Intertextile Shanghai - China International Trade Fair for Apparel Fabrics and Accessories / China International Trade Fair for Hometextiles and Accessories
14-16 October 2003, Shanghai

Over 46,000 buyers registered at Intertextile Shanghai; an
increase of 22% from 2002

Exhibitor feedback about the fair extremely positive, as
Intertextile Shanghai consolidates its position as the
leading textile fair in China

Rapid growth necessitates split into two separate shows
for 2004 
 
  
Final Report

Once again Intertextile Shanghai has proved itself as the leading
international trade fair in China for apparel fabrics, home textiles
and accessories. From 14-16 October, Intertextile Shanghai
welcomed 46,434 visitors through its doors, an increase of 22%
from 2002. Held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in
Pudong, the number of exhibitors across the apparel fabrics and
home textiles sections of the show totalled 1,216, a 22% increase
from the previous year.

In 2003 China's textile industry has continued to accelerate under
more relaxed trade boundaries and a steadily growing economy.
Intertextile Shanghai offers a unique opportunity for manufacturers
of apparel fabrics and home textiles alike to gather valuable
market information, connect with potential buyers and promote
their business in China's textile capital.

"Intertextile Shanghai offers an important gateway into China for
overseas fabric producers. Exhibitors are able to meet existing
clients, make new business contacts and learn more about the
potential for exporting to China," said Carol Palombo, of the British
Wool Textile Export Corporation. "China is a major emerging
market, offering a whole new world of opportunity for exporters.
We are particularly pleased to see exhibitors returning to
Intertextile Shanghai repeatedly and developing good solid
relationships with Chinese buyers."

As well as acting as a platform for meeting new customers and
reinforcing business relationships, Intertextile Shanghai offers the
opportunity to gain inside knowledge of the Chinese market.

"China is a very valuable market for us to embrace. We have
come to Intertextile Shanghai to improve our knowledge of the
local market and to promote our name amongst potential buyers,"
said Paulo Nina de Oliveira, President, Paulo de Oliveira, SA
"Most of the visitors that we have seen are from Shanghai and the
eastern parts of China and we hope that we have created an
impression with them that will lead to good business in the future."

Visitor overview

Of the 46,434 buyers that attended the fair, around 35,000 came
to source apparel fabrics, while around 16,500 were looking for
home textiles.

In the home textiles halls, internationality was high on the buying
side, with over 1,200 buyers coming from overseas. In the apparel
fabrics halls, roughly 25% of the buyers came from overseas.

Large groups of international visitors came from Japan (2,496
buyers), Hong Kong (1,432), Korea (1,356), Taiwan (1,136), USA
(615), and Australia (137).

Exhibitor overview - apparel fabrics and accessories

The apparel fabrics and accessories section of the exhibition
housed over 959 participating companies from 23 countries and
regions. National/group pavilions were present from France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Portugal, Spain, Taiwan,
Thailand and the United Kingdom.

"It is very important for us to have a Japanese pavilion at
Intertextile Shanghai," said Mr Yamamoto, Secretary General of
the Textile Department of the Ministry of Trade and Economics of
Japan. "There are many things that we need to do to ensure that
Japanese companies are recognised by the Chinese market as
important exporters to China. We feel that coming to Intertextile
Shanghai is a very important first step in the process.
The pavilions create a strong sense of national unity and enable
smaller companies to present themselves in China confidently."

Apparel fabrics exhibitors were positive about the quality of
visitors at the show, pleased to see companies not only from the
Shanghai region, but from across China and the rest of the world.

"We are very pleased with the visitors that we have seen here,"
said Mr Bruno Landi, Marketing Manager for Ermenegildo Zegna,
Italy. "Our booth has been continuously busy with buyers from
across China. Our Master Loom range has proved very popular,
we have seen an increase of around 80% of visitors interested in
these products compared to 2002. Master Loom offers high end,
high quality fabrics that incorporate innovative functions and
features that appeal to the increasingly demanding Chinese
customer. It is the third time we have exhibited at Intertextile
Shanghai and we see the show as a very important marketing
strategy for the company."

Exhibitor overview - home textiles and accessories

The home textiles section of the show consisted of 257 exhibitors
from 11 countries and regions, with national/group pavilions from,
France, Germany, Pakistan and Taiwan.

