From the Sector

From 11 to 14 January 2024, the global carpet and flooring industry will meet at the Hannover exhibition grounds to discuss new products and current industry trends. With 1,000 international exhibitors, DOMOTEX promises a comprehensive overview of the Flooring und Carpets & Rugs sectors.

In addition to top exhibitors from the Carpets & Rugs sector, numerous global brands from the flooring industry will be exhibiting.
Well-known and long-standing exhibitors such as Area Floors, Amorim, Lamett, Li & Co, Camsan, Design Parquet, CFL Flooring, AGT, Forestry Timber, STP, SWISS KRONO, Decospan, Massive Holding, Floorify and Granorte have confirmed their participation. However, new exhibitors or those who have not participated for several years are also back in 2024 – including Kronospan and Kaindl, mFlor, Onefloor, Republic, Classen, Gerflor and MeisterWerke. From the field of application and installation technology, Neuhofer, SELIT, Välinge, Estillon, Shaper Origin, ADESIV, KLEIBERIT and i4F have also announced their participation.

In addition to the main exhibition, DOMOTEX will offer a variety of side events designed to provide important impulses for the day-to-day business of all trade visitors

THE GREEN COLLECTION
For the second time, THE GREEN COLLECTION in Hall 23 will highlight the latest developments in the fields of sustainability, circular economy and environmental protection in the carpet and flooring industry for visitors to experience first-hand. The special display includes current research projects by TFI Aachen, a haptic material show by raumprobe and product presentations by companies such as Uzin Utz, Classen and Gerflor.

RETAILERS‘ PARK
In collaboration with DECOR-UNION and the MEGA Group, DOMOTEX will be expanding its portfolio to include the two product segments "wall" and "ceiling" for the first time. In addition to other flooring suppliers, the RETAILERS' PARK in Hall 19/20 will feature products for holistic interior design, including paints and coatings from Südwest, Meffert and PPG Coatings as well as wallpapers from AS and Erfurt. Participants can also look forward to practical solutions for their day-to-day business, presented in the area's own user forum through hands-on live demonstrations.

DOMOTEX on Stage
The conference program in Hall 23 features experts from the retail sector, associations, architecture, interior design, trade and politics, who will offer a holistic view of the topics of the future for the entire industry. On Friday, 12 January, German politician and member of the European Parliament Reinhard Bütikofer will give a presentation on the European Green Deal. Joachim Stumpp, Managing Director of raumprobe, and Chiara Rodriguez from Materially will report on sustainable materials. In addition to sustainability, topics relating to trends, new work and the shortage of skilled workers will also play a keyrole at DOMOTEX on Stage.

The long-time sales manager is leaving the company at the end of this year. Frank Neumann joined Dibella in 1999 as a sales representative in the field service and was most recently responsible as sales manager for the areas of northern Germany and Berlin, as well as for exports, particularly for Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. He played a leading role in developing cruise companies as a new customer base for Dibella.

In addition, he was one of the co-founders of MaxTex, an international association that aims to ensure sustainable trade along the entire value chain, together with the then Dibella Managing Director Ralf Hellmann.

As an authorised signatory and member of the management board, Frank Neumann made a significant contribution to the company's success. "With Frank Neumann, we are saying goodbye to a valued colleague and proven expert. We would like to thank Mr Neumann for his extraordinary commitment to Dibella and wish him all the best for the future," says Stefan Tenbusch, Managing Director at Dibella.

With combined regional, global, and industry specific expertise, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) will make its debut from 28 February – 1 March 2024. Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in late March, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE) announced the new international fair for the entire textile value chain. The three-day platform will be staged at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City.

Commenting on the new event, Ms Wendy Wen, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, said: “With Intertextile Apparel in Shanghai a prime example, our Texpertise Network provides the ideal global framework from which to launch this diverse, comprehensive platform for the integrated textile supply chain. VIATT itself will capture the essence of Texpertise in one platform – a diverse, one-stop sourcing event for buyers across all categories, from garments, fabrics, yarns and fibres, to textile machinery, technical textiles and nonwovens, and everything in between.”

