From the Sector

Over 300 brands have spent three months showcasing their offerings at the world’s first digital trade show. PREMIUM+SEEK Passport, in collaboration with JOOR, provided the industry with a digital addition to the physical trade shows that were unable to take place at all this summer, due to the current situation. The virtual event concluded yesterday.

Summary
“The event was a success: it reached a network of 200,000 buyers, logged over 20,000 visits, and over 80,000 products were sold. The brands that achieved especially good results were those that engaged their own buyer contacts and networks and introduced them to the platform. Things are actually the same as always, the principle remains the same. Success doesn't just happen by itself,” says Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the PREMIUM GROUP. “There was a strong focus on communicative value at this digital event. We feel that creating visibility for new potential brands and customers is the best thing we can do to add value for our customers in the current situation. We have worked intensively on how we position ourselves in this crisis, which services we can deliver, and how we can offer our customers and partners support of lasting relevance.”

Outlook
It is not yet possible to announce a final, definitive decision on the PREMIUM GROUP’s January events. The market analysis carried out with exhibitors, partners and retailers is currently being evaluated. The current developments in the number of infections and forecasts by the Federal Government also have an influence on this. These provide reliable data that can serve as the basis for a well-informed and representative assessment of whether and how the trade shows and conferences will be able to take place. Further information on the PREMIUM GROUP events will follow at the end of October.
    
What is certain is that, for the first time, the PREMIUM GROUP and Messe Frankfurt will be putting on their SEEK, PREMIUM, FASHIONTECH, Neonyt and FashionSustain events – along with a host of other highlights – from 6-8 July 2021 as part of Frankfurt Fashion Week 2021. New business platforms, glamorous events, innovative formats and content hubs will be unveiled to the fashion industry – not just in a new setting, but in a totally new guise.

Sustainable solutions that pack a punch  

With over 6,500 visitors and more than 2,000 participants at a total of 720 minutes of live presentation sessions and with many potential new customers in the live info chat, the virtual interpack conference organised by Sappi was a resounding success. Sappi presented its latest developments, future prospects and current range of packaging and speciality papers at the event. In addition to further networking opportunities, the visitors took full advantage of the chance to get in contact with the Sales team.

• For the packaging of the future: sustainable, high-quality paper
• Second-generation barrier papers ensure optimal protection of goods as food packaging
• Providing what the world wants: fully recyclable packaging

Based on the motto ‘Pro Planet: Paper Packaging – welcome to the new pack-age’, the market leader in functional paper packaging presented numerous opportunities at its virtual interpack 2020 conference for its customers to package their food or non-food products in sustainable, premium packaging. In doing so, the company is contributing to the UN’s sustainability objectives. With the Sappi Guard range, Sappi presented barrier papers that render additional special coatings and laminations redundant and can be recycled in the paper stream. Featuring integrated barriers, they ensure that the product quality of foods and other goods is preserved. The second generation of barrier papers, now even more environmentally friendly, was also introduced at the virtual event. Another area of focus of the virtual interpack event was sealable papers, suitable for a wide range of packaging applications in the food and non-food sectors.

Of course, the concept of sustainability was also a key issue at the conference. As a home-compostable paper, Algro Nature meets the current demand for fully recyclable packaging. Sappi thus remains true to its goal of presenting its customers with more and more environmentally friendly solutions for the benefit of people and the environment.

‘We were overwhelmed by the success of our first virtual interpack conference, but we look forward to having direct contact again in spring 2021 in Düsseldorf,’ says Thomas Kratochwill, Vice President Sales & Marketing Packaging and Speciality Papers at Sappi Europe, with regard to the delayed interpack conference.

• The PREMIUM GROUP in Berlin is cancelling its PREMIUM and SEEK trade shows for this summer season, as well as the FASHIONTECH conference – in collaboration with the leading global digital B2B marketplace, JOOR, there is still a guaranteed trading option.

