From the Sector

In view of the exponential worsening of the pandemic situation worldwide and the accompanying tightened travel and contact regulations, the consumer goods fairs Christmasworld, Paperworld, and Creativeworld are cancelled for January 2022 and Ambiente for mid-February 2022. The regionally-oriented trade fair Nordstil from 15 to 17 January 2022 in Hamburg will take place at the present time.

The easing of the pandemic situation that was still hoped for in December is no longer in sight. Instead, the situation is deteriorating worldwide with an enormous, unforeseeable dynamic. This extreme deterioration due to the spread of the Omicron virus in Europe and Germany currently makes it impossible for Messe Frankfurt, as organiser of the leading international trade fairs Christmasworld, Paperworld, and Creativeworld, as well as Ambiente, to keep their dates in Frankfurt at the end of January and in mid-February 2022.

The four events, consisting of Christmasworld with its focus on seasonal and festive decorations, Paperworld and Creativeworld with their product ranges for paper, office supplies, stationery and hobby, craft and artists' requisites and Ambiente with its cross-sector range of products for the table, kitchen and housewares, furnishing and decorative accessories, home furnishing concepts, gifts and fashion accessories, are the recognised leading trade fairs in their sectors and open the trading year in their respective segments. Even in a reduced numerical form, the four trade fairs would still have been the leading events worldwide for their respective product segments.

However, the exponential increase in the number of infections worldwide in a very short period of time and the accompanying multitude of developments and decisions that are clearly outside the organiser's sphere of influence have led to a significant deterioration in the general conditions and necessary prerequisites for holding the four leading trade fairs as major events of international relevance at the end of January and in mid-February 2022 respectively. These developments include the classification of Germany as a high-risk area and the associated travel warnings and international and intercontinental travel restrictions in countries such as India, Japan and the United States, as well as the corresponding quarantine obligations. Equally important are the steadily rising infection figures and the accompanying urgent appeal, among others by the Robert Koch Institute and the expert council of the German Federal Government, to continue to reduce contacts to a minimum and to cancel all major events. At present, there are even further international fears that the critical infrastructure will not be maintained due to the highly contagious Omicron variant. The majority of exhibiting and visiting companies at Christmasworld, Paperworld, and Creativeworld as well as Ambiente are currently reacting to this overall situation with travel and trade fair attendance bans for reasons of duty of care towards their employees to protect them from health risks. The global willingness to travel is dropping enormously at the moment.

There are no plans to postpone the event. Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, explains: "Since the trend-oriented order cycles of the international consumer goods industry require an annual event at the beginning of the year, a shift to the second half of the year would not meet the needs of the exhibiting companies and visitors."

Nordstil to be held in Hamburg from 15 to 17 January 2022
In the interests of the sectors involved, the planning and implementation of Nordstil from 15 to 17 January 2022 is not affected. This trade fair will take place in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg at this time due to other general conditions for local implementation. However, the extremely volatile situation is continuously reviewed and assessed in close exchange with the relevant local authorities and industry partners.

Messe Frankfurt's digital platforms for business success
Messe Frankfurt has already been actively helping retailers to help themselves since 2019 with Nextrade, the first order and data management platform for the home and living sector, and Conzoom Solutions, an information platform for the global consumer goods sector. "A second year without appropriate ordering, inspiration and networking formats poses considerable and in some cases existentially threatening challenges for retailers worldwide," Braun explains. "With our digital offers, we are specifically supporting our partners in industry and trade in this volatile situation. In addition, we will continue to put all our energy and optimism into safe and promising trade fairs. Because there is no substitute for meeting in real life."

Information on the planning of the Frankfurt consumer goods fairs for 2023 will be announced at the beginning of February 2022.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced it has updated its value proposition to grow the nonwovens industry and establish its global leadership and versality in delivering essential, environmentally-responsible materials and products.

Resulting from an extensive strategic review process guided by industry experts, the new plan positions INDA to move forward from the business challenges of COVID that impacted its ability to hold in-person events.