Discussing the event’s potential, Mr Le Hoang Tai, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE), said: “Vietnam is one of the world’s leading textile producers and exporters, and going from strength to strength as one of Southeast Asia’s manufacturing hubs. Our establishment has many years of experience organising trade fairs throughout Vietnam, and together with Messe Frankfurt we are excited to help international fairgoers unlock the potential of the country’s fast-growing textile market. In addition, Ho Chi Minh City’s accessibility, and Vietnam’s proximity to other leading textile-producing nations such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, China and India, make it the logical venue to host an event of this nature.”

Many international textile manufacturers have been expanding operations into Vietnam, augmenting an already strong domestic industry. According to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), the country’s textile and garment industry achieved staggering annual growth of 20 – 26% from 2018 – 2022. Participation in international trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)[2], bodes well for future growth.

As one of the world’s biggest importers of textile machinery, and a consistent importer of fabrics, yarns and fibres, garment production is the cornerstone of Vietnam’s industry. The country utilises cotton and functional materials to produce casualwear, childrenswear, swimwear, workwear, and much more, with sportswear an especially fast-growing category, and high-utility garments expected to achieve high exports.

By linking textile players from across Asia, Europe and beyond with this market, VIATT 2024 is willing to play an important part in shaping the future of Vietnam’s industry. Next year’s fair will host an extensive mix of international and domestic exhibitors covering multiple textile sub-sectors, including garments, apparel fabrics and accessories, yarns and fibres, digital printing, home textiles, technical textiles and nonwovens, textile processing, textile machinery, and more.

Exhibitors and buyers can utilise the fair’s global business matchmaking service, where connections are made based on the specific needs of each party. In addition to the fair’s main function as an international trading platform, its fringe programme will facilitate participants’ networking with industry leaders and offer diverse market insights via various seminars, forums, and panel discussions.

The Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE). Covering the entire textile industry value chain, the inaugural edition will be held from 28 February – 1 March 2024 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City.

Dibella's long-standing forwarding partner Hamacher was taken over by the sustainably committed logistics specialist Heppner at the end of 2018. The new constellation takes Dibella another step further in terms of climate-neutral transport: the logistics company, which originates from France, focuses on the environmentally friendly transport of goods and is investing heavily in a carbon dioxide-neutral vehicle fleet.

"With our first sustainability report, we introduced the monitoring of our carbon dioxide emissions. It turned out that the transport of our textiles produces the most climate gases. We have therefore consistently switched to sea freight and almost without exception do not ship goods by air. However, we still see a need for optimisation from the port of Rotterdam to the customer or to our warehouse. After the takeover of our long-standing forwarding partner Hamacher by the logistics specialist Heppner, there is now a breath of fresh air in our climate-friendly delivery initiative. The company is committed to environmentally friendly transports and a low-emission vehicle fleet. Together we now want to look for solutions to make the "last miles" of our deliveries climate gas neutral," says Ralf Hellmann, Managing Director of Dibella.

Departure into a clean future
Spedition Heppner, with its origins in Alsace, is a family-owned company with worldwide operations and 3,320 employees handling more than 72 million freight items annually. More than a decade ago, the logistics specialist began recording the carbon dioxide emissions released by its fleet of vehicles and steadily reducing them by switching to environmentally friendly energy sources. With a mix of gas, bio-fuel and electric drive, the discharge of greenhouse gases caused by the company's trucks is to be reduced by twenty percent by the year 2025. By 2050, the entire fleet should be diesel-free. To achieve a carbon dioxide-neutral footprint, Heppner is also testing hybrid forms of transport (rail, inland waterways, truck) as well as alternative delivery options (cargo bike).

Dibella has been selected by the German Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) as a model case study for due diligence in the context of human rights. The showpiece for responsible supply chain management is presented on the Ministry’s homepage.

For many years now, Dibella has been engaged in developing a fair and ecologically responsible textile supply chain and was therefore one of 25 enterprises nominated for the prestigious CSR award of the German government in the year 2020. The responsible Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) has now selected the human rights due diligence activities implemented by Dibella as a positive case study. A presentation of the company's extensive activities for sustainable action is now available on the BMAS website.

