Over 47,500 visitors from 114 countries
showed up in the Techtextil and Texprocess trade fairs held from 9 to 12 May in
Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre, representing around 14% increase when
compared to the last edition (2015: 41,826), according to the organizer.
“If any industry
is fit for the future, it’s the textile industry. Nevertheless, even in this
age of digitalization, a personal exchange of ideas and opinions is essential.
Accordingly, we are delighted that so many visitors came to Techtextil and
Texprocess”, explained Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe
Frankfurt.
Compliments
from exhibitors and partner
“Although we
had extra personnel on our exhibition stand, visitors still had to
queue on occasions. For us, the fair was fantastic”, said Dr Jan Zimmermann
of Techtextil exhibitor Forster Rohner from Switzerland.
“We expected
numerous visitors before the doors opened. But that there would be
so many was a great surprise. On occasions, we even had trouble in answering
all inquiries”, said Sebastian Feges of Texprocess exhibitor Efka confirming the
record number of visitors.
From
scanning body dimensions of tomorrow’s apparel customer, via IT-aided fashion design,
automatic cutting, ever faster sewing and joining, as well as embroidering
innumerable parts simultaneously, to delivering the garments: at Texprocess, the
degree of interaction between man and machine reached a new level.
“The
garment manufacturing and textile industries set course for the
future at an early stage and, during the two fairs,
once again demonstrated that they rank among the most viable and progressive of
sectors”, said Elgar Straub, Managing Director, VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and
Leather Technologies, the conceptual partner of Texprocess, rounding off the
overall impression.
On all four days, the situation was similar
at Techtextil where international trade visitors jammed the exhibition halls
looking for high-tech textiles for use in applications such as folding textile headlights,
smart knee bandages, warming or cooling fashions, not to mention garments with
integrated LEDs, fire-resistant fibres, bicycle frames made of carbon and
textile membranes for stadium roofs.
Positive
economic climate in the sector
After Germany, the three main visitor
nations at Techtextil were Italy, France and Turkey. At Texprocess, they were
Italy, Romania and Portugal. Meanwhile, as said, many young professionals attended
the fairs - an indication of the positive and dynamic mood in the textile
sector, which is clearly on course for growth.
The very good mood at the fair was
underscored by the visitor poll on the economic climate in the sector.
According to 33% of Texprocess visitors (2015: 26%), the current economic
situation can be described as good. In the case of Techtextil visitors, the
figure was even higher with 42% holding this opinion (2015: 32%).
Besides, outstanding ratings were given to
the two events: 96% of Techtextil visitors said they were very pleased with the
results of their visit to the fair; in the case of Texprocess visitors, the figure
was 97%.
Fruitful
special events
Also very well received were the numerous
special exhibitions and events, which offered insights into the whole textile
value chain and highlighted the synergistic effects between the two fairs.
Opened by ESA astronaut Dr Reinhold Ewald,
the space-travel oriented exhibition, ‘Living in Space’ attracted numerous
visitors with features such as a virtual reality journey to Mars, materials for
use in space and a ‘Space Habitat’ designed by star architect Ben van Berkel.
There was thunderous applause for the ‘Innovative
Apparel Show’, which drew packed crowds with a display of high-tech textiles
live on the catwalk several times throughout the fair.
In addition, showing a complete textile production
line in operation, the ‘Digital Textile Micro Factory’ was praised as having
been a complete success.
The next Techtextil and Texprocess will be
held in Frankfurt am Main from 14 to 17 May 2019.