Intertextile Shanghai goes hybrid for March 2021

Following the
successful conclusion of the Autumn Edition in September 2020, the Spring
Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will be held from 10 – 12
March 2021 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The
fair will continue to adopt a hybrid format with online platforms and digital
solutions complementing the physical fair, in order to support exhibitors in
finding business opportunities in China’s recovering textile market.

Running as
originally scheduled, the 2020 Autumn Edition welcomed nearly 3,400 exhibitors
from 20 countries and regions, and attracted over 73,500 visitors. Over 240
virtual meetings were also arranged during the fair through the fair’s new
Connect PLUS platform and the VIP business matching programme.

“As a global
apparel textile flagship, the Spring Edition of Intertextile Apparel in 2021
will continue to serve as a reliable sourcing platform, both in-person and
virtually, for the textile industry to connect and recover. With travel
restrictions still in effect in many countries and regions, digital solutions
and the hybrid format of the fair are essential to facilitate suppliers and
buyers in their sourcing process. We look forward to international exhibitors
joining us via the onsite or online formats, allowing them to take advantage of
the opportunities offered by China’s recovering textile market,” said Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe
Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

The fair will take
place as China’s textile market continues to show signs of quick recovery from
the effects of the pandemic. With industrial output continuing to remain
strong, Chinese consumer confidence is also starting to rebound. According to a
McKinsey study, net optimism of consumers is now at 54 per cent, the highest
compared to respondents from other countries. This recovery in the economy and
consumer demand was also observed by exhibitors from the 2020 Autumn Edition,
who expressed how the fair provided a much-need trading platform for making up
lost business.

“Intertextile is a
great way to reconnect with the textile industry. On just the first day, we
acquired 35 contacts for new fabrics and met with 10 new brands, and can
confidently say we’ve met our expectations so far. More importantly there are
large crowds of people, meaning that people are not afraid to travel
domestically, which is a good sign. Intertextile successfully opening as
planned is a good first start, indicating the market is gradually returning to
normal,” commented Steve Stewart,
Apparel Vice President, Asia at The LYCRA Company.

“We participate in
this fair every year. It is relatively the biggest fair in China, and the
results are also the best. Over the past few days, we may have contacted
thousands of customers already. We will come again next year because of the
fair’s large scale and visitor quality,” said Jianming Li, General Manager at Sanhe (Hong Kong) Thread.

Hybrid Showcase
helps international exhibitors catch up with market recovery

For exhibitors who
cannot travel to China, the Hybrid Showcase will be held again to display their
products for onsite buyers to touch and feel, with audio visual equipment
provided to help present their company. These ‘hybrid exhibitors’ will be able
to stay connected with onsite and online buyers via the instant messaging and
video calling functions of the Intertextile mobile app and the fair’s online
business matching tool, Connect PLUS, which will be accessible before, during
and after the fair.

“Due to COVID-19,
we didn’t travel to the fair. But we joined Intertextile’s Hybrid Showcase and
sent over some fancy knits for display, which are our company’s most popular
products. We gained around 40 new contacts – some of them are our target
customers and we started talking with them via emails after the fair. As this
was the first time we joined a hybrid format trade fair, we didn’t expect so
much and we are satisfied with the results,” shared James Nam, President at NK Fabric from Korea.

Dedicated product
zones targeting different buyers Intertextile’s country and region pavilions
and dedicated product zones will be offering a comprehensive range of products
to help buyers meet their specific souring needs. These include:

Country &
region pavilions / zones: from Japan, Korea and Taiwan

Accessories
Vision: a wide range of value-adding garment and fashion accessories

All About
Sustainability: products, services and solutions to satisfy consumers’ higher
sustainability expectations

Beyond Denim:
advanced denim solutions and applications from stretchable jeans to business
casual attire

Digital Printing
Zone: fabric printing technology catering to the demand for flexible orders and
shorter delivery times

Functional Lab:
innovative fabrics providing comfort and protection for athleisure and
sportswear

Premium Wool Zone:
premium wool fabrics from European mills for custom-made clothing

SalonEurope: the
place to be for the Asian market’s ever-growing appetite for European-made
products

Verve for Design:
inspirational and original textile pattern designs by designers and studios
from different countries

Fringe programme
and concurrent events provide more insight and value to participants

For exhibitors and
visitors who are eager to learn about the latest industry trends, the fair’s
fringe programme events including the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum and
the Fabrics China Trend Forum, as well as seminars, panel discussions and
product presentations, will offer insight into the post-pandemic textile
markets in China and around the world. With four concurrent fairs – the Spring
Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, Yarn Expo Spring, CHIC and PH
Value – sourcing options and business opportunities can also be maximised for
exhibitors and visitors.

Intertextile
Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2021 is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt
(HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile
Information Centre.