An encouraging, positive example
"Corporate social responsibility means illuminating the impacts of one's own entrepreneurial actions at all levels and integrating responsible action into all business activities. We have been consistently implementing this philosophy for many years. We attach great importance to the sustainable production of our textiles and to good working conditions throughout our value chain. It therefore makes us proud that our approach is presented by the BMAS as a good example of a positive contribution to society, which can serve as motivation for sustainable commitment in all industries," says Ralf Hellmann, Managing Director of Dibella.

• ECOSENSOR™ 100% recycled polyamide fabric
• New fabric collection imbued with the brand’s sustainable story-making, at the Digital Edition of Performance Days

ECOSENSOR™’s new references combine high-performance and innovation to empower people with the possibility to live life naturally both for mind and body. The new range is woven from certified ingredients, a completely traceable production process and highly certified suppliers

“A New Eco high-tech force of Nature”, a bold claim, a daring attitude and true facts. ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei has concentrated all its key values into a Nature-driven and high-tech fabric collection that respects the environment and human being. Sustainability, active climate control, exquisite touch and extreme performance co-habit the textiles: the collection is made of wovens and knits where the main technology is represented by GRS - Global Recycled Standard certified polyamide and polyesters, sometime combined with ROICA™ recycled stretch yarns and dyed and finished with Oekotex Standard 100 certified processes and/or by BlueSign® partners’ companies.

But there is much more than it meets the eye. Behind the new collection is a great story of sustainability.

“Our international team strives to innovate with a human-based approach to research and develop solutions that meet high-performance standards as well as the transparency and traceability of both the ingredients and the supply chain”, says Mr. Hashimoto, Senior Managing Director of Asahi Kasei Advance, the global materials innovator and manufacturer. Indeed, the company has set the high bar all its suppliers and partners must match. Such criteria include: thoroughly transparency and traceability of both materials and production, corporate responsibility at all levels and a strategic commitment granted by influential certifications such as GRS - Global Recycle Standard for recycled ingredients and processes, as well as Bluesign® and OekoTex Standard 100 certifications, which focus on environmental-friendly impact of the dyeing and finishing processes.

The human, environmentally-friendly and cutting-edge imprint of ECOSENSOR™ ultimate collection reflects a vision for a more responsible way of fabric manufacturing. A new force of nature, because story-telling truly must match the story-making.

• ECOSENSOR™’s new references combine high-performance and innovation to empower people with the possibility to live life naturally both for mind and body.
• The new range is woven from certified ingredients, a completely traceable production process and highly certified suppliers               

"A New Eco high-tech force of Nature", a bold claim, a daring attitude and true facts. ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei has concentrated all its key values into a Nature-driven and high-tech fabric collection that respects the environment and human being.

Sustainability, active climate control, exquisite touch and extreme performance co-habit the textiles: the collection is made of wovens and knits where the main technology is represented by GRS - Global Recycle Standard certified polyamide and polyesters, sometime combined with ROICA™ recycled stretch yarns and dyed and finished with Oekotex Standard 100 certified processes and/or by BlueSign® partners’ companies.

But there is much more than it meets the eye.

Behind the new collection is a great story of sustainability.

"Our international team strives to innovate with a human-based approach to research and develop solutions that meet high-performance standards as well as the transparency and traceability of both the ingredients and the supply chain", says Mr. Hashimoto, Senior Managing Director of Asahi Kasei Advance, the global materials innovator and manufacturer.

Indeed, the company has set the high bar all its suppliers and partners must match. Such criteria include: thoroughly transparency and traceability of both materials and production, corporate responsibility at all levels and a strategic commitment granted by influential certifications such as GRS - Global Recycle Standard for recycled ingredients and processes, as well as Bluesign® and OekoTex Standard 100 certifications, which focus on environmentally-friendly impact of the dyeing and finishing processes.

The human, environmentally-friendly and cutting-edge imprint of ECOSENSOR™ ultimate collection reflects a vision for a more responsible way of fabric manufacturing.

A new force of nature, because story telling truly must match the story making.

The international home textiles industry has enjoyed a promising start at Heimtextil in Frankfurt am Main, which finished Friday, 11 January. The challenging economic situation and uncertainty in the retail sector were countered by a positive and confident mood at the world’s leading trade fair.

