, building and construction, fibreglass, new mobility, thermoplastic materials and wind power.  

New ideas on special areas and joint stands
“Material and Production Technology” is the name of the new special area set up under the guidance of the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) of the RWTH Aachen University. In cooperation with other institutes such as the Aachen Center for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL) the IKV will place manufacturing technology centre stage at the trade fair. In particular, the special area will trace the path from scientific development to practical, industrial implementation.

Tomorrow’s automotive experts will also be given a separate forum: under the heading “Formula Student” students and trainees will present to visitors racing cars and bikes they have engineered.

Lightweight Technologies Forum: platform for multi-material lightweight construction
Lightweight construction remains a driver across the board for many developments in the composites sector. The Lightweight Technologies Forum (LTF) held as part of COMPOSITES EUROPE makes it clear how lightweight construction can be achieved in an economical and resource-efficient manner. This Forum views itself as a cross-industry and multi-material think tank where all parties involved can reflect on these new concepts.

To this end, the Forum in Stuttgart pools lightweight construction projects from automotive manufacturing, aviation and aerospace and mechanical engineering, to name but a few industries that serve as a driving force for many sectors with high demands made on materials, security and reliability.  

This year’s keynote speakers include Airbus Innovation Manager Peter Pirklbauer, lightweight construction expert Prof. Jörg Wellnitz (TU Ingolstadt), Dutch racing driver Jeroen Bleekemolen and lightweight construction, aviation and aerospace specialist Claus Georg Bayreuther (AMC). In their talks they will provide an overview of reference projects and novel manufacturing and joining technologies.  

Combining its own exhibition space with a lecture forum, the LTF demonstrates how glass-fibre reinforced plastics (GRP) and carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) leverage their strengths mixed with other materials in hybrid structural components. Exhibitors at the Forum and in the neighbouring Lightweight Area include “Leichtbau-Zentrum Sachsen” (Lightweight Construction Center Saxony), Chem-Trend, Gößl + Pfaff, Krempel, Mitsui Chemicals Europe, Leichtbau BW, the VDMA, Gustav Gerster, Potters Ballotini (UK), Yuho (Japan), Riba Composites (Italy) and Stamixco (Switzerland) as well as the journals Lightweight Design (Springer Fachmedien) and Automobil Industrie (Vogel Communications Group), to name but a few.

“Ultralight in Space”: market study on lightweight construction trends in the aerospace industry
The aerospace industry has always served as a pioneer for ultra-lightweight construction pushing many disciplines to their limits as a driver of innovation. The latest technical trends are currently under scrutiny via a market study carried out by consultancy Automotive Management Consulting (AMC) in cooperation with the Luxembourg-based aerospace OEM GRADEL. The results will be presented for the first time at the LTF in Stuttgart on 10 September.  

Presentation of the AVK Innovation Prize
Innovative products and applications in fibre-reinforced plastics, manufacturing processes and the latest insights from research and science, will again be recognised by the German trade association AVK – Industrievereinigung Verstärkte Kunststoffe e. V. with its renowned Innovation Prize. The winners will be announced as part of the trade fair on 10 September and the award-winning products and projects will be on display in a special area.

Presentation of the SMB-BMC Design Award
The European Alliance for SMC BMC will announce the winners of the SMC BMC Design Award 2019 – also on 10 September. The contest already held for the second time now, honours and promotes the design excellence of students or young design professionals who use SMC and BMC components (sheet and bulk moulding compounds) in their designs. This year saw sustainable mobility take centre stage as a theme.

COMPOSITES Night
The event to celebrate the midway point of the trade fair: the COMPOSITES Night at the end of the second trade fair day offers visitors and exhibitors additional opportunities for networking. Participants are in for buffets and live music at the Stage Palladium Theater in Stuttgart.

Matchmaking programme makes trade fair visit more efficient
Thanks to the complimentary networking & meeting platform “matchmaking” visitors and exhibitors can already reach out to contacts in the run-up to COMPOSITES EUROPE. Who is at the trade fair? Who has answers to your specific questions? Who can you team up with to turn new ideas into practice? The matchmaking platform allows you to “filter” and make direct appointments with potential cooperation partners by product category, industry, country, or company.

Career & Composites
With its career&composites stand COMPOSITES EUROPE targets students and graduates who can come here to establish contact with potential employers. On the special area the exhibitors present their companies to interested junior employees and attract attention to vacancies and career opportunities via a Job Wall.

