No masks, no Covid-19 passports, no capacity restraints and one single ticket for entry to three synergistic shows make Frankfurt the only place to be for industry professionals right across the textile supply chain from June 21-24 this year.

At a virtual press conference for the Techtextil, Texprocess and Heimtextil Summer Special exhibitions held on April 6th, Detlef Braun, member of the board of organiser Messe Frankfurt, said the shows would be further boosted by Franfurt Fashion Week which will also be running events throughout the city.

Certainty

He spoke of the role of the combined shows in providing “certainty in uncertain times”.

“The last two years have been tough and the textile industry now faces major challenges with escalating energy and raw materials prices, as well as major disruption to supply chains,” he said. “There are also problems with transportation and labour shortages, and personal meetings are now needed more than ever in restoring confidence and working to rebalance the supply chain.”

Dirk Vantyghem general secretary of Euratex, said the issues currently faced by the textile industry followed a period of steep recovery for his association’s 160,000 member companies in Europe, who employ some 1.5 million people and account for combined annual sales of €162 billion, with €61 billion in exports.

He said the European Commission’s EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, published on March 30^th, along with associated legislation, should be perceived as an opportunity and bring support for new investments.

Free but fair

“The European Commission is changing its perspective from free trade, to free but fair trade, with a new focus on enforcement in order to ensure a level playing field,” he said. “Forthcoming legislation will change the way the industry is organised and impose change on design and production. There will be compsulory traceability and moves to address over-production, but the aim is to achieve global compliance across the supply chain.

“We now have a clear roadmap ahead of us in respect of how the European textiles industry will need to transform, and the June exhibition will provide an excellent opportunity for receiving the necessary input from textile companies on the ground.”

Speaking of the individual shows, Olaf Schmidt, Messe Frankfurt’s vice-president of textiles and textile technologies, said the one-time Heimtextil Summer Special had already attracted 800 exhibitors from 47 countries and its Trend Space would focus on recycled, local and rented materials.

“We are working to embed the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals into the show,” he said. “Visitors can expect inspiring stagings of colours, materials, curated exhibitor exhibits, lectures and DIY activities.”

Digital extension

Techtextil and Texprocess 2022 will meanwhile feature over 1,100 exhibitors and include 13 National Pavilions. The events will also be digitally twinned and extended, allowing those unable to attend to virtually access the show, and visitors to catch up on what they missed until July 8^th.

“With twelve application areas, Techtextil will showcase a wide variety of solution for everyone from car makers and medical technology specialists to fashion designers,” said Michael Janecke, Messe Frankfurt’s director of brand management, technical textiles and textile processing.

At Texprocess, international manufacturers will showcase the latest machinery, equipment, processes and technologies for garment manufacturing and textile and flexible materials – ranging from design, cutting, sewing, knitting and embroidery to finishing, IT and logistics.

“Covid-19 was an accelerator of changes that were already underway in the garment industry,” said Elgar Straub, managing director of the VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies Association. “Companies are now looking for solutions that enable them to be more flexible, more responsive, and in many cases closer to the customer. This will be the focus at Texprocess.”

In light of the ongoing situation in Ukraine, the shows will be without exhibitors or visitors from Russia and Belarus, and Messe Frankfurt has suspended all of its fairs and marketing services in both countries.

“In 2019, Messe Frankfurt’s textile shows served 23,000 exhibitors and 600,000 visitors,” Detlef Braun said in conclusion. “Trade fairs in Germany and elsewhere must and will speed up again in the next few months and the 2022 Techtextil, Texprocess and Heimtextil Summer Special exhibitions will serve to restore confidence and reinforce the message that face-to-face business is finally back.”

www.texprocess.messefrankfurt.com

www.techtextil.messefrankfurt.com

www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com