3025 exhibitors from 65 countries* took the international trade fair for home and contract textiles to a 15-year high: ‘Exhibitors and visitors accepted the new trade fair concept with great enthusiasm and confirmed the trade fair’s position as the world’s most important meeting place for the industry. The quality of the decision-makers impressed the exhibitors, as did the number of new business contacts from 156 countries, especially international ones – thus enabling Heimtextil to set a new benchmark’, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt. ‘Around 67,500 visitors* ensured that there was a busy atmosphere in the halls, despite a slight decline due to various reasons, such as difficult travel conditions on account of the storms in the alpine region and airport strikes in Germany’. [*For comparison, 2018: 2,975 exhibitors from 64 countries; 68,584 visitors from 135 countries, FKM-tested)]

3025 exhibitors from 65 countries* took the international trade fair for home and contract textiles to a 15-year high: ‘Exhibitors and visitors accepted the new trade fair concept with great enthusiasm and confirmed the trade fair’s position as the world’s most important meeting place for the industry. The quality of the decision-makers impressed the exhibitors, as did the number of new business contacts from 156 countries, especially international ones – thus enabling Heimtextil to set a new benchmark’, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt. ‘Around 67,500 visitors* ensured that there was a busy atmosphere in the halls, despite a slight decline due to various reasons, such as difficult travel conditions on account of the storms in the alpine region and airport strikes in Germany’.

One topic that occupied both exhibitors and visitors was the current and future economic situation. A further challenge is the increasingly evident changes that are happening in trade. Increasing revenues and revenue shares in online retailing stand in the way of the efforts made by the stationary retail trade to maintain their inner-city businesses. ‘The small business specialist trade, but also department stores and multibrand stores, and thus the heart of our visitor target groups, are under pressure from the constantly increasing levels of e-commerce. With Heimtextil and our consumer goods fairs in general, we offer these retailers in particular clear perspectives and diverse inspiration in an ambiguous world’, continues Braun.

Heimtextil made it easier for its visitors to access valuable inspiration and business momentum thanks to an optimised trade fair concept and the associated new hall structure. ‘The new concept brought more visitors to the stand’, was the feedback from Andreas Klenk, Managing Director of Saum & Viebahn from Kulmbach in Franconia about hall 8.0 which offered textiles editeurs and manufacturers of curtain and sun protection systems a common platform for the first time. ‘It was the right decision to merge the different segments. We had high quality discussions with respect to both export and domestic business, and are satisfied with the trade fair’.

As part of the new concept, Heimtextil expanded its unique product range across the entire exhibition site and also included the new hall 12, which has been an additional architectural highlight on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds since September.

Top international companies from the Bed & Bath Fashion segment presented their wares here. For the company Curt Bauer from Aue in Saxony, the première of the new hall was a successful one. ‘We're very enthusiastic about the new hall 12. The product range there was very well received. We are very satisfied with the quality of visitors to our stand. In addition to a good frequency of German visitors, we are particularly pleased about growth from China and Russia’, says Managing Director Michael Bauer.

Natural materials, PET and ocean plastics 
Heimtextil set a standard in terms of sustainability: after the first global climate protection agreement for the textile industry was signed by 40 leading fashion companies, organisations and associations at the World Climate Conference in Katowice last December, the focus in Frankfurt was also on environmental progress in the textile industry. Numerous exhibitors presented progressive solutions, for example in the recycling of PET bottles and ocean plastic as well as in the use of certified natural materials. ‘Sustainability was the theme for us at this year’s Heimtextil. Major media players visited us and the 'Green Tour’ guided tour stopped by. We presented many things, including our first vegan duvet and fair silk products, all 100 per cent produced in Austria’, says Denise Hartmann, Marketing Manager at Hefel Textil. The topics of water consumption in the textile industry and microplastics also increasingly came to the fore. The exhibitor directory ‘Green Directory’ alone contained around 150 progressive companies listing sustainably produced textiles. The offer was supplemented by its own lecture series as well as theme-specific tours, which provided valuable impetus and
underpinned the pioneering green position of the trade fair.

