Intertextile Apparel marks 25 years with 15% more visitors

From its debut of 123 exhibitors in 1995, to more than 4,400 at this year’s Autumn edition: the fair has grown exponentially in the last quarter of a century.

The fair was held concurrently with Yarn Expo Autumn, CHIC and PH Value from September 25-27, at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (Shanghai). The Spring edition will take place from March 11-13, 2020 and the next Autumn edition will take place in September 2020. Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition 2019 was co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT.

"China remains a huge part of many exhibitors’ global market strategy, of course in part because of the large domestic purchasing power, but also because much of global fashion has business in China's advanced manufacturing industry," said Wendy Wen, senior general manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. "The key to business in China is interaction, face-to-face, especially with textiles that should be seen and felt up close. 25 years of experience have made this a trusted platform, for both exhibitors and trade buyers in China, to trade textiles. This is how Intertextile welcomes loyal exhibitors back each year, while also including plenty of new options at each edition."

Around 4,422 exhibitors from 33 countries and regions exhibited at the show, including some who have participated for 10 to 20 years in a row and were recognised at a gala dinner on 25 September. High quality trade buyers praised the comprehensive nature of Intertextile’s product range, as the fair was recognised as a one-stop shop for apparel products across the board. Product zones, such as Functional Lab and Beyond Denim, also offered an easier way to quickly match exhibitors with their target buyers,

"Thanks to the fair’s positive reputation within the industry, exhibitors use Intertextile as a platform to reveal their latest collections, meaning that visitors can be the first to see and feel innovation," said Wen. "This in turn attracts more visitors from all over the world – at this edition, we welcomed trade buyers from even more countries and regions. So no matter what problems one market or economy may endure at the time, Intertextile’s diverse network of suppliers and buyers ensure that business can always be found at the fair."

This year, fringe programme highlights included: Asia’s first ever Fashionsustain conference; a round-table meeting focused on international trade and sustainability; the Intertextile Consumer & Lifestyle Trend, themed FutureCast 2021: New Consumer Rules; the Smart Factory Forum, a panel discussion focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications and trends; and an industry crossover with Messe Frankfurt’s new fair Licensing China which included a licensing seminar and display area.

"We’ve been exhibiting here for 15 years now. We’ve had many buyers come to our booth this edition. The pleasing aspect about this fair is some of them will become our partners afterwards, based on our previous experience here. This is the best platform to access the Chinese market, but it’s also a very international fair. Many companies exhibit here, so it brings the global industry together," said Kiichiro Kobayashi, manager, fibres & textiles marketing dept, Asahi Kasei Corporation, Japan Functional Lab.

"This exhibition has been in business for 25 years and has attracted many domestic and overseas brands and buyers. We have participated in this fair for many years, and the result has been remarkable each year. Through this platform, we can integrate with market trends and brands, promote the company image, and ultimately boost international and domestic sales," said Hon Chen, manager of spun yarn & fabric & apparel SBU, Far Eastern New Century Corporation, Taiwan.

"The Korean exhibitors at Intertextile have already achieved remarkable business results just from the first two days of the fair, thanks to their high quality products. This fair is considered as a final sourcing platform where actual orders for the next season are placed. Intertextile has provided an opportunity to us to introduce Korean textiles to an international market effectively," said Young Sang Yoon, vice president of Korea Fashion Textile Association, Korea.

"I attend Intertextile almost every year. There are a lot of exhibitors this year, which meet my purchasing needs. I have found some high-quality suppliers, including some manufacturers that provide environmentally friendly fabrics. This is one of the most professional exhibitions in this industry. Exhibitors and product resources are more abundant, which brings high purchasing efficiency," said Yang Chen, general manager, Hengsheng Garment, China.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (PC)