INDA will equip the nonwovens industry and its customers to achieve business growth by focusing resources on shaping the external environment, and fostering actionable thought leadership on crucial issues. The association will continue to strengthen its vital role of bringing together industry experts in a pre-competitive environment by organizing and leading working groups and committees to focus on areas of mutual concern.

Dave Rousse, INDA President, stated, “We enthusiastically embrace the new foundation based on five key pillars that will guide INDA activities.” These pillars are:

• Convene and connect the industry through trade shows and conferences
• Achieve industry relevance among policy makers, end users, and other key stakeholders
• Advocate for the Nonwovens Industry in public policy forums
• Deliver market insights for better decision making
• Provide training programs to sustain the industry’s innovative edge

Rousse continued, “With last month’s announcement of Tony Fragnito joining INDA as Chief Operating Officer, we are ready to implement this plan and take it into the future. I look forward to working with him to drive INDA’s continuous pursuit of excellence in providing ever greater value to our industry and our members.”

INDA has retained several outside resources to survey members and develop this plan, as well as recruit the support needed to execute the plan over the next several years.

After three-days of product sourcing and business networking, Techtextil India 2021 in Mumbai concluded in a strong and positive note. The trade fair emerged as a crucial meeting place for the technical textile players to rebuild their supplier links, promote industry integration and engage in lucrative knowledge exchange.

The eighth edition of Techtextil India stood out to be a ground-breaking business platform for the technical textile sector to build a new and strong foundation in the new normal. The aim of the new edition was to promote industry unification and business recovery across the value chain of technical textiles.

The event held at Bombay Exhibition Centre was inaugurated by major dignitaries, including Shri Ajit Chavan, Secretary – Textiles Committee, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. Over the course of its three buzzing days, the show garnered an attendance of 4,087 visitors drawn by live demonstration of latest products, technologies and innovations exhibited by over 150 technical textile brands on the show floor.

The event received an overwhelming response, reflecting industry’s keen interest to explore new developments and opportunities in technical textiles. In regards to the same, Mr Abhijit Kulkarni, President – Textile Engineering Group, A.T.E. India, stated: “It was the first and best physical show also on hybrid mode filled with enthusiastic buyers and customers who visited our booth and had very fruitful discussions with us. Several leading textile manufacturers visited our stalls, including: Strata Geosystems India, SKAPS Industries, Reliance Composites, Paramount Textiles, and Welspun, to name a few.”

Alok Masterbatches Pvt Ltd, Khosla Profile Pvt Ltd, ATE Group, Lucky International, Meera Industries Limited, Park Non-Woven Pvt Ltd, Sarex Chemicals, SICAM, Suntech Geotextile Pvt Ltd and Weavetech Engineers, were among the leading Indian companies exhibiting at the show.

The significance of the three-day fair was further elevated by the German pavilion. Technical textile manufacturers from Germany, such as Autefa Solution Germany GmbH, DILO Systems GmbH, Emtec Electronic GmbH, Georg Sahm GmbH & Co, Karl Mayer Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Merz Maschinenfabrik GmbH and Oerlikon Barmag Zweigniederlassung der Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co, displayed their latest technologies on the show floor, which garnered significant attention from the Indian buyers.

The first Digital Symposium was another highlight of Techtextil India 2021. The forum delved into a series of crucial topics in technical textiles discussing PLI schemes, FDI opportunities and policies, investment opportunities in Tamil Nadu, & New Investment Opportunities, Sustainable Technical Textiles and Global sustainable approach for Textiles with Antimicrobial Performance.

Concluding on a successful note, Techtextil India 2021 emerged as a platform of new beginnings for the technical textiles sector and for businesses trying to retain their shape and seeking momentum after the tough pandemic phase.

