March 20 2009
Pulling out all the stops for Techtextil
Organiser Messe Frankfurt says that Techtextil 2009, which takes place in June, will be a busier three-day show than ever before. The last event attracted almost 23,000 visitors.
Speaking at a press conference in London, Michael Jänecke, the show’s brand manager, said that despite a tough market situation, organiser Messe Frankfurt was pulling out all the stops to ensure record attendance.
The technical textiles show now integrates Avantex, the forum for innovative apparel textiles, for example, while Material Vision – a broader materials exhibition for architects, civil engineers and building specifiers – will be running parallel to it within the Messe Frankfurt showrooms. In addition, complementary programmes running alongside the 2009 event include: The 15th Techtextil Symposium; 10th Techtextil Innovation Award; 5th Avantex Symposium; 5th Avantex Award; 10th Textile Structures for New Building Award; International Natural Fibres Conference; and the IWTO (International Wool Trade Organisation) Congress.
The Techtextil 2007 event (incl. Avantex) drew in 1,119 exhibitors from 43 countries, and 22,876 visitors from 80 countries.
Messe Frankfurt is confident it can repeat this record in 2009, while being well aware of the changed economic landscape. Mr Jänecke observed, for example, that suppliers of textiles to the automotive sector in Germany had been especially affected by a decline in orders, which are down anywhere from 30-60%.Germany’s government is countering this with a scheme for scrapping older cars and encouraging assisted purchases of new ones (Abwrackprämie) and other countries are likely to follow this example.
“In addition,” said Mr Jänecke, “Germany’s government has introduced an economic stimulus programme which is likely to result in an increase in demand for construction materials, geotextiles and other industrial products. One thing all manufacturers are aware of, is that now, more than ever, they must innovate. For this reason, Techtextil is the must-attend event.”
Source: Inteletex
