Running as originally scheduled, the 2020 Autumn Edition welcomed nearly 3,400 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions, and attracted over 73,500 visitors. Over 240 virtual meetings were also arranged during the fair through the fair’s new Connect PLUS platform and the VIP business matching programme.
“As a global apparel textile flagship, the Spring Edition of Intertextile Apparel in 2021 will continue to serve as a reliable sourcing platform, both in-person and virtually, for the textile industry to connect and recover. With travel restrictions still in effect in many countries and regions, digital solutions and the hybrid format of the fair are essential to facilitate suppliers and buyers in their sourcing process. We look forward to international exhibitors joining us via the onsite or online formats, allowing them to take advantage of the opportunities offered by China’s recovering textile market,” said Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.
The fair will take place as China’s textile market continues to show signs of quick recovery from the effects of the pandemic. With industrial output continuing to remain strong, Chinese consumer confidence is also starting to rebound. According to a McKinsey study, net optimism of consumers is now at 54%, the highest compared to respondents from other countries[1]. This recovery in the economy and consumer demand was also observed by exhibitors from the 2020 Autumn Edition, who expressed how the fair provided a much-need trading platform for making up lost business.
“Intertextile is a great way to reconnect with the textile industry. On just the first day, we acquired 35 contacts for new fabrics and met with 10 new brands, and can confidently say we’ve met our expectations so far. More importantly there are large crowds of people, meaning that people are not afraid to travel domestically, which is a good sign. Intertextile successfully opening as planned is a good first start, indicating the market is gradually returning to normal,” commented Mr Steve Stewart, Apparel Vice President, Asia at The LYCRA Company.
“We participate in this fair every year. It is relatively the biggest fair in China, and the results are also the best. Over the past few days, we may have contacted thousands of customers already. We will come again next year because of the fair’s large scale and visitor quality,” said Mr Jianming Li, General Manager at Sanhe (Hong Kong) Thread Co Ltd.
Hybrid Showcase helps international exhibitors catch up with market recovery
For exhibitors who cannot travel to China, the Hybrid Showcase will be held again to display their products for onsite buyers to touch and feel, with audio visual equipment provided to help present their company. These ‘hybrid exhibitors’ will be able to stay connected with onsite and online buyers via the instant messaging and video calling functions of the Intertextile mobile app and the fair’s online business matching tool, Connect PLUS, which will be accessible before, during and after the fair.
“Due to COVID-19, we didn’t travel to the fair. But we joined Intertextile’s Hybrid Showcase and sent over some fancy knits for display, which are our company’s most popular products. We gained around 40 new contacts – some of them are our target customers and we started talking with them via emails after the fair. As this was the first time we joined a hybrid format trade fair, we didn’t expect so much and we are satisfied with the results,” shared Mr James Nam, President at NK Fabric from Korea.
Dedicated product zones targeting different buyers
Intertextile’s country & region pavilions and dedicated product zones will be offering a comprehensive range of products to help buyers meet their specific souring needs. These include:
- Country & region pavilions / zones: from Japan, Korea and Taiwan
- Accessories Vision: a wide range of value-adding garment and fashion accessories
- All About Sustainability: products, services and solutions to satisfy consumers’ higher sustainability expectations
- Beyond Denim: advanced denim solutions and applications from stretchable jeans to business casual attire
- Digital Printing Zone: fabric printing technology catering to the demand for flexible orders and shorter delivery times
- Functional Lab: innovative fabrics providing comfort and protection for athleisure and sportswear
- Premium Wool Zone: premium wool fabrics from European mills for custom-made clothing
- SalonEurope: the place to be for the Asian market’s ever-growing appetite for European-made products
- Verve for Design: inspirational and original textile pattern designs by designers and studios from different countries
Fringe programme and concurrent events provide more insight and value to participants
For exhibitors and visitors who are eager to learn about the latest industry trends, the fair’s fringe programme events including the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum and the Fabrics China Trend Forum, as well as seminars, panel discussions and product presentations, will offer insight into the post-pandemic textile markets in China and around the world. With four concurrent fairs – the Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, Yarn Expo Spring, CHIC and PH Value – sourcing options and business opportunities can also be maximised for exhibitors and visitors.
Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2021 is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre. For more details on this fair, please visit: www.intertextileapparel.com. To find out more about all Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: www.texpertise-network.com.
[1] Understanding Chinese Consumers: Growth Engine of the World, McKinsey & Company, November 2020, https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/china/china%20still%20the%20worlds%20growth%20engine%20after%20covid%2019/mckinsey%20china%20consumer%20report%202021.pdf
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Information from the international textiles sector and Messe Frankfurt’s textiles fairs worldwide can be found at: www.texpertise-network.com.
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With about 2,600 employees at 29 locations, the company generates annual sales of around €736 million. Thanks to its far-reaching ties with the relevant sectors and to its international sales network, the Group looks after the business interests of its customers effectively. A comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent). For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
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