Co-located with Foam Expo Europe
COMPOSITES EUROPE will be co-located with Foam Expo Europe for the first time. This trade fair covers the supply chain of technical foam production and presents moulded, rigid and soft foam solutions – from raw materials to equipment and machinery. The parallel exhibition dates generate special synergies for gaining an overview of lightweight construction materials for such shared applications as the automotive, aviation, construction and sports & leisure industries.

• E-commerce to grow by 17 percent in 2018

Berlin (GTAI) - E-commerce in the Netherlands is expected to grow in 2018. The most popular products are media and entertainment. Strong growth was recorded in the food trade.
The Dutch online food trade is gaining momentum, and high growth rates are expected for 2018. Customers also look beyond the borders and shop abroad. However, the online shops with the highest turnover are in Dutch hands.

Dutch people are very open to new technologies. In 2018, around 97 percent of the population (16.8 million people) will have an Internet connection. On average, the 13.9 million online shoppers spend EUR 1,242 a year. In 2018, e-commerce revenue will grow by around 17 percent to EUR 26.3 billion. This is predicted by an investigation of the organization Thuiswinkel. Already in the first quarter of 2018, EUR 6.3 billion were spent online, an increase of 13 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The last quarter of a year with the holidays (Christmas, Santa Claus and Black Friday), in which 30 percent of the annual sales are taken place, is always very promising.

According to the Portal Commercenews online trading amounted to EUR 22.5 billion in 2017, up 13 percent from 2016, accounting for 9.7 percent of the total retail sales, which grew by only 4.2 percent. The e-commerce boom was followed by new company foundations: around 9,200 new webshops were established, but 5,400 were closed too. Most of these webshops also have foreign markets in their view.

Laptops are most commonly used for online purchases, but mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular. 2017 was marked by growing mobile commerce (m-commerce), a further increase is expected in 2018. After all, the country has more mobile devices than inhabitants (110 percent).

Not only the web shops benefit from the booming e-commerce. The Dutch Post is also pleased about the growth. Their e-commerce revenue is estimated at 42 percent of total revenue in 2018 (2017: 34 percent).

Food is bought more frequently online
Demand is focused on the media and entertainment sectors, where some 8.5 million purchases were made in the first three months of 2018. Food and near-food products (goods that are not food but are also available in supermarkets) were in demand in the first quarter of 2018, 42 percent more than in the same period of last year. Although their share of total purchases is still low, experts are already forecasting 3.7 percent in 2018 after 2.9 percent in 2017, when the sales exceeded EUR 1 billion for the first time. The purchases were mainly made at the large Albert Heijn and Jumbo supermarkets. The third important market Picnic, which only operates online, wants to expand into Germany and has already started a pilot project in the Düsseldorf area.

The Albert Heijn supermarket is about to make it even easier for its customers, to receive goods even when they are not at home. It is testing a so-called intelligent key (smart door lock) from Nuki. Customers can use their mobile phones to control who enters the apartment in their absence. By this this way he can let the delivery service in after his call..

Buyers are usually satisfied with their online purchases. Nevertheless, they fear that the goods are not clearly enough illustrated and described, as well as difficulties in returning them and their costs. Web shops can score points if they offer free shipping and fair return options.

The thrifty Dutch also compare when buying on the Internet. According to Ecommerce Foundation, 60 percent look around at multiple merchants before deciding, 53 percent use websites that compare prices or products, half consider other users' reviews on the web and only 8 percent buy spontaneously based on advertising or social media ads (multiple answers possible).

Dutch spend more and more abroad
Around 3.8 million Dutch people bought from foreign webshops in 2017, spending rose by 28 percent compared to the previous year. In 2017, they spent around EUR 1.5 billion on webshops in the European Union. Also Chinese sites with favorable offers are popular. Around EUR 248 million were invested in shops such as Aliexpress, Banggood, Dealextreme, Geekbuying, Gearbest, MiniIn TheBox. The most popular countries were China, the United Kingdom, Germany and the USA.

The most popular payment provider on the Internet is iDEAL. Around 95 percent of customers use the Dutch online payment system, in which several local banks are involved. Its market share is an impressive 57 percent. In 2017, the number of transactions via iDEAL grew by almost 34 percent. Foreign webshops have also joined the system: About one third of the payments went to them.