Due to the coronavirus crisis, in April the dates of the PREMIUM GROUP’s events were provisionally moved from the original schedule of 31 June-2 July 2020 to 28 -30 July. Now, the Federal and State governments have decided to cancel large-scale events with over 1,000 visitors until 31 August 2020.
     
A statement from Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the PREMIUM GROUP: 

“We greatly regret the decision of course, especially after the success of our January events. The ban on large-scale events has been around for some time and has been publicly discussed. It hurts us to do it, but we are also conscious of our responsibility. If cancelling our trade shows, conferences and parties contributes to the safety of our customers and visitors, then we have to take this step.
 
We are in close contact with all our brands and partners and have spent the last four weeks discussing possible approaches, concepts and new focal topics for the summer. The bottom line is that digitalisation is clearly the focus. It’s all about using the time over the next few months sensibly. The timing for brands and retailers is now right – all market participants are aware of the necessity of this.

We have been working closely with JOOR, the leading B2B marketplace globally, for around a year, after successfully integrating our own digital platform, Veee.com. JOOR has digitalised the entire procurement process and ensures a seamless, functioning wholesale process on an international scale – both for brands and retailers.
 
We shall shortly be offering webinars on this and can offer our customers an optimal, digital ordering solution so as to use this time of the pandemic efficiently. We are very happy with this option and our year-long investment in the topic of digitalisation. This has come good for us now.
 
Our trade show formats have been about more than just ordering for a long time now. They are about encounters, emotion, inspiration, communication and, finally, the fashion community getting together. Although lots can take place digitally nowadays, it doesn't replace physically meeting up in person. We have seen this more than ever in the present situation.
 
We are going to work on new concepts for 2021, and we will liaise with the key stakeholders in Berlin and with all others too to ensure we hit the ground running again. We’re taking on the challenge and will come back to the industry when we have news.”

We are now facing this challenge here in Bremen on the occasion of our 35th International Cotton Conference, which was to take place from 25 to 27 March. The coronavirus has been keeping the world on tenterhooks for some weeks now and, as you may have heard in the news, has also arrived in Germany and Bremen. As the organiser of an international conference, we have been forced to make a decision and it was by no means easy for us.
Due to the prevailing global threat from Covid-19, we will postpone the 35th International Cotton Conference Bremen for one year.
The World Health Authority (WHO), as well as the European and German health authorities are advising of significant health risks from transmission of the coronavirus. According to the Federal Foreign Office, data on the new virus is currently still limited, which makes risk assessment even more difficult.

In total, participants from more than 40 nations travel to Bremen for the Cotton Conference. In addition to the main conference, there are numerous side events. Many of our guests and conference participants are currently unsettled by the many negative reports. In the context of their responsibility, the organisers, the Bremen Cotton Exchange and the Fibre Institute Bremen, take the risks and concerns of all participants extremely seriously and would like to ensure planning reliability given the situation.

The 35th International Cotton Conference Bremen with the motto “Passion for Cotton” will now take place from 17 to 19 March 2021.

Focus on Sustainability and Climate Change

Passion for Cotton: The 35th International Cotton Conference Bremen starts on 25 March in the Hanseatic city’s historic Town Hall. But before subject-specific questions are discussed in depth in the individual sessions, the concise and inspiring keynotes by leading business experts from science and industry will draw attention to the current trends and challenges in the industry at the start of the conference. A large part of the presentations is shaped by the current discussion on environmental and sustainability issues and the resulting consequences for the global economy.

Climate Change and Sustainability

“Climate change - a storm in a teacup?” asks Kai Hughes, Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee, Washington D.C., USA, in a provocative speech. The aim of his presentation is to work out the challenges of climate change especially for agriculture and cotton production. This should form the basis for later discussion on concrete approaches and solutions within the cotton community.

