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.

During an expansive, three-day Electronics For Imaging, Inc. open house this month at the company’s EFI™ Reggiani industrial textile printer facility, textile and apparel manufacturers witnessed first-hand the market-leading innovations that provide users with new opportunities. The December open house, which drew more than 70 attendees from over 23 different European, South American, and Middle Eastern countries, featured informative sessions with product experts on a diverse range of topics, covering new and trending market applications for textile manufacturers.

Attendees witnessed live demonstrations of eight advanced digital printers during the open house, including the new EFI Reggiani HYPER, EFI Reggiani TERRA Silver scanning/multi-pass printer, and EFI Reggiani BLAZE as well as the EFI Reggiani BOLT – the award-winning single-pass offering that is the one of the fastest digital textile printers.

EFI Reggiani HYPER – a fast scanning digital printer
The new EFI Reggiani HYPER is a scanning printer available in 1.8-metre, 2.4-metre or 3.4-metre widths. The Reggiani HYPER model targets the industrial high-speed segment of the multi-pass textile printing sector.

With an up to eight-colour configuration, it prints at speeds up to 13 linear metres per minute in two-pass production mode. The new printer is suitable for high-quality production on knitted or woven fabrics and is designed with smart technology that enables it to be integrated into Industry 4.0 projects.

Sustainable direct-to-textile printing with the EFI Reggiani TERRA Silver
The new-version TERRA Silver printer is part of EFI’s complete TERRA line-up of pigment ink printer solutions. It allows print service providers to enter the world of industrial textile with a short, smart and green production process.
The printer also features:

• A new recirculating ink system for superior reliability and minimum maintenance
• Several printing modes to ensure maximum flexibility in terms of design capability
• New, real-time image processing that eliminates time spent in image pre-calculations
• A user friendly, intuitive interface
• A more-efficient polymerisation process that takes place as printed textile goes through the printer’s on-board dryer.

EFI Reggiani BLAZE, an ideal entry solution for industrial textile printing
The EFI Reggiani BLAZE printer is designed to give textile companies the opportunity to enter the digital textile printing market with a compact solution. The new, 1.8-metre-wide printer offers an innovative, low-maintenance, continuous recirculation ink system equipped with a level sensor and degassing as well as a print head crash protective system for longer printhead life and superior uptime.

The upgraded EFI Reggiani BOLT – one of the fastest digital textile printers
In 2021, the EFI Reggiani BOLT received a combination of hardware and software enhancements that minimise artifacts, compensating for missing nozzles that may occur over time and enhancing uniformity to deliver smoother solid colours. The upgrade also delivers improved quality and smoother gradients, plus it enables faster printhead replacement and drastically increases file processing speed by up to 200% for large, complex files.

Kornit Digital Ltd. announced that France-based Brodelec has recently complemented its existing Kornit Avalanche direct-to-garment (DTG) and Kornit Presto S direct-to-fabric print systems with Kornit Atlas MAX technology. The print services provider, which produces personalized markings on textiles, luggage, and promotional pieces, has used Kornit Digital production technologies for more than 15 years.

Tourism accounts for 30% of Brodelec’s business, and clients include zoos, museums, and tourist attractions, as well as communication agencies. They established an on-demand web platform enabling small brands and YouTube users to order and receive custom gear quickly. By investing in a broad cross-section of Kornit’s technologies for single-step, eco-friendly, just-in-time production, Brodelec creates new opportunities and sales channels, which proved fortuitous when the pandemic economy suddenly impacted consumer behaviors.

Using Kornit’s Oeko-Passport and GOTS-certified inks, these systems produce consistent, high-quality impressions within minutes, giving Brodelec the flexibility to produce a variety of applications, in multiple materials, with a single ink set. The business complemented Kornit’s quick, efficient production capabilities with a laser cutting system and several sewing machines, empowering them to offer finished pieces such as imprinted cushions, tote bags, aprons, and towels.

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.

• JEC Group announces theme for JEC World 2022 and reaffirms global leadership in composites innovation, business and networking

JEC World, the leading global trade show dedicated to composite materials, their manufacturing technologies and application markets, will take place in Paris from March 8-10, 2022, under the theme Composites for a Sustainable World. JEC World 2022 will be the industry’s most awaited international face to face event after the long pandemic period. Exhibition space is already 98% booked, a clear demonstration of the industry’s commitment to meet and resume business. Those unable to join in person will be able to experience the show via the JEC World Connect digital platform.

“We are looking forward to welcoming our exhibitors, partners and visitors back to Paris to resume business and promote innovation,” comments Thomas Lepretre, VP Events, Sales and Operations of JEC Group. “JEC World will bring the composites industry together to showcase the sustainability benefits of composite materials to a global audience, and to provide a stimulating meeting-place for the industry to pursue its sustainability ambitions by exchanging knowledge, forging collaborations, and imagining new concepts to protect our environment.”

• JEC World a unique get-together on sustainability throughout the product lifecycle
• JEC World a real composites “think tank”
• JEC World 2022 will demonstrate how sustainable thinking is at the heart of the innovative designs, technologies and business models driving the development of the next generation of composites applications.