Most popular online payment methods
(in %, multiple selections possible)

iDEAL	95
Kreditkarte	50
pAYPAL	31
Tikkie	22

Source: Ecommerce Foundation

Many Dutch retailers among top online shops
Many of the most successful online retailers are Dutch companies. Bol, the local online seller with the highest turnover, was able to grow because large e-traders such as eBay or Amazon were not yet present in the Netherlands. Bol developed from a project of the German Bertelsmann Group with a focus on books and DVDs, but is now in Dutch hands and has considerably expanded its offering to other product groups. In 2012 Bol was acquired by the Ahold Group.

The Rotterdam-based company Coolblue launched an online store in 2000. Subsequently, several web shops were opened, each focusing on one product category. A stationary business was added in 2005. Coolblue today sells mainly consumer electronics, white goods and fitness equipment and is the second largest online retailer. The company is known for its excellent customer service.

Wehkamp began as a mail order company in 1952 and sold all articles via its Internet platform before 2000. The Internet pioneer has developed slowly, but has recently invested heavily in order to survive in the Dutch top league.

Like eBay in Germany, Marktplaats.nl in the Netherlands is the marketplace for second-hand goods. Google Shopping achieved strong growth in 2017. The portal is also expected to become the most important comparison portal in the Netherlands in a short time.

Important e-commerce events in the Netherlands

Event	Date
Digital Marketing World Forum, DMWF Expo Europe, Amsterdam	19 - 20 September 2018
Savant Supply Chain Congress, Amsterdam	2 - 3 October 2018
Shopper Insights & Retail Activation International, Amsterdam	29 - 31 October 2018

 

People matter – now more than ever. This is underscored by the huge interest taken by exhibitors in the run-up to A+A 2017, once again allowing the world’s leading trade fair for safety, security and health at work held from 17 to 20 October to post top marks. A total of 1,930 exhibitors from 63 nations and over 67,000 trade visitors came to the world’s largest trade fair for this industry in Düsseldorf. This means that this year A+A – together with the International Congress for Occupational Safety and Occupational Medicine – very much underlined the huge importance of health and safety at the workplace.

Investing in the health of employees pays off. It helps to ensure the performance of the workforce and increase productivity. It is all the more important to foster a holistic approach to prevention that takes all aspects of occupational health management, safety and workplace design into consideration. “Here the A+A, as the world’s leading trade fair for safety and healthy, joins forces with its partners,” sums up Messe Düsseldorf Managing Director Joachim Schäfer. “Digitalisation is no longer just something for the future and has now penetrated virtually all areas of life and work – likewise the Internet of Things that now networks billions of things together worldwide. It is fabulous that A+A is not just a stage for new technologies but is now also being seen globally as a bridgehead between the past and the future of our world of work.”

Bigger and More International than Ever: Top Marks across all Disciplines
Organisers and exhibitors alike were satisfied with how A+A 2017 went. The 31st edition of A+A held from 17 to 20 October attracted more than 67,000 trade visitors (2015: 65,000) to Düsseldorf who gathered information from the 1,931 exhibitors from 63 nations on the latest trends in the fields of occupational safety, promotion of health at work and security management in nine trade fair halls occupying for the first time 70,733 m2. At 40% the proportion of international visitors who came from over 100 nations also exceeded the share recorded at the previous event. “A+A is continually growing and underlines at all levels its relevance for the sector as the world’s leading trade fair and congress event,” says Messe Düsseldorf Managing Director Joachim Schäfer delighting at the excellent mood over the past four days and summing up talks with exhibitors and international delegations as follows: “We are proud to have been able to send out across the entire world strong signals to the markets and key impulses for political debate.” Against this backdrop the new look of A+A and the focus on what matters not just in the world of work have proven their worth: people.

Platform for Innovations and Investment
"People matter – what an apt statement,” sums up Klaus Bornack, President of the Trade Fair Advisory Board and Managing Director of Bornack GmbH & Co. KG. “A great A+A once again moved the sector with many innovative products, even more exhibitors from all specialist fields and, in turn, a rising number of very interested trade visitors from home and abroad with specific technical queries and a great deal of interest. This is confirmation that PPE is a growth market and that A+A is a leading international marketplace for safety at work.”