With his lecture “The HUGO BOSS sustainability programme ... and what our customer has to do with it” Andreas Streubig, Director of Global Sustainability at Hugo Boss AG, Metzingen, Germany, rolls up the textile value chain from a different angle, starting at the consumer level. As a representative of a premium brand for women's and men's clothing, Streubig discusses sustainability as a strategic element of the corporate strategy and provides information on how elements of the strategy are being implemented at Hugo Boss.

Rüdiger Senft, Head of Sustainability at Commerzbank, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, looks at the changing role of banks in financing the cotton market. In addition to a general introduction to the topic of sustainability and banking regulation, Senft's presentation deals with the financing of the cotton trade from a social and ecological point of view.
The opening session on 25 March is hosted by Bill Ballenden, founder and owner of Dragontree, Swindon, UK, an online auction platform for the cotton trade. As a former cotton manager for Louis Dreyfus in Europe and Asia, Bill Ballenden has many years of experience in the industry.

Cross-Cutting Issues: Digitalisation, Gender, Value Chains

The subsequent session in the conference programme with the headline “A Wider View” is devoted to currently defining trends and important cross-cutting issues in the industry. This goes far beyond classic cotton themes.

A lecture by Mark Messura, Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain Marketing for Cotton Incorporated, Cary, North Carolina, deals with the role of cotton in an increasingly digitally controlled supply chain. Significant keywords here are faster delivery times, vertical integration, transparency and traceability.

The presentation by Roger Gilmartin, Managing Director of Tri-Blend Consulting, Charlotte, USA, entitled “The secret recipe for timely, cost-optimised and high-quality cotton clothing” promises exciting and enlightening insights. Tri-Blend Consulting conducts studies on the performance of different cotton varieties during the entire consumption process to the finished yarn and evaluates them from an economic point of view.

Amy Jackson, from the Better Cotton Initiative, London, UK, presents ICA Liverpool's “Women in Cotton” initiative. With this commitment, the initiative aims to increase the influence of women in the cotton industry and give them a stronger voice, for example by building networks in cooperation.

Navdeep Singh Sodhi, International Strategic Management Consultant at the Gherzi Textile Organisation, Switzerland, gives an insight into the current development of the value chain for cotton, textiles and clothing in Africa. Looking ahead to the coming decades, also in view of population growth, Africa is seen as having a high potential for building economic structures to improve income and prosperity.

Thomas Schneider, Professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin and active in the field of production planning and control, textile materials and materials testing will host the session. A leading light in his field, Thomas Schneider has more than 30 years of experience in scientific and application-oriented research in the textile and fibre sector, including at the Fibre Institute Bremen e.V.

JEC ASIA 2019 REFLECTED THE DYNAMISM OF THE COMPOSITES INDUSTRY IN ASIA PACIFIC

JEC ASIA 2019 KEY FIGURES

• 6,600+ professional visits
• 200+ exhibiting companies from 49 countries
• 3 conference sessions and composite tours
• 40+ International speakers
• 550 business meetings
• 40+ innovative parts in the Planet
• 10 Innovation awards
• 3 startups rewarded

After three days of demonstrating the bright future ahead of composites, JEC Asia 2019 welcomed more than 200 exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations to more than 6,600 attendees from 49 countries in Seoul. From global brands to visionary startups, these companies set the composite world abuzz with the promise of innovation, knowledge, and networking.

Once again, JEC Asia gathered a significant number of academic researchers and institutions, industrials in a spirit of innovation, to prove that the sector is rapidly growing. But this year, the Korean composites Golden Triangle has shown even more dynamism and a very strong ambition to become a leading country in composites.

Archroma will be at ChromaTexChem India 2019 to present its latest innovations and solution systems aimed to help textile manufacturers with optimized productivity and/or value creation in their markets. Archroma will also moderate a panel at the exhibition official conference on “Sustainable innovation in textile processing”.

At ChromaTexChem, visitors will be able to discover 24 systems developed along the principles of The Archroma Way to help them create value in their textile applications and markets.