"We have had a great response at Intertextile Shanghai this year.
We are pleased to have seen visitors from Italy, Spain, the USA
and Mainland China," said Mr Ayaz Ali Kalami of Interasia
Textiles, Pakistan. "Intertextile Shanghai has given us the
opportunity to read the market and see what is on offer as well as
make good contacts."

“China International Home Textile Design Competition”

Winners of the inaugural 'China International Home Textiles
Design Competition' were invited to display their winning designs
at Intertextile Shanghai 2003.

Launched earlier in the year by the organisers of Intertextile
Shanghai and sponsored by the Haining government for 2003, the
competition was introduced to encourage original textile design in
China, and to prepare home textile manufacturers and designers
for the huge increase in demand for home textiles in the run up to
the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2010 World Expo in
Shanghai.

The displays were rich and colourful attracting many visitors from
around the world. Mr Jian Yu of East Myth designs was one of the
winners of the competition. "I have had many European visitors
that are interested in my designs. I hope that winning this
competition will give me some exposure to the western market."

Looking forward – Intertextile Shanghai 2004

Due to the phenomenal growth that Intertextile Shanghai has
experienced since it's inception in 1995, and taking into account
the differing buying seasons for apparel and home textile fabrics,
Intertextile Shanghai 2004 will take place as two separate shows.

'Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles' will take place from 1-3
September 2004 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.
The show is organised jointly by Messe Frankfurt, the Sub-Council
of Textile Industry, CCPIT, and the China Home Textile
Association.

'Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics and Accessories' will be
held from 27-29 October 2004 at the Shanghai New International
Expo Centre. The show is organised jointly by Messe Frankfurt,
the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT, and the China Textile
Information Centre.

For more information on the shows please visit:
www.intertextile.com for apparel fabrics and accessories
www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com for home textiles.

Contact the organisers at textile@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com or
by fax (852) 2598 8771.

-end-

Media contacts

Ms Gemma Booth
Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.
Tel (852) 2238 9941
Fax (852) 2519 8632
gemma.booth@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com

Ms Eva Tam (for Chinese language media)
Messe Frankfurt Shanghai
Tel (86) 21 5292 9222 ext. 205
Fax (86) 21 5292 8777
eva.tam@china.messefrankfurt.com

Exhibitor comments – apparel fabrics

"We have seen good results from the exhibitors at the French
pavilion this year. The companies that are returning for a second
or third time are doing particularly well, which confirms our
hypothesis that we must be very patient if we wish to make a
serious impression in the Chinese market. Companies that have
returned to Intertextile as part of the pavilion are now doing much
more on-site business than on their first visits. The Chinese
buyers are pleased to see them here again. French textile
companies are renowned for the production of fancy womenswear
products and it seems that this is an area which is on a rise in
China at the moment and so we hope that we will be able to
provide the types of products they desire."
Agnes Elisabela, Export Manager, Espace Textiles

"The future for China is very exciting for anyone involved in the
textile industry, and by being here at Intertextile Shanghai we
hope to be able to gain the confidence of buyers from across
China. We were recommended Intertextile Shanghai as a place to
see many potential customers over a short period, something we
are not able to achieve by travelling through the region ourselves."
Peter Richter, Director, Erhardt, Germany

"This is our first time at Intertextile Shanghai and we have been
very impressed by the sheer number of people here to visit the
show. Our booth has been very busy and we feel the show has
been very well organised."
Peter Shaer, Intercolour Incorporated, USA.

"This is the first time Portugal has brought a pavilion to Intertextile
Shanghai and we have been very pleasantly surprised by the
number of visitors to the show. We hope that the contacts the
Portuguese exhibitors have made will encourage more companies
to join the pavilion next year, as we feel that the Asian market will
become increasingly important for the textile industry over the next
few years. Arco Texteis has already been around in the Chinese
market for several years, but as the demand for high quality
European labels continues to rise in China we feel it is essential to
be here at the show to meet both new and old faces and gain a
stronger hold on the marketplace."
Alfredo Resende, Arco Texteis
Vice President of the Associacao Selectiva Moda, Portugal

"We are pleased that now many people in China have begun to
recognise MacQuarie as a familiar name on the textile circuit. It is
important for us to continue to be a fixture at the show to reassure
customers that we are still going strong as a company and
available to them in China."
Robert Hill, Regional Manager, MacQuarie Textiles, Australia