• Focus now on digital fair platform

The PERFORMANCE DAYS team regrets having to cancel at short notice the physical edition of PERFORMANCE DAYS which was scheduled to take place on December 1-2, 2021 at the Messe München exhibition center. Right up until today, the event organizers of PERFORMANCE DAYS were in the final stages of preparations for the fair. The goal of being able to realize a fully booked fair with a portfolio like in pre-pandemic times seemed to be within reach. The political regulations agreed in Bavaria from November 19, 2021 and the heavily restricted constraints associated with an incidence of 1000 have far-reaching consequences for PERFORMANCE DAYS. As a result of the current sharp rise in the number of infections in Munich, the planned winter edition must now be cancelled as a precaution. The focus now is now completely on the digital fair on December 1 and 2, 2021.

The new measures are scheduled to come into effect in Munich from the middle of this week, which would lead to very short-term changes. The organizers of PERFORMANCE DAYS therefore see themselves in the responsibility to enable a minimum of planning security as well as a responsible handling of the given situation with this decision.

“Exceptional situations require exceptional decisions – making these all the more difficult. After experiencing a very successful and surprisingly well-attended fair with the Functional Fabric Fair by PERFORMANCE DAYS in Portland, Oregon last week, we have tried everything possible up to the last moment and firmly believed that we would finally set a further positive milestone with the physical edition of PERFORMANCE DAYS in Munich. We fulfilled all the requirements, updated our hygiene concept several times to comply with the dynamically changing measures and took all the necessary precautions for a safe event. Unfortunately, current developments do not allow us to host the trade fair event next week, since the undisputed top priority is the protection and health of our visitors. Now our focus turns to the full implementation of the Digital Fair on December 1 and 2, 2021”, explains Marco Weichert, CEO of PERFORMANCE DAYS

Focus on digital platform
The PERFORMANCE DAYS team is now investing all its efforts into implementing the Digital Fair on December 1 and 2, 2021. As part of THE LOOP, those interested have the opportunity as of now to view online the fabric innovations and news for the Winter Season 2023/24, this year’s Focus Topic “Sustainable Nylon” and the latest color trends. In the Marketplace, visitors will be able to view the numerous exhibitor products, including the PERFORMANCE FORUM’s curated sustainable fabric highlights. In order to present the fabrics to visitors as realistically as possible in terms of feel, design and structure in digital form, the PERFORMANCE FORUM has been equipped with new 3D-technology, including innovative tools such as 3D images, video animations and downloadable U3M files. Throughout the Digital Fair, exhibitors and fair visitors can look forward to extensive networking opportunities. For example, as part of the extensive digital supporting program on December 1, with various expert talks, discussion rounds and speakers via livestream, moderated by Charles Ross live from the studio. On December 2, the “sustain & innovate” conference on this year’s Focus Topic “The Sustainable Future of Nylon” will kick off with discussions and panels, moderated by Astrid Schlüchter, Editor-in-Chief of SAZsport and SPORTSFASHION by saz.  

A very special thank you goes out to the entire PERFORMANCE DAYS community with its exhibitors, visitors and partners for their active support, trust, loyalty and understanding in these still extraordinary times. The team looks forward to the Digital Fair on December 1 and 2, 2021 and further ahead to meeting you all personally on April 27 and 28, 2022 at the summer edition of PERFORMANCE DAYS live in Munich.

• CHIC Shanghai successfully completed under high safety and hygiene conditions
• The trend hotspot for the Chinese sales market: Lively interest of more than 20,000 trade visitors in the new collections of the 487 brands at the NECC in Shanghai
• Sustainability in great demand in all areas
• CHIC Shenzhen focuses on trading in the strong sales region of South China and the international clusters Hong Kong and Macao: Date postponed from November to December due to current Covid-19 cases in China

The fashion world of China met at the physical event CHIC Shanghai from October 9-11, 2021 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai

487 exhibitors presented themselves in clearly structured segments on 50,000 square meters. Maximum compliance with the security measures determined the course. Against this background the exhibitors welcomed more than 20,000 trade visitors and reported cheerful orders.

The 487 exhibitors were also satisfied with the business activity and reported successful orders.