Sleep becomes new lifestyle theme
Heimtextil also focused on sleep as one of the upcoming lifestyle trends. While a balanced diet and sufficient exercise are now a natural part of a healthy lifestyle, restorative sleep is still neglected* although it is one of the most important building blocks for long-term physical and mental well-being. At Heimtextil, a number of new products and aspects came to the fore that help people become sensitised to and analyse their sleep behaviour and promote healthy sleep. Around the redesigned hall 11.0 and in the adjoining lecture area ‘Sleep! The Future Forum’, representatives from the national and international bed industry enjoyed attractive product presentations and superb speeches on the topics of sustainability, hospitality, sport and digital.

In addition to the renowned trend show, the trade fair also focused on contract business, particularly in the hotel and hospitality sector, as well as decorative and upholstery fabrics, digital printing solutions and wallpapers.

The next Heimtextil in Frankfurt am Main – its 50th edition – will take place from 7 to 10 January 2020.

*According to a forsa investigation commissioned by the Techniker Krankenkasse

Overseas exhibitors found the fair an effective platform to open up the Asian market
Buyers benefited from wide range of quality exhibitors

The 23rd edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles is over, with both exhibitors and buyers satisfied with the business outcomes resulting from the fair’s four days. The largest home textiles trading event in Asia was held from 23 – 26 August, attracting 1,106 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions. Given the strengthening market conditions in China the fair maintained its popularity, with the number of trade buyers increasing to 38,964 from 99 countries and regions (2016: 37,779 from 98 countries and regions). The show also attracted more international buyers this edition, with a 16% increase in those coming from abroad. “Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles has once again proven its leading position in Asia as a business and order platform for the industry. There was a noticeable positivity from both exhibitors and buyers this edition regarding the current and future situation of the domestic market, so we are optimistic about the industry for the next year,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd said.

Overseas exhibitors found the fair an effective platform to open up the Asian market

As the leading event of its kind in the region, the fair successfully attracts a number of Chinese and Asian buyers every year, ensuring suppliers can develop their business further in the region. This year, seven country and region pavilions including Belgium, India, Korea, Morocco, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey were formed, with exhibitors from all of satisfied they could meet their target buyers.

While being in the minority at the fair, European brands still managed to catch the attention of visitors due to strong interest in their products from Asia. The Italian upholstery supplier Enzo Degli Angiuoni Spa was satisfied with the number of Asian buyers, particularly Chinese, that they met at the fair. Mr Stefano Laurenzano, Export Area Manager expressed: “A lot of visitors that saw us here last year have come back again and are serious about cooperating with us. Here you can get a lot of new contacts and discover the Asian market. We’ve had mainly Chinese buyers, but have had more Asian buyers from South Korea, India, Malaysia and elsewhere to visit us this year. We are seeing more business here in recent years.”

Being a newcomer to the fair, Iceland Duvet ehf felt the potential in China. “We’ve had enough buyers including retailers and manufacturers visiting our booth to make our participation worthwhile. The interest from the buyers has been genuine. Being a European brand helps more than at fairs in Europe as we can stand out more here,” Mr Ragnar Ludvik Runarsson, representative said.

Indian exhibitor, Paramount Textile Mills Ltd has been joining the fair for three years. “Apart from meeting our existing customers, we’ve had enquiries from potential new customers from China as well as overseas including the US and South America,” Mr Ram. M., Director of Marketing & Finance said.

Also with three years’ participation, Mr Samir Tazi, General Manager of PIF Textile Emotions from Morocco affirmed the show’s effectiveness in meeting important buyers and decision makers. “It’s easier for us to meet them here compared with some smaller European fairs. Thanks to Intertextile Shanghai, we have also met the major players in China.” Talking about this year’s result, he continued: “We were very busy. We met with more people than any other fairs. There are a lot of new buyers and also returning buyers checking out our new products.”

Participating in the Korea Pavilion, Sangwon Textile Co Ltd found the fair helpful in attracting distributors and wholesalers from Southeast Asia. Mr Jeon Hyeon Tae, Sales Manager said: “We have found about five potential and quality distributors from Taiwan, India, Philippines and Singapore on the first day. We also got to meet a number of wholesalers who prefer to buy from us directly at the fair.” He added that Intertextile Shanghai is also an ideal platform to launch new products for their existing clients.