No. 1 International Event for Workwear  
The good investment climate as well as the interest from trade visitors in high-quality personal protective equipment and protective workwear was confirmed by a current study conducted on the German market for personal protective equipment that was published during A+A 2017 by market research firm macrom. This study showed that the volume of the entire German PPE market grew between 2014 and 2016 by 9.2% to a total of Euro 1.97b. Leading here with the largest market share is protective workwear that is increasingly also being worn in the private sphere. Commenting on this Birgit Horn, Director A+A 2017, said: “While protective workwear in the past was generally uncomfortable and not particularly fashionable, staff today are fairly willing to show themselves in public wearing this clothing. Thanks to the development of high-tech  clothing in the sports and outdoor sectors people no longer have to deprive themselves of top design and optimum performance. This was also confirmed by the over 200 Corporate Fashion exhibitors and rounded off by newly designed fashion shows.

The Future of Work is Now  
From smart skin sensors and the measuring of vital parameters to backfriendly exoskeletons and smart fleet management, data glasses and sensor-controlled fall protection: the future of work is now. This was made clear not just by the new A+A Highlight Route. Across the halls renowned exhibitors like 3M, BORNACK, Honeywell, Uvex or the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (Institut für Arbeitsschutz der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung – IFA) presented highlights focussing on “Smart PPE”, “Digitalisation of Work” and “Digital Applications and Solutions” – from the prototype to the mass-produced product. Also addressed were such aspects as the urgently required reorganisation of work processes for the ageing population or the new demands on the world of work from the younger generation.”
 
At the Highest Specialist Level: The A+A Congress
Also enjoying great acclaim was the International Congress for Occupational Safety and Occupational Medicine that is traditionally organised by the Federal Association for Occupational Safety and Health (Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Sicherheit und Gesundheit bei der Arbeit e.V. – Basi). “We had a very exciting A+A congress,” was the verdict of Basi Managing Director Bruno Zwingmann. “For the first time we were able to welcome to the congress new groups of people interested in occupational safety – for instance, representatives of the severely handicapped who also discussed the founding of an umbrella association at the congress.” Over the four days of the trade fair a total of some 5,000 congress delegates streamed into CCD Congress Center Düsseldorf Süd to gather information on the varied range of topics on offers. The 60 focal series dealt with such topics as production operations in the location of Germany with ageing workforces, positive aspects of digitalisation and mental stress with a focus on small businesses and their working conditions. The top events included one focusing on the “Fighting Cancer at the Workplace”. The A+A Congress was accompanied by the conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Social Security Association (ISSA) attended by top ranking figures.

A Burning Issue: Fire Prevention
As the most important sectoral platform worldwide for personal protective equipment and protective workwear A+A once again this year showcased everything revolving around modern firefighters protective clothing as well as the entire spectrum of personal protective equipment for firefighters: be this head, eye, body, hand, foot, ear, breathing or rope protection. Also on display were the preventative measures and concepts that can help to prevent accidents, major disasters and rescue missions and how firefighters are trained in realistic conditions in real fires.
The next A+A will be held from 5 to 8 November 2019.

 

Living in Space: Techtextil presents technical textiles in the aerospace industry in cooperation with ESA and DLR

More exhibitors and a journey to Mars: visitors and exhibitors can look forward to an even bigger event and a completely new trade-fair experience at the coming Techtextil from 9 to 12 May 2017. With around four months still to go before the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens opens its doors, the booked space already exceeds the total area of the last edition in 2015. Moreover, the extensive complementary programme of events is set to be distinguished by a variety of innovations in 2017. The highlight of this year’s Techtextil will be the special ‘Living in Space’ event in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Centre (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt – DLR).

“We are branching out in completely new directions with this year’s Techtextil and are, therefore, all the more delighted about the outstanding resonance of our exhibitors”, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies, Messe Frankfurt. “Furthermore, the fact that we have gained strong new partners, ESA and DLR, from one of the main areas of application for technical textiles represents solid evidence of the application relevance of the products and technologies shown at Techtextil.”

Exhibitors include not only international market leaders but also numerous newcomers and returnees. Significant exhibitor growth comes from European countries, particularly from Ger-
many, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and Spain. However, additional growth is also expected to come from Asia.

Special ‘Living in Space’ exhibition and special area in Hall 6.1

In cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Techtextil will illustrate the wide range of applications for technical textiles with reference to the aerospace industry under the title ‘Living in Space’. To this end, the concurrent Texprocess trade fair will also be integrated into the exhibition.

