Messe Frankfurt, organizer of Techtextil has announced its final plans for the June 2009 and looks forward to a successful show.

"The signs indicate growth", says Michael Jänecke, Brand Manager Techtextil, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. "By the end of October, with more than six months still to go, we had received over 600 registrations." More than two thirds of the total area occupied in 2007 has already been sold.

Thus, the International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens, which will be held in Frankfurt am Main from 16 to 18 June 2009, is on course for further growth. Both the number of exhibitors and the exhibition space booked are significantly larger than those for the equivalent time two years ago. Moreover, many exhibitors have booked a larger exhibition stand. Joint stands from countries such as Belgium, China, France, Great Britain, Italy, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Taiwan, the Czech Re-public and the USA have been confirmed and are already in preparation.

Avantex integrated

From 2009, Avantex, International Forum for Innovative Apparel Textiles, will be an integral part of Techtextil. The aim of this step is to optimise profitable synergies from overlaps and interaction on both the exhibitor and visitor sides and, under the motto 'Avantex integrated', to boost technology transfer.

Material Vision parallel to Techtextil 2009

As another innovation, Material Vision - Materials for Product Development, Design and Architecture, International Trade Fair and Conference, will be held parallel to Techtextil from 2009. Together, Material Vision and Techtextil represent the perfect platform for modern materials, product innovations and new materials technologies, and present a range that is unique in terms of both depth and breadth.

Extensive conference programme for innovative minds

As always, the Techtextil and Avantex Symposiums will be held alongside the trade fair. This year, however, they will be shortened to two days (Tuesday and Wednesday). The symposiums are designed to generate new impulses for both sectors, to support interdisciplinary communication and to offer insights into the latest developments and new areas of application. The topics planned for the Techtextil Symposium include Materials & Technology, Buildtech, Medtech and Protech. The Avantex Symposium will focus on Materials & Technology, Fashion, Sports & Outdoor and Wearable Technologies / E-Textiles.

International Natural Fibres Congress

Parallel to Techtextil, Messe Frankfurt will hold the first International Natural Fibres Congress. Planned for the afternoon of 17th and all day on 18th June, this conference is being organised as part of the International Year of Natural Fibres. The aims of the congress are, inter alia, to bring natural fibres into closer contact with technical applications, to draw the attention of all concerned to the benefits offered by natural fibres and to thus generate new ideas and impulses. Accord-ingly, the focus of the congress will be on the functionality of natural fibres and the latest findings about their innovative use in fields such as mobility and construction, i.e., architecture and building.

The website at www.naturalfibrescongress.messefrankfurt.com provides information about projects planned within the framework of the Year of Natural Fibres, shows the benefits of this natural product and offers detailed information about the Natural Fibres Congress at Techtextil 2009.

Help for students and awards for innovations

Entries are already invited from students are architecture, civil engineering, product design and related disciplines for the 'Textile Structures for New Building 2009' competition for students. This is the tenth time that it has been organised by the international TensiNet association in cooperation with Techtextil. The aim of the competition is to help students and young newcomers to the sector and is held under the expert supervision of Prof. Werner Sobek, University of Stuttgart, and Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK). There are no restrictions on the subject of the project. However, the emphasis of this year's competition is on 'Suitability for Re-use and Recycling'.

Additionally, Techtextil also focuses on the unconventional and, therefore, pioneering applications for materials and technologies. With the Techtextil and Avantex Innovation Awards, Messe Frankfurt honours outstanding achievements in this field.

The Design Plus Award will be given at Material Vision for the third time and goes to products distinguished by a plus in design quality that makes them unmistakable.