"We are the only Turkish company exhibiting at Intertextile this
year, and we feel that we have been well received by the Chinese
customers. It is very useful to us to come to a show like Intertextile
Shanghai as the Chinese market is still quite difficult to get into
and being here at the show makes us available to the right type of
buyers."
Burcin Durgun, Marketing Chief, Soktas Tekstil, Turkey

"We have had a lot of visitors to our booth. I think Intertextile
Shanghai is a good opportunity to do business in China; China is
a big market and we here not only to do business, but also to do
research and to test the market for Thai textiles. There are 22
companies joining the Thailand Pavilion this year and they are all
very busy at the show. We are also promoting T3 (Thailand Textile
Trend) at Intertextile Shanghai. This is a project for fashionable
fabrics and trends from Thailand."
Chantira Jimreivat Vivatrat, Director Export Service,
Department of Export Promotion, Ministry of Commerce, Thailand

"We have been exhibiting at Intertextile Shanghai since 1997 and
we have seen the scale of the fair getting bigger and bigger. We
are looking for long-term cooperation in China. The quality of
visitors has improved a lot in the past few years and we expect
more Taiwanese exhibitors will participate into the fair next year."
Alex Ni, Market Promotion Department, Taiwan Textile Federation, Taiwan

"We are here at Intertextile Shanghai to promote brand
awareness. We are the second largest manufacturer of elastane
fibers in the world and so it is very important for us to promote our
brand name in China. We are displaying the products of five
customers at the pavilion, including: ITAM, Kora International,
Dong-il Trading, and Pompea and Real."
Joo-Won Doh, Strategic Marketing Team, Spandex
Performance Unit, Hyosung Corporation, Korea

Exhibitor comments – home textiles

"Intertextile Shanghai offers a platform to gain access into what is
a very important market. The exhibition appeals to the exhibitors
as a place to meet new buyers from both Mainland China and
overseas. Participating in a pavilion allows the Pakistani
companies to gain confidence in the Chinese market and work
their way into doing business with Chinese companies. There is a
significant amount of buying activity taking place here at the
Pakistan pavilion and we hope that that continues throughout the
show."
Rukhsana Shah, Export Promotion Bureau, Government of Pakistan, Pakistan

"We produce upholstery fabrics and there are many overseas
visitors who have come to see our products. "
Daniel Wong, Sales Department, Hightex Co Ltd (China)

"We aim at getting Chinese manufacturers to know our products,
which are high-quality down quilt covers. The visitors are so
enthusiastic about our products, especially our special finishings,
e.g. scented and anti-bacteria textiles. Intertextile Shanghai helps
us to get known to the manufacturers in China, and on the other
hand, it enables us to gather information for marketing strategy in
future."
Mr. Daiji Hasegawa, President, Kageyama & Co Ltd, Japan

"There are many visitors here and they have given us very good
feedback on our products. Intertextile Shanghai is a good
opportunity for promotion for our company. Although this is the
first time we have exhibited here, we will come again next time."
Mr. Peng Jian Hua, Section Chief, China World Best Group Co Ltd, China

"The result of the fair is beyond our expectations. We have met
many big clients and the booth designs are very attractive. We
have also received onsite orders. The fair is very professional
which attracts a lot of trade visitors."
Sun Ping, Shandong Yanguang Spinning & Weaving Group Corp., China

"We are very happy with the organisation of this fair. There are
many visitors who come from not only China, but all over the world
which shows the importance of this fair to the industry as a whole.
It helps to bring a lot of opportunities to expand our export
business."
Sun Zhongai, Manager, Sunvim Hometextiles, China

Visitor Comments

"I heard about Intertextile Shanghai from my suppliers in China
who recommended I visit the show. I am surprised to see so many
visitors here, especially visitors from Europe. The trend area is
nicely presented and also very informative. I come to China to
source fabrics 2-3 times a year and I definitely will put Intertextile
Shanghai into my sourcing schedule next time."
Henrike Blauth, Designer, Santex Moden GmbH, Germany

"Our clients from Australia and Japan recommended that we visit
Intertextile Shanghai. There are lots of quality products on show
this year and the booth decorations are exceptional. This is a very
useful place for sourcing or to gather market information and
trends."
Reece Ma, President, Antex Window Fashions, China