Exhibitors and visitors can look forward to the biggest Techtextil ever in May this year, according to Messe Frankfurt, the trade fair’s organiser.

With around four months still to go before Techtextil welcomes its visitors, the exhibition space booked is already 10% greater than the total space occupied in 2013. In addition to international market leaders, numerous returnees and new exhibitors have signed up for Techtextil 2015.

“The large number of registrations is primarily the result of our strategic development concept. With its focus on functional apparel textiles, the new Hall 6.1 is already very well booked. Many exhibitors, several of them new customers, have welcomed the addition of a fourth day for the fair. After all, the world market for technical textiles and nonwovens is growing continuously,” commented Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies, Messe Frankfurt.

Occupied space

To be occupied by Techtextil for the first time this year, Hall 6.1 is already showing signs of being a magnet for visitors. “It will not only house themed special shows and pavilions, such as the Portuguese pavilion. It is also the setting for manufacturers from all over the world who want to present their latest developments in the fields of functional apparel textiles and smart textiles,” said Michael Jänecke, Director Brand Management Technical Textiles & Textile Processing.

“We are particularly pleased that Nike IHM will be taking part for the first time.” Registrations for Hall 6.1 have also been received from the following companies: Huntsman Advanced Material, Klopman International, Outlast Europe, Schoeller Textil and Toray GmbH.

In Hall 6.1, exhibitors and visitors will also find the Innovation made in Germany area of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, with numerous young and innovative companies based in Germany.

Modified programme of events

The Techtextil programme of events has been expanded and optimised for 2015. The new heart of Techtextil and the concurrent Texprocess is the Innovative Apparel Show, where four universities and fashion schools will present their innovative designs on all four days of the fair.

After a live walk, they will explain the processes and materials used. This will also illuminate synergies to Texprocess, Leading International Trade Fair for Processing Textile and Flexible Materials. The pieces shown and other student creations will also be on show in a special exhibition.

Techtextil Symposium

The concept of Techtextil Symposium, the leading event for textile research, has also been adapted this year. Thus, the themes of the Avantex Symposium for functional apparel textiles have been integrated into the four-day congress.

Instead of concurrent lectures, Techtextil Symposium is now split into six successive lecture blocks, each with six presentations.

 The subjects to be covered at Techtextil Symposium 2015 include thermo-plastic composites, bio-based polymer composites, hybrid yarns, self-cleaning textiles, 3D printing, 3D spacer fabrics for personal protective equipment, multi-axial technologies for customised technical textiles, smart fabrics and a lecture on the Spacetex project.

Techtextil Innovation Award

The Techtextil Innovation Award for outstanding inventions and developments in the fields of technical textiles, nonwovens and functional apparel textiles will be presented for the 13th time at Techtextil 2015.

Additionally, Techtextil and the international TensiNet association are holding the 13th Textile Structures for New Building 2015’ student competition, which spotlights innovative and realistic approaches and solutions to building with textiles or textile-reinforced materials.

www.techtextil.messefrankfurt.com