INTERNATIONAL
The 15th edition of Texcare International in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, fell quiet on 9 November after four full days of excitement. There was a palpable buzz around the stands and at the many seminars taking place during the show that was testament to the justifiable confidence of the organiser’s claims ahead of the the event that this show was going to be special. It really was.
Even news from outside Texcare International, such as Donald Trump winning the US presidential election, Germany’s coalition government collapsing and the continuing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, couldn’t trump Texcare 2024. Nothing was going to put a damper on the first Texcare since 2018.
The show, which ran from 6 to 9 November in in the immense environs of Hall 8 of the Messe Frankfurt show ground had an exceptionally high level of international participation and scored top marks with the participants, said the organiser, Messe Frankfurt. Three hundred and five companies from 32 countries presented their innovations in automation and energy efficiency and about 15,500 visitors from 122 countries, including Germany, came to Frankfurt.
The four days successfully presented innovations for laundries, drycleaners and textile service companies. According to Messe Frankfurt, 98%of trade visitors were satisfied to extremely satisfied with how they achieved their goals for the trade fair; 52% 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.
The international character of the event was reflected in the wide range of countries represented at Texcare, which ran from Wednesday to Saturday (listening to the wishes of exhibitors and visitors alike the organisers changed the timing of the event from Spring to Autumn and also made changes to the days of the week that best suited visitors and exhibitors). The new format seems to have hit the spot.
Wolfgang Marzin, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Messe Frankfurt said: “After the long break, we are delighted with this successful comeback of Texcare. The leading international trade fair demonstrated the great strides in innovation that the industry has made in recent years. I was really thrilled to see so many exhibitors, especially new exhibitors and start-ups, as well as visitors from all over the world at Texcare. Above all, it was great to see so many young professionals at the stands and in the aisles.”
He believes the industry is meeting the challenges of labour shortages 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 from this year’s event. Elgar Straub, CEO of German trade association VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, emphasised that: “Expectations for Texcare International were very high after eight years without a trade fair, and 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, and 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, summarised: “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.”
As a visitor from Australia told to LCNi: “Despite the news, which is really quite unsettling, there is a terrific buzz of positivity in the Hall itself. People are enjoying doing business and there is a real interest in the products and services on show here.”
On opening day, Iris Jeglitza-Moshage, chief of corporate identity (CCI), senior vice president technology, at Messe Frankfurt, welcomed the global market for modern textile care saying: “Trade fairs continue to play an important role and there is no substitute for personal encounters at our leading trade fairs.
Credit: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH/Jochen Günther
“When we look closer at the textile care industry, since 2016 it has embraced significant technological advancements, integrating smart technology for enhanced efficiency. And over the next four days, we will dive deep into the themes of automation, energy and resources, circularity and textile hygiene – our top themes this year.” Texcare 2024 certainly fulfilled that promise.
The supporting programme at Texcare addressed key topics at the Texcare Forum. Panels, for example, focused on sustainability through innovation, business models in the circular economy and automation in small businesses. Experts from the USA, Scandinavia, France and China provided insights into the textile care markets in their respective countries. More to come from LCNi on these presentations.
For the first time, visitors to Texcare could sign up for a guided tour in the company of veteran textile care expert Geert Botger to point out the show’s highlights.
On the last two days of the show Messe Frankfurt also hosted the Cinet World Congress and Global Best Practices Awards 2024.
• For those who couldn’t make it to Frankfurt in person, LCNi will be taking you on a tour of what is new and interesting around the stands and at the seminars and other events. In the meantime, if you put TEXCARE into the search box on www.laundryandcleaningnews.com you can see what we have already posted on this year’s event. Watch this space as there is plenty more to come.