Perfect presentation platform: the CHIC Matching area
The expanded matchmaking events at CHIC were also enthusiastically received.
In total, over 37 matchmaking events took place in the specially set up matching area consisting of several presentation platforms and private negotiation rooms at the fair. From company presentations by industry giants such as Shein, through trade fair tours to selected one-on-one discussions, CHIC brought exhibitors and visitors together in a targeted manner. More than 600 participants have been matched by this CHIC event. Among them visitors such as Shein, Walmart, Wang Yi Yan Xuan, Tiktok, BAILIAN GROUP, LIQUN etc, parts of the organizer's broad network.

Continuing growth: sustainable productions
Sustainability is one of the most important consumer trends in China. CHIC played the theme in all exhibition areas; from womenswear, kidswear and menswear to accessories, sustainable collections were represented in all segments.

Design talent and traditional styles
In the IMPULSES area, innovative designer brands showed inspiring trends, high-quality collections and fashion variety like Kmusso, MIJA or Yu Jian Tian with its new design collection made by natural materials such as mulberry silk and wool, presenting the unique traditional Chinese style.

CHIC Shanghai presented the entire range of the fashion business in a total of 12 exhibition segments. This year's acclaimed visual concept, created by lava beijing, has been awarded the Bronze Award of the Hiiibrand Awards 2021 in the Identity category.

Digital tools and physical events
In addition to the on-site trade fair offer, CHIC is expanding its reach through the consistent use of digital tools. The CHIC app combines all the functions needed for a successful trade fair participation, from the digital trade fair catalog and matchmaking to direct appointments and live chats for all participants who cannot be on site.

The next CHIC in Shanghai will take place in March 2022.

The ITA Group, consisting of the Institute for Textile Technology of RWTH Aachen University (ITA), their research and development service provider ITA Technologietransfer GmbH (ITA GmbH) are proud to announce their new strategic positioning: in order to better respond to actual industrial demands and needs, ITA decided to install a partnership model as of January, 25 2022.

The ITA Group comprises the ITA of RWTH Aachen University, a leading research and qualification research institute with 400 employees in the areas of fibre-based high-performance materials, textile semi-finished products and their manufacturing processes and the ITA Technologietransfer GmbH, the partner of the industry in R&D, providing technology and knowledge transfer, as well as offering comprehensive solutions along the entire textile value chain.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Gries, Director of ITA, explains the new partnership model:” The impact of the Covid-19-crisis has shown once more the importance of long-term trustworthy business relationships. Therefore, we are establishing our new partnership model where we will even more closely cooperate with our actual and future industrial partners, providing them with the latest technologies and innovations from R&D side. We will initiate networking and workgroup meetings, offer access to ITA´s large machine parks and labs, carry out joint partner projects and commonly organized publicly-funded projects as well as training for partner´s employees and HR opportunities.”

Dr. Christoph Greb, Scientific Director of ITA: “We are very happy to initiate this new partnership model where science, research and industry are working shoulder to shoulder in pre-competitive projects on our future projects along the entire value-chain from the fibre to the final component in order to close a missing gap and form innovative paths forward in various industrial fields.”

During an initial session of three Innovation days in hybrid format, ITA successfully introduced in September 2021 the first industrial partner projects which will be carried out, among them “Recycling of composite battery cases”, “Recycling of composite pressure vessels”, “Natural Fibre Composites”, “Textile Structures with focus on biaxial Warp-Knitted Structures”, “Factory of the Future”, “Tapes and Hybrid Yarns”.

The next opportunity to meet with ITA is at JEC DACH in Frankfurt (November 23 and 24 2021).

European Textiles and Clothing (T&C) industry coming out of the Covid19-crisis, but facing new challenges ahead. This recovery may however be disrupted by the current supply chain and energy problems. Latest economic data on the European T&C industry confirm further recovery from the corona pandemic. The textile activity has now surpassed its pre-pandemic level from Q4 2019 (+3.6%); the clothing sector still remains 11.5% below, but continues to improve.

