Heimtextil 2017 hosts 2963 companies from 67 countries

“With its high density of global market leaders and the huge variety of its product portfolio, Heimtextil is unique and highly attractive for the international industry. For the seventh time in a row, the trade fair has grown, both in terms of the exhibitor numbers and surface area, underlining its globally leading position,” said Detlef Braun, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt.

The product group ‘upholstery’, which offers décor and upholstery fabrics as well as upholstery and imitation leather, has experienced considerable growth over the past three years. New suppliers for this segment from countries like Italy, Spain, Poland and Turkey are attending the event, making it an ever more important point of contact for contract furnishers and architects.

Everything related to the product segment ‘bed’ from machines via the fibre to the end product of a mattress, bed cover or pillows are being exhibited at Heimtextil. Accessories such as lamps or bathroom items that complete the portfolio and offer an opportunity for dealers to expand their product ranges are also present at the event.

Under the roof of ‘Design live’, a platform for textile design, 230 international studios are presenting their new designs. Design live has gradually become one of the core elements of Heimtextil over the years and is a hotspot for creativity and design from all over the world.

The product group ‘digital print technology’ with its machine suppliers for digital print processes continues to be a focus. A variety of international market leaders including Epson, Hewlett Packard, Mimaki and MS Printing are on board. In partnership with the German Institute for Textile and Fibre Research, a ‘Digital Textile Micro Factory’ has been installed for the first time. Visitors are experiencing a complete digital production chain live, from the design, digital printing and finishing to automatic cutting and confection.

More than 30 new companies are exhibiting their fresh product and design ideas as part of the start-up programme ‘New & Next’ spread out over the product groups Design live, floor, bed, bath and table. Exhibitors from Europe, Japan, Iran and Korea among other countries are participating in this programme.

The ‘Theme Park’ is a trend and inspiration area where visitors are finding new design products. The overarching theme is ‘Explorations’. An accompanying programme of talks and guided tours give far-reaching insights into new design projects. For the 2017/18 season, a team of six international design studios have isolated the most important themes from various general trends. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India