Anjani Prasad, Head of Sales, India, Archroma, comments: “With the growing concerns about resource scarcity and product safety, brands and manufacturers in India work with us, because we continuously develop the innovations and solution systems that help them to address these challenges, increase productivity and create value for them. We do that with in mind the planet and its inhabitants, in line with the objectives of “The Archroma way": Safe, efficient, enhanced. Because it’s our nature!”

• Bangladesh’s biggest denim expo takes place 5-6 November
• The show runs concurrently with the Sustainable Apparel Forum Bangladesh
• From 4-6 November, Bangladesh becomes the perfect meeting point for stakeholders in the global apparel industry

DHAKA - Responsibility is the theme of the 11th Bangladesh Denim Expo which takes place on 5th and 6th November at International Convention City in Bashundhara, Dhaka. The event, now firmly established as one of the world’s leading denim trade shows, runs alongside the Bangladesh Sustainable Apparel Forum.

Bangladesh Denim Expo

Around 100 exhibitors from 11 countries, including host Bangladesh, will participate in this year’s denim expo. Other participating countries are china, Japan, Italy, India, Singapore, Brazil, Spain, Pakistan, Turkey and Germany.

H&M Group is collaborating with Bangladesh Denim Expo for the forthcoming 11th edition of the event and a number of guest speakers will be present from the company, including Pierre Borjesson, head of sustainability, global production. Other guest speakers include Andrew Olah, the founder of Kingpins Denim show, Alice Tonello, R&D director with the Tonello Group, world renowned denim designer, Piero Turk and Jordi Juani, Asia regional director with Jeanologia.

Through a series of product displays, presentations, seminar sessions & panel discussions, the Expo will encourage healthy debate and interaction among exhibitors and visitors to champion a more responsible denim industry. One of these, of course, is sustainability and within this sits the issue of responsibility – an overriding theme of this year’s event. Denim manufacture faces huge challenges with regards its social and environmental responsibility, with production techniques having potentially far-reaching ramifications for the environment as well as people involved in the production process.

However, the industry and its supply chain are making impressive progress on these issues with Bangladesh – now the world’s largest producer of denim – leading the way in terms of addressing some of the sustainability challenges relating to denim production, including excessive use of water and chemicals. Mostafiz Uddin is the organiser of Bangladesh Denim Expo. Uddin has watched with interest the evolution of the denim industry, with each Expo marking continued and gradual progress being made by the more progressive players in the industry.

Uddin says: “The way that business and product development is conducted can have far reaching consequences on the environment, on the people that make the product and the product’s end use & life-span. “It is the duty of all stakeholders in the apparel industry to acknowledge this responsibility and to analyse our business practices, for the benefit of all.” Emphasising the theme of responsibility within Denim Expo is the fact that revenues from the expo support the running and presentation of the Sustainable Apparel Forum.

Sustainable Apparel Forum

The Sustainable Apparel Forum (SAF) is the biggest annual sustainable apparel event in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) along with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) as co-organiser will jointly carry out the 2nd edition of the SAF on 5th Nov 2019.

This is the second edition of the Sustainable Apparel Forum, with the first-ever forum held in 2017 in Dhaka. The objective of this year’s forum is accelerating the momentum of sustainability in Bangladesh apparel industry.

The forum will see more than 50 speakers gathered from Bangladesh and overseas sharing expert opinions across five panel discussions covering current issues in the country’s apparel industry. These include human resources, transparency in business, water conservation, purchasing practices, sustainable chemical management, waste management, circular economy in textiles and climate change to name a few.

Additionally, the conference will host several knowledge building technical presentations from renowned organisations which will cover different issues relating to sustainability, including waste management, protection of the environment and better working conditions.