As the largest pavilion this year, the Turkey Pavilion was in the limelight of the show, with both new and veteran exhibitors finding it useful to exhibit in Intertextile Shanghai. Bezmez Ev Tekstil did not intend to receive any orders in their first show, but was surprised to obtain three in just one day. These concrete results reassured their likelihood of coming back next year. “We definitely see the potential for Turkish products here in China as Chinese companies prefer quality products nowadays,” Mr Ayhan Bezmez, representative, further commented. Mr Fahri Goksin, Vice President of Gokhan Tekstil agreed with Mr Bezmez that Chinese buyers are in favour of new things like imported goods and Western brands. His company has been in the Shanghai fair for six years and continued to get satisfactory results. “We’re looking for retailers, wholesalers and online buyers. We’ve had all of these visiting our booth already.”

Domestic exhibitors satisfied with the number of potential customers and orders received

Recently, there is strong signs suggesting that the home textiles market in China is recovering with both imports and exports rising gradually. The positive outcome that Chinese exhibitors achieved at the August’s fair have resonated with the market condition. It is no surprise to see a number of domestic booths packed with visitors throughout the days. SohoCUT is a case in point. To them, Intertextile Shanghai is the place for actual business. “Compared with other fairs we’ve been to, this is the exhibition where a huge number of international buyers gather. We met buyers from China, Mexico, Russia, the US, India and Southeast Asia. We even got large orders for the first two days.” Mr Wheatley Weng, Managing Director said.

The fabrics of Wujiang Linwang Weaving Mill is also sought after at the fair. Being a company that do both exports and domestic trade, they are happy to connect with local and overseas customers during the show. “We’ve collected around 100 leads on the first day, of which 70% are domestic and the remaining being international. The overseas visitors are from Italy, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Chile and Korea that our products precisely meet their requirement. We see high chances of cooperation after the fair.” Mr Kenny, Sales Manager said.

Given the prevailing smart home concept in China, Somfy China Co Ltd which specialised in advanced sun-protection system has become one of the highlights at the fair. Ms Nancy Nan, Chief Executive Officer mentioned: “The visitor flow has been really high that our booth is swarmed by buyers. Amongst those visitors, there is no lack of medium to high-end customers who placed orders immediately.”

Editors assembled to promote high-end products

To cater to the ascending standards of Chinese customers, Intertextile Shanghai once again brought editors together in hall 5.1 to maximise their exposure to their target buyers. As foreign brands with subsidiaries in China, JAB and Prestigious see the growing interest in their premium products in China. “We pay attention to the changing buying habits of Chinese consumers and, as such, have started promoting a series of products under a unified lifestyle trend. It’s obvious that we are gaining more awareness from buyers at the fair,” Mr William Lin, Vice President of JAB ANSTOETZ Interior (Shanghai) Co Ltd said. He also appreciated the specific display area for imported fabrics and the organisers’ attempt to attract more designers, which helped them meet more potential customers. Apart from getting onsite orders, Prestigious Textiles (Shanghai) Ltd also considers the show a promotion platform. “There is great demand for our products in China. Though we achieved similar sales compared with last year, through this fair our brand has been well introduced to the market,” Mr Lewis Liu, Sales Director expressed.

Originating from China, Euroart Co Ltd was another editor that successfully showcased their latest collection at the fair. “It is a good time to join the most influential home textiles exhibition in Asia as we have just launched new products in May. We are satisfied as some of our existing clients plus new visitors came to our booth,” Ms Guo Jianhua, Director Assistant said.

Industry players benefit from the expanded Digital Printing Zone

The demand for digital printing solutions has been growing in recent years, especially as the industry has put more emphasis on green production. As such, the Digital Printing Zone expanded in size this edition, incorporating a Seminar Area and more exhibitors.

As an Italian company, MS Printing Solutions Srl experienced the potential of the sector in China. “The fair has been busy, and we’ve had steady flow of buyers coming through. The potential in digital printing here is just beginning. The Chinese government is pushing companies to reduce their pollution, so it has a big advantage in this regard over traditional textile printing,” Mr Walter Oggioni, Regional Sales Manager stated, adding that the company has been growing very fast globally, especially in China, Turkey, India and Pakistan.