In quarter-on-quarter terms, the EU turnover showed signs of improvements across the sector. The textile turnover increased by +3.3% in Q2 2021, after slightly contracting in Q1 2021. Similarly, the business activity in the clothing sector expanded by +7% in Q2 2021, after increasing by +1% in the previous quarter.
 
In the 2nd quarter 2021, the EU-27 trade balance for T&C improved, resulting mostly from an increase of export sales across third markets and a drop of textile imports. T&C Extra-EU exports boomed by +49% as compared with the same quarter of the previous year. T&C Extra-EU imports went down by -26% as compared with the same quarter of the previous year, following a decrease of imports from some main supplier countries. EU imports from China and the UK collapsed due to a combination of Brexit and weaker demand in Europe.
 
During the second quarter of 2021, job creation was slowly stabilising in the textile industry (-0.2% q-o-q), while employment in the clothing sector continued to be affected by lower levels of production activity in industry during the first part of the year (-1.2%). When compared to its pre-pandemic level in Q4 2019, EU employment in Q2 2021 was still 4.4% down in textiles and 11.8% down in clothing.

However, this fragile recovery is hampered by higher shipping costs and prices’ increase in raw materials and energy. The cost of energy, in particular gas, has increased more than 3 times since the beginning of this year. Since the announcement of the EU’s “Fit for 55” package, we have seen CO2 prices rising above €60. This inevitably has an impact on the industry’s competitiveness, especially in a global context. The future recovery is also threatened by some factors limiting production, such as shortage of labour force and equipment, which are putting additional pressure on T&C industries.

Director General Dirk Vantyghem commented on these latest figures: “Our companies have shown great resilience during the pandemic, and their latest export performance is an encouraging sign of recovery. This recovery may however be disrupted by the current supply chain and energy problems. Once again, recent developments show that this transition towards more sustainable production can only work if organised in a global context, avoiding carbon leakage and with an effective level playing field. This must be considered in the upcoming EU Textiles Strategy.”

Instead of taking place from August 25-27 as originally planned, Asia's leading trade fair for fashion and lifestyle will now be held from October 9-11, 2021 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. The fair has been taking place physically again since July 2020, always in compliance with strict safety and hygiene regulations. Various digital platforms are being set up in parallel.

The around 500 brands registered for CHIC (August) will now present themselves to the trade visitors in autumn on 62,000 sqm, including important industry players such as JINTIANSHI (menswear), VINI Bespoke (menswear), Zaijiu (womenswear), Jiebeidi (womenswear), COFNA (childrenswear), Laura Vita (shoes), Hattershub (headwear), MANNYLONQ (CHIC-Young Blood) and Dragon Heart (CHIC-Young Blood) and exciting up-and-coming designers such as KIMUSSO, Yujiantian and Wuma.

The expected 60,000 visitors are also able to attend seminars and workshops on current topics such as Recognition and new opportunities of new retail in AI Fashion or 2021 Maker of Silk Road & Innovation of Design Infinity -- The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition of China Textile & Apparel SME.

Next events:
CHIC Shenzhen | 3rd-5th November 2021 | Shenzhen
CHIC March 22 | 9-11 March 2022 | Shanghai

• World of Wipes® International Conference Expected to Draw More than 400 Attendees July 12-15 in Atlanta

As business activity emerges with renewed enthusiasm post-pandemic, more than 400 attendees are expected to attend the World of Wipes® International Conference July 12-15 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis with over 50 tabletop exhibits at the two evening receptions.

In a sign of the industry’s strong desire to return to business in-person, INDA is anticipating a full show for a dynamic interactive experience with wipes industry professionals at WOW 2021. With less than a month to go, over 350 wipes professionals have already registered and registration remains open.

“We are pleased to open our doors for WOW 2021 and have our wipes professionals gather once again for face-to-face business, educational program content and social interactions,” said Dave Rousse, INDA President. “INDA is looking forward to welcoming industry friends to re-engage and bringing attendees together to forge new relationships.”