Four conferences will be held over the three days, focusing on:

• Sustainability of Raw Materials for Composites: Fueling the Circular Revolution
• Rethinking Composite Materials Production: The Path to Sustainable Manufacturing
• Design for Circular Composite Products: Turning Waste, Recycling & Reuse into Opportunities
• Applications of Composite Materials for Circularity: Towards a Net-Zero World

Innovation is in JEC World’s DNA
One of JEC World’s objective’s is to promote the composites sector’s most innovative projects. More than 600 product launches are expected to be announced over the three days of the show, which will also feature JEC’s high-regarded innovation challenges and awards ceremonies :

• The JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate innovative global composite projects, as well as fruitful collaborations between different players in the value chain. Over more than 15 years, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards have highlighted collaborations between some 1,900 companies and recognized 203 creative projects. The winners will be announced on March 7th during a dedicated ceremony and their successful technologies will be on display throughout the show.

• The JEC Composites Startup Booster is the leading startup competition in the world of composites. In 2022, this competition will celebrate its fifth anniversary, with a special event to be organized onsite and the launch of a new “sustainability” award. And, with 20 finalists for 2022, it will recognize innovations with the greatest potential market impact and promote them to an influential audience of decision-makers. The finalists’ innovations will be displayed at JEC World’s “Startup Village.”

• For the first time, JEC World will host the 3rd edition of the SMC BMC Design Award organized by the European Alliance for SMC BMC. This international competition recognizes and promotes design excellence in the use of SMC and BMC materials. The theme of this edition is Sustainable Living, and the award is opento design students and young design professionals (less than 3 years of experience) living in Europe.

Huntsman Textile Effects is bringing its complete end-to-end suite of high-performance solutions for sports apparel to Performance Days Digital Fair from December 1 to 2, 2021 virtually.

Driven by growing consumer interest in active and healthy lifestyles, coupled with the growing number of national sports participation programs that promote healthy living, the global sportwear market shows no signs of slowing. Brands that aim to satisfy this high-growth market need to be able to produce performance apparel that not only delivers sought-after functional capabilities and desirable aesthetics, but also comes with low environmental impact.

Huntsman will introduce the latest addition to the third generation of its revolutionary AVITERA® SE polyreactive dye range at Performance Days. AVITERA® ROSE SE delivers bluish-red shades while reducing the water and energy required for production by up to 50% and increasing mill output by up to 25% or more. It also significantly outperforms available dyeing technologies for cellulosic fibers and blends in terms of value, reducing recipe costs, minimizing processing costs and eliminating reprocessing.

Also in the spotlight are eco-friendly solutions for the challenges of achieving full whites and consistent shades on recycled polyester (rPET) with right-first-time quality. Huntsman’s rPET processing solutions include pre-treatment chemicals, fluorescent whitening agents, state-of-the-art washfast dyes, and finishing solutions for high-performance protection and comfort.

In partnership with Sciessent, Huntsman is also bringing revolutionary antimicrobial and odor-control solutions to Performance Days. These include Sciessent’s Agion Active® X2, a next-generation odor-control solution that combines advanced technologies to both capture and fight odor-causing bacteria for garments that smell fresh for longer and need less frequent washing. The partners are also previewing a new solution: Sciessent’s NOBO™, a cost-effective odor adsorber that provides odor control on virtually any fabric.

Other featured innovations include Teflon Eco Dry with Zelan™ R2 Plus technology. A breakthrough in sustainable water repellency, it contains 30% renewably sourced plant-based raw materials and meets or exceeds performance levels possible with traditional fluorinated technologies. Another exciting Huntsman solution is the new PHOBOL® Extender UXN – a product that optimizes water-repellent finishes for long-lasting fabric protection. It is free from butanone oxime, which has recently been re-classified in Europe and restricted above certain limits in products by bluesign®.

Alchemie Technology, an innovator of low energy, waterless, textile dyeing and finishing technology, is calling on COP26 leaders to support the global fashion industry in the adoption of new manufacturing technology, which will dramatically reduce carbon emissions and fashion’s impact on climate change.

While the fashion industry is one of the most polluting on the planet, second only to oil and gas, and greenhouse gas emissions from textile dyeing at around 3% of global emissions outweigh that of all international flights and maritime shipping combined, it is an industry that can also reduce CO2 emissions the fastest, just by changing the way it dyes fabrics.  

Fabric dyeing is the most polluting part of fashion and activewear manufacturing, involving industrial scale dye baths and huge amounts of dye chemicals, steam, electrical power, and consequent high CO2 emissions.  Repeated washing of the dyed fabric, required to remove dye residue, is responsible for 20% of the world’s wastewater pollution and excess dye is discharged into waterways, affecting the health of some of the world’s poorest communities. In more regulated areas, water pollution is reduced through reliance on energy intensive water treatment plants.

However, an environmental step change can be achieved by adopting new digital technology that can dye fabrics with an 85% reduction in energy consumption and a dramatic 95% reduction of the 1.3 trillion litres of water currently used by the industry each year.