This potential holds for domestic machine manufacturers as well. Specialising in the production of digital printing machines, Guangzhou Xu Cheng Electronic Technology Co Ltd was at the fair to meet fabrics suppliers. Mr Jesse Luo, Overseas Manager explained: “Compared with exhibitions for textile machinery, Intertextile Shanghai attracts more fabrics suppliers, which are our target clients. It helps even more as we are located in this special zone. We’ve been talking to a lot customers, including overseas buyers who are also interested in our machines.”

A series of seminars also provided opportunities for the industry to share their insights on this emerging sector. As a speaker, Foshan Sanshui Yingjie Precision Machinery believed the session was mutually beneficial for them and the audience. “Attendees are from the whole sector including manufacturers and end users, so we can discuss different perspectives. It will facilitate our improvement,” Mr Peng Jichang, General Manager said. Mr Scott Bai, representative of Huntsman Textile Effects (China) Co Ltd also benefited from visiting the zone and the seminar. “Together with seminar, the Digital Printing Zone can professionally present the current situation for the industry. When suppliers and users come together, we can discover the way to enhance this technology.”

Buyers benefited from wide range of quality exhibitors

Intertextile Shanghai is the largest trading platform in Asia with the whole spectrum of home textiles and accessories on offer. Hence, visitors, be they Chinese or overseas, can access a wide range of quality suppliers that meet their sourcing needs. Australian buyer, Mr Glenn Whitchurch from Trabeth Textiles, was impressed with his sourcing journey. “The polyester quality of domestic exhibitors has been unbelievable. What’s more, we’ve found the Chinese suppliers to be very flexible in meeting our needs, they’re clearly keen to accommodate overseas buyers.” Mr Whitchurch also commented favourably on the product range at Intertextile Shanghai compared to European fairs.

One ongoing trend at the fair over recent years is the increasing quality of domestic suppliers, which attracts buyers to come back and source. Mezanin V SRL from Moldova is a long-term supporter of the show, and place orders every year. Its Vice Director, Mr Mihail Tornea remarked: “It is an important event for us to meet new suppliers from China. We are selective with the suppliers we work with, but the Chinese companies here meet our requirements. As a sourcing event, Intertextile Shanghai is the best place to be.”

The fair’s VIP buyer programme also assists buyers in meeting worldwide exhibitors at ease. Mr Bibo Lan is the co-founder of Loft Curtains in the US and he is excited to meet lots of potential suppliers here. “The arrangement for VIPs is satisfying and it helps a lot to have my target exhibitor information in advance. The largest benefit of our visit is that we met Libeco from Belgium, while we also confirmed to work with a blackout supplier at the fair,” he said.

Chinese buyers agreed that Intertextile Shanghai is the most effective sourcing platform in Asia. “Overseas suppliers like Turkey exhibitors are our main interest. So far, we have connected with four to five exhibitors in hall 4 and will place orders with them soon. In terms of exhibitor number and the product range, I feel that the fair has improved a lot. It is my favourite show with a lot of overseas products to discover,” Mr Huang Shenghua, General Manager of Ziranfeng Home Textile Co Ltd said.

Concurrent events inspired the industry

Apart from facilitating business between exhibitors and visitors, the fair also incorporated various design elements via a series of concurrent events. These included display area like Trend Area, International Fiber Art Exhibition and Home Furnishing Crossover Exhibition where participants could find innovative designs and ideas.

This was also the first time the Andrew Martin International Interior Design Summit and the fair took place concurrently. Experts from the interior design, architecture and art sectors were invited to share and discuss their views on the transformation of design in the new information era. Mr Kot Ge, founder of a domestic interior design studio, LSDCASA was delighted to join, and shared: “This show always attracts many top interior designers and it’s my pleasure to meet them here. Interior design and home textiles are closely related and new concepts can bring along improvement.”

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition was organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA). The next Autumn Edition will take place in August 2018, while the Spring Edition runs from 14 – 16 March 2018.
To find out more about this fair, please visit: www.intertextilehome.com.
For more information about Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: http://texpertise-network.messefrankfurt.com.