Intertextile Apparel ‘back to the fairs of 2016-2018'
The spring edition of biannual trade fair Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics (Intertextile Apparel) drew almost 90,000 visitors from 116 counties and regions between March 6 and 8, according to organiser Messe Frankfurt Hong Kong’s post-show report.
Attendees were welcomed by 3,000-plus exhibitors, among whom 22.9% more international suppliers made the trip than last spring, Messe said.
Visitors from South Korea, Hong Kong, India, Russia and Japan ranked highest.
Across the board, the number of overseas visitors was up 99% year on year.
“The exceptional return rate of overseas buyers across the three days bodes well for the global market and speaks to the multitude of sourcing options at our comprehensive platform,” general manager for Messe Frankfurt in Hong Kong, Wilmet Shea, commented.
“After the high attendance and positive feedback for this show, we have already set our sights on Intertextile Apparel’s thirtieth anniversary edition this autumn, which is sure to be unmissable.”
Sales manager at cashmere and noble-fibre fabrics producer Lanificio Luigi Colombo, Andrea Rossi, notably likened the atmosphere to “the fairs of 2016-2018, where [business] was really profitable”.
Meanwhile, HeiQ’s Greater China marketing director, Jeanie Hu, shared how the industry “still need[s] large, comprehensive platforms” to reach a broader target audience when bringing new products to market, as it did with new textile coating technology HeiQ Skincare in China during the spring show.
Senior fabric design and development manager at US fashion label Jonathan Simkhai, Rebecca Sales, cited the event’s fringe programme and trend zones as one way to summarise current trends and select corresponding exhibitors, thereby making purchasing more efficient.
“This show is not only about the display of goods, but also reflecting the whole industry’s present and future, and applying conceptual ideas to production, which is very exciting and rewarding,” she concluded.
Japanese fibre developer Teijin Frontier’s booth during the event. Credit: World Trades Publishing.
