INTERNATIONAL
With a total of 117 participating nations, around 63,000 visitors and 2300 exhibitors, a brilliant re-launch of the trio of international textile fairs at the Frankfurt exhibition centre was achieved, claimed shows organiser Messe Frankfurt
Across all three events – Techtextil, Texprocess and the one-time Heimtextil Summer Special – Italy, France, Turkey, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Pakistan and the USA formed the top visitor nations.
On all three business platforms, in addition to brisk order activity and high visitor quality and satisfaction, the concentrated positive energy of personal global encounters was particularly noticeable.
"The world meets again in Frankfurt. International encounters and stimulating new business returned immediately after the pandemic-related break: The textile trade fair business is back and shows its global strength. We and our global Texpertise Network, with 60 events worldwide covering the textile value chain, are looking positively to the future. At the same time, against the backdrop of global challenges, we will continue to expand our international partnerships, such as with the Conscious Fashion & Lifestyle Network in cooperation with the UN Office for Partnerships," said Detlef Braun, member of the executive Board, Messe Frankfurt.
Despite ongoing travel restrictions, all three trade shows maintained their pre-pandemic level of internationality in terms of both exhibitors and visitors. In addition to European countries, Pakistan, India, Korea and the USA were also among the top visitor nations.
With a global volume of nearly 1,000 billion USD [1]and a predicted growth rate of more than 4.4 percent through 2026[2], the textile industry is one of the most important global industries. "The textile industry remains a high-growth market that needs face-to-face interaction. In these times of massive supply chain disruptions, we have provided the markets with our unique crossover at the most important international marketplace for product innovations along almost the entire textile value chain at exactly the right time." said Olaf Schmidt, vice president Textiles & Textile Technologies.
At Techtextil and Texprocess, sustainable materials and processing technologies, automation and digital processes, as well as innovations and progressive new developments were presented throughout the exhibitor range of products. Information and inspiration were provided by conference formats such as the Techtextil and Texprocess Forum.
Sustainable companies with progressive and sustainable fibers, yarns and fabrics, as well as new processes, cutting technologies, water-saving dyeing processes or innovative processing technologies were once again labeled within the framework of Sustainability@Techtextil and Sustainability@Texprocess after successful examination by an independent international expert group.
Elgar Straub, managing director of Germany’s textile services association, VDMA, Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies (TFL), drew an optimistic conclusion from this year's Texprocess: "Thanks in particular to the many high-calibre and international visitors, the mood was positive all round – despite current uncertainties and the resulting cautious expectations of Texprocess exhibitors in the run-up to the fair. Nevertheless, personal exchanges at the fair once again made it clear that, precisely because the textile world is currently undergoing rapid change, there is an immense need for investment in technology. Automation, sustainability and flexibility are the most important key words here."
Experience Techtextil and Texprocess digitally
For the first time, Techtextil and Texprocess were also held virtually. In the Digital Extension platform, exhibitors presented themselves digitally and thus extended their presence at the trade fair. As early as 13 June 2022, visitors were able to benefit from many offers of the Digital Extension and optimally prepare their visit to the trade fair. The digital platform of Techtextil and Texprocess will be available until 8 July enabling Messe Frankfurt's conference formats, such as the Techtextil and Texprocess forums, to still be accessed.
Heimtextil Summer Special: expectations of special edition exceeded
Due to the cancellation of the regular Heimtextil in January due to the pandemic, the international trade fair was held this year as a one-time Summer Special parallel to Techtextil & Texprocess at the request of the industry. "This was our first Heimtextil and we are very satisfied. In 2023, we would like to double our stand area. We had many new contacts, especially international, from France and Arab countries, but also from Germany. Only the German specialised trade was missing. Actually, I was an opponent of the one-time June date, but I am pleasantly surprised. We even had many business deals during the fair," says Rüdiger Speicher, sales manager at Teppiche Lalee oHG.
The next Heimtextil will take place from January 10 to 13, 2023. The next Techtextil and Texprocess will be held 23 to 26 April 2024.
1 Global Textile Market Size & Share Report, 2022-2030 (grandviewresearch.com)
2 “Global Textile Market Size Study with Covid-19 Impact, By Type (Cotton, Chemical, Wool, Silk, Others) By Application (Household, Technical, Fashion & Clothing, Others) and Regional Forecats 2020-2026,” 21 September 2021, Report Ocean, https://reportocean.com/industry-verticals/sample-request?report_id=bw765 (Retrieved: 25 April 2022)