For example, dyeing one polyester shirt using current methods generates 4.5 litres of wastewater and produces 0.17 Kg of CO2, compared to low energy digital technology, which uses less than 0.2 litres of water and reduces carbon emissions to 0.03 Kg.  Multiply these numbers by the billions of garments dyed each year and the scale of the environmental problem, if nothing changes, is clear to see. Equally, the amount by which the textile industry can improve its carbon footprint is dramatic and can be done quickly if action is taken now.

Der Textilhersteller Wolford möchte seinen Kunden ein modernes und nahtloses Shoppingerlebnis bieten und beauftragt die Digitalagentur diva-e mit der Implementierung einer revolutionären Omnichannel-Lösung. Filialen, Online-Shop und Marktplätze wie Zalando und Amazon werden dabei nahtlos miteinander verknüpft. Zum Einsatz kommt die Software-Architektur „MACH“, die für maximale Flexibilität und bestmögliche Benutzerfreundlichkeit sorgt.

Der Textilhersteller Wolford startet mit „Wolford X“ eine umfassende Digitalisierungsinitiative mit mehreren Partnern, um sich zukunftsorientiert aufzustellen und die Kundenerfahrung auf ein neues Level zu heben. Ziel ist die Etablierung einer Omnichannel-Lösung, bei der Filialen, Online-Shop, Social Media und Marketplaces miteinander verknüpft werden. Die Digitalagentur diva-e ist als führender Partner im Projekt mit der Umsetzung des Großteils der Plattform für die neue Omnichannel-Lösung beauftragt. Mit dem Einsatz des MACH-Architekturansatzes implementiert diva-e eine zukunftsträchtige Infrastruktur, die für Wolford die Möglichkeit schafft, zukünftig mit hoher Geschwindigkeit die Komponenten der Omnichannel-Plattform weiterzuentwickeln, umzugestalten, auszutauschen und so neue Services auszurollen. Ebenfalls an dem Projekt beteiligt sind Commercetools, Newstore, Bloomreach, Tealium, Stibo STEP und Vue Storefront.
 
Zum Einsatz kommt die erste und international führende Omnichannel-Plattform von NewStore. Sie bietet Kunden eine nahtlose und stark individualisierte Einkaufserfahrung, die beispielsweise Endless Aisle Szenarien ermöglicht. Bei diesen werden Kunden beim Besuch eines stationären Geschäfts erkannt und der Verkäufer erhält über eine App die Kundeninformationen zu den bereits im Online Shop favorisierten oder gekauften Produkten. Diese oder ähnliche Produkte kann er dann direkt zur Anprobe anbieten. Sollte der gewünschte Artikel im stationären Store nicht vorrätig sein, besteht zudem die Möglichkeit, sich diesen taggleich nach Hause senden zu lassen.
 
Die Voraussetzung und gleichzeitig Herausforderung für dieses neuartige Shoppingerlebnis ist die Verknüpfung verschiedener Daten. Kunden-, Produkt- und Bestelldaten müssen im Sinne eines bestmöglichen Kundenerlebnisses an allen Touchpoints zusammengeführt werden.
 
Das umfangreiche Omnichannel-Projekt ist eines der Ersten seiner Größe am europäischen Markt und wird voraussichtlich im Juni 2022 abgeschlossen sein. 

• 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.

Kornit Digital Ltd. announced the release of its Kornit Presto MAX system for sustainable on-demand production of apparel and other textile goods. The new system will make its live debut at Kornit Fashion Week Los Angeles + Industry 4.0 Event, which the company is hosting November 2-5 to showcase technology innovations, partnerships, and proven strategies driving the business case for sustainable, on-demand production of fashion and textile goods worldwide.

Kornit Presto MAX is the first digital print system to offer white printing on colored fabrics, enhancing decoration capabilities for dark colored fabrics more broadly. It is the only single-step solution for direct-to-fabric printing, delivering the highest quality and softest feel with brilliant whites and brighter neon colors. The system is ready to incorporate future iterations and evolutions of XDi technology—3D decorative applications to produce threadless embroidery, high-density, vinyl, screen transfer, and other innovative effects.

Kornit Presto MAX is compatible with natural fabrics, synthetics, and blends, and includes advanced algorithms for smart autonomous calibration, to deliver high-quality results with short cycle times and minimal manual interruptions or defects. The system was devised for compatibility with the KornitX global fulfillment ecosystem to enable anywhere, anytime production, supporting a true distributed production model that fulfills nearer the end consumer, eliminating time and logistical waste from the experience while empowering brands to ensure quality and consistency across all systems and production sites.

Kornit Presto MAX provides the cornerstone of a smart, efficient, sustainable EcoFactory that empowers producers to cover and integrate more parts of the process, from design to finished product, to decrease their carbon footprint, use minimum manpower, and generate less waste. This means eliminating excessive time, labor, and shipping throughout the value chain, enabling proximity production to meet the accelerated demands of a web-driven global marketplace—revealing new sales channels and clever business models to grow the business long-term.