Speakers at the show include Md. Shahriar Alam, MP, Honourable State Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh, H. E. Benoit Préfonatine High Commissioner, High Commission of Canada, Bangladesh, and Dr. Rubana Huq President, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers’ and Exporters’ Association, Sheikh Fazle Fahim, President, Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industries, Pierre Börjesson, Head of Sustainability – Global Production, H&M Group, Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director, International Labor Organization, Peter McCallister, Executive Director, Ethical Trading Initiative and H.E. Winnie Estrup Petersen Ambassador, Embassy of Denmark, Bangladesh.

Prior to this year’s conference, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh and the Sweden Embassy in Bangladesh will also co-host two roundtable discussion in collaboration with BAE and in association with BGMEA on 4 November, 2019, while H&M, Better Work Bangladesh and C&A Foundation are partners in the event.
The conference will be followed by showcasing different innovative, sustainable & best work practices in RMG manufacturing factories in Bangladesh. Following the discussions, a series of recommendations will be made, and a Sustainability Roadmap for the Bangladesh apparel industry will be formulated.

This year’s SAF promises to be the biggest yet. Added by Mr Mostafiz Uddin in the recent press briefing for the event: “The title for this year’s Sustainable Apparel Forum is enabling sustainability through policy and leadership. The time for talking on sustainability issues is over. It is now time for actions. That’s why the focus of this year’s show is on practical, pragmatic actions the textile industry can adopt to improve its environmental footprint.”

Berlin - 200 exhibitors, around 1,000 visitors and over 20 speakers from Germany and abroad – the ATSG textile fair premiered in Berlin from 11 to 13 September 2019 brought together exhibitors, speakers and trade visitors from all over the world. Jason Prescott, CEO of JP Communications, said he was satisfied with the event at the Estrel Conference Center: "The first step has been taken, now we will establish the ATSG as an important event of the Berlin fashion and textile world".

The ATSG was the first fair of its kind in Germany. "There are many fashion trade fairs for sale from wholesale to retail. Berlin has so far lacked an event for companies of all sizes, including micro-brands and small fashion labels," continues Jason Prescott. The exhibited product categories included fabrics, technical clothing, mixed and knitted fabrics, home textiles, leather, natural and synthetic fibres, readymade goods and fashion accessories. Visitors to major European fashion brands as well as small, independent brands from the Berlin fashion scene were able to take a close look at raw materials and finished garments and discuss their ideas personally with the exhibitors. In parallel, China Textile Brand Show (Berlin), sponsored by Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), made its debut bringing in more than 150 superb Chinese manufacturers with their best collections for Germany and EU market.

Opening Ceremony, Lectures and Fashion Show

The ATSG was opened by Chinese government representatives and international association delegates. More than 20 lectures on the three days provided the latest impulses for thought and discussion. In their lectures and panel discussions, speakers from all over the world presented current positions on topics such as "All China? Or is there more to it?", "Application examples of artificial intelligence in the fashion industry", "Optimal logistics concepts for Europe", or "The importance of sustainability in the European fashion industry".

Wilson Zhu, COO at Li & Fung, one of the world's largest trading houses based in Hong Kong, explained in his keynote speech his view on the digitization of global supply chains: "From raw materials in the textile factory to consumer tracking: In retail, every step of the value chain is determined by digitization.

Companies need to be close to consumers and their supply chains must enable a seamless flow of data and information from start to finish". Customers and their requirements have also changed: "They want to know about origin, recyclability and production standards and use their information to adjust their purchasing behavior accordingly.” Other speakers included Jeff Streader of the brand investment platform Go Global and Salman Khokhar of Brand Lab Kollective Moda. The fashion show on the second day featured creations by local Berlin labels (Damur, Danny Reinke, Aline Celi, Yoona Tech) as well as Asian brands exhibiting at ATSG.