The three-day conference will deliver the latest insights and material science developments in key areas for business growth in this vital market with themes focused on sustainability issues, the impact of COVID-19 on consumer wipes, regulatory trends, flushability and more.

WOW 2021 Highlights

July 12 – The learning gets started with the separate one-and-a-half-day WIPES Academy led by Chris Plotz, INDA Director of Education and Technical Affairs, providing critical training on research, development and manufacturing of wipes. WOW 2021 will officially kick off with an evening welcome reception in the Marriott’s Imperial Foyer.

July 13 – WOW attendees are greeted by INDA’s President, Dave Rousse. The compelling conference program gets underway with the following sessions:

• Wipes and the Growing Plastics Debate
• Government Affairs Update 
• The Confusing World of Regulations Impacting the Disinfecting and Sanitizing Wipes
• Presentations by the three finalists for the World of Wipes Innovation Award® – Kimberly-Clark Scott Sanitizing Wipes, Lenzing™ Lyocell Skin fibers and Shark

July 14 – Industry-leading experts will present on thought-provoking topics related to wipes trends, innovations, sustainable packaging and the impact of COVID-19 during this packed second day. Among the not-to-be-missed sessions are:

• Trends in the Wipes Market and Among Consumers
• Innovation in Wet Wipe Preservatives
• COVID-19 Impact on Wipes Consumption and Cleaning Habits
• Sustainable Packaging and Dispensing for Wipes 

July 15 – Sustainability will be a headliner for this third day as well as the presentation of INDA’s prestigious award for innovation.

• Nonwoven Substrates for More Sustainable Wipes
• Flushable Wipes: Loved by Consumers, Wrongly Accused by Utilities

In addition to the strong conference content, at least 50 companies will exhibit their products and services during two evenings of one-and-a-half-hour tabletop exhibitions with networking receptions.

WOW 2021 will conclude with the exciting announcement of the World of Wipes Innovation Award® by Dave Rousse.

In addition to the live component, a conference recording will be available on demand two weeks after the event. INDA maintains its commitment to adhering to all CDC protocols and guidelines for a safe event. For the full event details, visit the WOW website.

• The Techtextil and Texprocess trade fairs have a positive view of the future and invite the sector to take part at Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre from 21 to 24 June 2022.
• Exhibitors who register well in advance benefit from an early-booking discount.

The dates for the next editions of Techtextil and Texprocess have been set and the leading international trade fairs for technical textiles and nonwovens and for the processing of textile and flexible materials are set to attract exhibitors and trade visitors from all over the world to Frankfurt am Main from 21 to 24 June 2022. Thus, the fairs are shifting the biennial cycle of events from odd to even years, which fits in perfectly with the sector’s international event calendar. Companies that book exhibition space at one of the two trade fairs no later than 31 August 2021 benefit from an early booking discount. “We see the future in a positive light and are confident that we will finally be able to give the sector the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and information in June 2022. The desire for personal encounters, direct communication and new impressions is growing from day to day”, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles and Textile Technologies.

Elgar Straub, Managing Director, VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, emphasises that, “Texprocess and Techtextil are the world’s foremost trade fairs for our innovative sector by a large margin. Both events offer customers an unrivalled overview of state-of-the-art innovations and technological developments – and beyond. Particularly when it comes to the latest trends for sustainability and digitalisation, Texprocess and Techtextil in Frankfurt represent the most important, future-oriented market. This makes it all the more important for both the exhibitor and visitor sides of the sector that we have the opportunity to obtain an overview of the latest market developments, to exchange ideas and information and to initiate new business. We are very relieved about this and hope that, next year, we will once again have the chance to generate new momentum for our sector in the international market.”

For the first time, Techtextil and Texprocess will occupy the western sector of Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre with a total of four exhibition halls and, with a hybrid format, offer the best of both the physical and immaterial worlds: personal communication, virtual networking opportunities and maximum digital coverage. With a comprehensive hygiene and safety concept, Messe Frankfurt will ensure that all visitors and exhibitors can take part safely and with a good feeling.