From the Sector

Texcare International celebrated its comeback from 6 to 9 November with an exceptionally high level of international participation and top marks from the participants. 305 companies from 32 countries presented their innovations in automation and energy efficiency.

Over four days, the leading international trade fair for textile care presented innovations for laundries, dry cleaners and textile service companies with great success: 98 per cent of trade visitors were satisfied to extremely satisfied with how they achieved their goals for the trade fair; 52 per cent expect an improved industry economy. After eight years without Texcare due to the pandemic, the desire among exhibitors to exchange ideas and present innovations was palpable.

Industry celebrates its future potential
The industry is meeting the challenges of labour shortage and rising energy prices with a significant surge in innovation. The solutions are available, as demonstrated by the exhibitors with their machines, technologies and expertise. The leap towards robotisation was clearly visible at the stands. The circular economy was also in focus: many innovations showed how machine builders and textile manufacturers are working together to advance sustainability. Texcare provided the right impulse for companies in the textile care industry at the right time, enabling them to secure their successful market position by investing.

The partner industry associations of Texcare also draw a positive conclusion. Elgar Straub, CEO of VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, emphasises: “Expectations for Texcare International were very high after eight years without a trade fair, but they were even exceeded. I have rarely experienced such a good atmosphere at trade fairs in recent years. Furthermore, Texcare International was extremely well prepared by Messe Frankfurt, but the exhibitors also presented themselves to their global customers with exceptionally beautiful and informative stands. As expected, the topics that are driving the industry were hygiene, automation, digitalisation, logistics and AI. But my highlight of this fair was the truly excellent mood among visitors and exhibitors and the positive outlook for the future of textile care. Texcare International this year was simply a pleasure.”

Andreas Schumacher, General Manager of the German Textile Care Association, summarises: “There was a sense of a fresh start. You could feel that after eight long years, the exhibitors were eager to show their products and developments, and the visitors were excited about innovations. In particular, the topics of automation and digital solutions, as well as robotics, were the subject of much discussion, as many companies are facing a shortage of skilled workers. After the pandemic and the energy crisis, the discussions were once again characterised by a willingness to invest and a sense of optimism. Energy costs and corresponding opportunities for saving energy and other resources were also a key topic. Last but not least, companies in the industry are working to further improve their circular business models and to adapt to the upcoming regulations for the recycling of textiles.”

Feb. 2019 Event Targets Laundry Execs, Upper Management Teams Serving Hospitality and Hotel Lodging Markets

Anthony Melchiorri, the renowned hospitality expert, creator and host of The Travel Channel shows Hotel Impossible, Hotel Impossible: Five Star Secrets and Hotel Impossible: Showdown once thought of opening his own hotel laundry when he was fresh out of the Air Force and entering the hospitality industry. Attendees at TRSA’s inaugural Hospitality Conference, Feb. 20-21, 2019, will hear about that and more when Melchiorri delivers the keynote address at the Walt Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Melchiorri’s 20 years of hospitality industry experience and resultant successes has provided a wealth of insights and actionable steps that he will share during his presentation, How to Build Your Personal Brand.

TRSA has added the Hospitality Conference to its growing professional-development opportunities in response to member requests for enrichment specific to this rapidly-growing market. Attendees for this event, which is targeted to laundry executives and their upper management teams who serve the hospitality and hotel lodging markets, will benefit from opportunities to build skills, learn best practices from industry leaders and spend time collaborating and sharing information. Agenda highlights include these general session topics:

• Contracting with Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs)
• Hospitality Market Research
• Understanding Hospitality Textiles

Panel discussions pay professional growth dividends in the form of networking and information-sharing. The TRSA Hospitality Conference’s agenda includes these interactive opportunities:

• CEO Panel: Hospitality Market Trends
• Customer Perspectives: Benefits and Challenges of In-House (OPLs) and Outsourcings
• Making the Case for Outsourcing Laundry Services and Closing In-House or On-Premise Laundries (OPLs)

Day two of the agenda will consist of tours at these state-of-the art central Florida plants: Walt Disney World Textile Services Resort Linen Plant and Hotelier Linen Service. Following the plant tours, management teams will offer debriefing sessions that allow for comparison of operations, thereby enriching the discussion of alternative approaches to similar tasks among conference attendees.

Early-bird registration pricing for this event is open now through Jan. 11, 2019. An additional 10% off registration for three or more who register from the same company is also available. Visit www.trsa.org/hospitality for additional information. The full TRSA professional development calendar for 2019 can be viewed at www.trsa.org/calendar.