Successful kick-off

Exhibition organiser Jason Prescott draws a positive balance: "Looking back on the three days, I am very proud of what went well. Which has been confirmed for us: We're on an exciting path, have taken our first steps here in Berlin and will continue to develop the exhibition." The creators of ATSG 2019 are taking ideas for the year 2020 with them, especially from the many intensive discussions with exhibitors and visitors: "The ATSG has offered visitors and exhibitors a unique opportunity to identify new growth strategies, look around for market partners, learn from each other and establish networks. We are very pleased that the concept was used here in Berlin," concludes Chase Vance, Director of JP Communications.

JEC Asia is the major, most insightful composites event in Asia-Pacific for products, solutions, net-working, and advanced industry thinking - 3 full days of Business, Innovation & Knowledge

JEC ASIA KEY FIGURES

• 7,000+ professional visits
• 245+ exhibiting companies from 49 countries
• 3 conference sessions
• 40+ International speakers
• 450+ business meetings
• Startup Booster competition
• Innovation awards and planet
• In parallel to eMove360° Asia

Paris - For its 12th edition and third time in Seoul, JEC Asia 2019 will gather companies from the entire composites value chain in Asia Pacific to present their latest capabilities and innovations to the composites community and the strategic end-user’s market including: Mobility, Aeronautics, Building & Construction. This year more than 245 exhibiting companies are expected with thousands of professionals from 49
countries to network, exchange ideas, explore new opportunities and strengthen their business partnerships.

Addressing the impact of composites in Mobility 4.0

During the press conference held in Seoul on July 9th to introduce JEC Asia 2019 and eMove Asia 360° main features, a roundtable gathering speakers, experts and academics from prestigious Korean research centers specialized in carbon and composites — along with Hyundai Motor and KCTech composites experts, eMove360°’s CEO & Publisher and Korean Electric Vehicle Association representatives — exchanged their views on the impact of composites in today's and tomorrow's mobility in the world with a focus on the Korean market. Discussions centered around the challenges raised by Mobility 4.0 (electric connected and autonomous vehicles) and how composites can offer highly adapted solutions for the new challenges faced by this sector, particularly in the context of the rising electrification of vehicles.

Hence, the 2019 edition of JEC Asia will welcome for the first time the eMove360° ASIA exhibition and conferences focusing on Trends in electric & autonomous mobility, Battery & Powertrain and Charging & Energy.

Celebrating Innovation and Knowledge

JEC Asia 2019 will also host the 2nd leg of the JEC Startup Booster competition, the leading startup competition in the world of composites will enable companies to find and assess innovations with a potential impact on their respective industry. The 10 finalists selected in the region by a prestigious jury, will pitch their project to win a chance to showcase their work at JEC World 2020 in Paris. The JEC Innovation Awards is a long-established and worldwide program with 3 simple goals: identify, promote and reward the most innovative composite solutions in the world. Over the past 15 years, the JEC Innovation Program has involved 1,800 companies worldwide; 177 companies and 433 partners have been rewarded for the excellence of their composite innovations. The JEC Innovation Awards reward composites champions, based on criteria such as partner involvement in the value chain, technicality or commercial applications of innovations. The award ceremony will take place on the second day of JEC Asia, on November 14th, 2019.

JEC Asia 2019 will also feature a fulfilling conference program with experts from the industry giving their insights on the latest developments in high-performance composite technologies and applications.

JEC Asia 2019 conferences main themes will focus on:

• International Carbon Festival Conference organized with our partner, KCTech.
• Automotive composite golden triangle: low CAPEX, low cost but high volume
• Automotive hybrid solutions: take the best of each material
• Aeronautics: faster processes and new materials
• Business opportunities (Raw materials, Process, Application, Countries, Region)
Finally, JEC Asia offers the opportunity to visit Composites sites. This year professionals will live a full experience of South Korea composites Industry visiting: Hanyang University, Kookmin University with Hankuk Carbon, Win & Win Co or Korean Carbon with KCTech in Jeonju.

See you @JEC Asia 2019 and eMove360° Asia, November 13 to 15,  Seoul Coex Convention and Exhibition Center