“The technical-textile sector offers the textile solutions needed to move around and survive in space. This is what we will show in a professional and at the same time entertaining way on a dedicated area at the trade fair. For visitors, the area will offer inspiration and orientation”, says Michael Jänecke, Director Brand Management Technical Textiles & Textile Processing, Messe Frankfurt.

A special area in the vicinity of exhibitors of functional apparel and technical textiles is being created in hall 6.1 and, based on the areas of application for technical textiles, will show high-tech textiles and textile-processing technology from and for the aerospace sector. The highlight of the interactive area is a virtual-reality experience. On a special area, Techtextil and Texprocess visitors can undertake a virtual journey through space to Mars and discover how technical textiles and their processing technology can make it possible to set up communities in space. Additionally, the ‘Material Gallery’ will show textile products and processing technologies from Techtextil exhibitors with links to space travel. There will also be presentations by start-ups that work at the interface of technical textiles and space travel.

In hall 6.1, exhibitors and visitors will also find the ‘Innovation made in Germany’ area of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie – BMWi), which is aimed at young, innovative companies based in Germany. Applications for a place in the BMWi area can still be made on the Techtextil website.

Change in placement for CAD/CAM and Cutting, Making, Trimming

To make the profiles of Techtextil and Texprocess even sharper, the bonding and separating technology, CMT (Cutting, Making, Trimming), CAD/CAM and printing product segments will be concentrated together at Texprocess in hall 4.0. Thus, visitors will find Techtextil exhibitors from these segments at Texprocess. These product groups will be deleted from the Techtextil nomenclature.

Complementary programme with changes to the Innovative Apparel Show

Successfully started at Techtextil and Texprocess in 2015, the Innovative Apparel Show will get in 2017 even more international with universities for fashion and design from four European countries. These universities will present their visionary product ideas using technical textiles and modern processing technologies on all four days. They are: Accademia Italiana, Florence / Italy; ESAD College of Art and Design, Matosinhos / Portugal; Esmod Paris/France, and the University of Trier / Germany. The young designers will show designs revolving around the themes of textile effects, creative engineering and smart fashion while a fashion show in the foyer of Halls 5.1 and 6.1 presents their ideas in a professional way.

Techtextil Symposium in cooperation with Dornbirn MFC 

The concept of Techtextil Symposium, one of the world’s leading events for textile research, is being expanded with the coming edition to be held in seven consecutive blocks, each of seven lectures. Thus, all lecture blocks will be expanded by one lecture. Additionally, Techtextil is working together with the Dornbirn MFC Man-made Fibres Congress for the first time. Thus, Dornbirn-MFC will organise one of the seven lecture blocks within the framework of the symposium (to be held in ‘Saal Europa’ of Hall 4.0).
Moreover, outstanding new developments and advances in the fields of technical textiles, nonwovens and functional apparel textiles will be honoured for the 14th time with the Techtextil Innovation Award, the competition for which is also open to non-exhibitors. Entries are now invited. The deadline for receipt is 20 February.

Together with the international Tensinet network, Techtextil is holding the 14th ‘Textile Structures for New Building’ competition for students and young professionals, which honours innovative and practical concepts for building with textiles or textile-reinforced materials. The closing date for receipt of entries to the competition, which is worth a total of € 8,000, is 26 February 2017. In addition to the awards ceremony, all award-winning works from the student competition and the Innovation Award will be on show in special exhibitions in hall 4.1 and hall 6.1.

Technical Textiles market continues growth
 
According to the Confederation of the German Textile and Fashion Industry (textile+mode) the textile and apparel industry with more than 130,000 employees, 1,400 companies and an annual turnover of around 32 billion euros is the second largest consumer goods industry in Germany. The growth is primarily driven by technical textiles. “German companies are the global market leaders in terms of technical textiles. For years, the turnover has been growing steadily – a proof for the innovativeness of the industry and excellent products. The digitalization of textile products and processes will furthermore trigger an innovation boost in other industries”, says Manfred Junkert, Deputy General Manager of textile+mode.

Held concurrently with Techtextil, Texprocess, Leading International Trade Fair for Processing Textile and Flexible Materials (9 to 12 May 2017), offers insights into all stages of textile processing, including finishing and digital printing. Texprocess is also characterised by an outstanding number of exhibitor registrations exceeding the results of the previous edition, too. Techtextil 2015 was attended by 28,500 trade visitors from 102 nations, as well as over 5,500 trade visitors from the parallel Texprocess.