Intertextile Shanghai  Apparel Fabrics - China International Trade Fair for Apparel Fabrics and Accessories

26 – 29 October 2004, Shanghai New International Expo Centre

Visitor traffic high: almost 43,000 buyers attend the first independent Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics

Show has a four-day run for the first time, with day one reserved exclusively for pre-selected buyers

Exhibitor feedback on the event is overwhelmingly positive, the atmosphere energetic and business brisk

Final Report

“Intertextile Shanghai is on my ‘must-go’ list, and every year I find exactly what I need here,” said Ms. Lila Frodesen of Chico’s in Shanghai recently. Ms Frodesen was one of almost 43,000 buyers who attended Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre last week; a show which has become the leading apparel fabric event in China’s trade fair calendar, and a major industry get-together for those involved in China’s textile & garment business.

The show was running for the tenth consecutive year, but for the first time was held independently from the home textiles fair. The atmosphere was energetic and busy, and visitor traffic was consistently high over all four days of the show. At final count, 42,904 buyers from 94 countries & regions were registered; a 21 per cent increase on 2003.

Covering 46,000 sqm in four halls, the exhibition housed a wide array of fabrics from all over the world, from luxury fabrics for high-fashion and business wear to mid-range products for mass market clothing. A good range of apparel accessories and textile design services were also on show. In total there were 1,204 exhibitors from 25 countries & regions, including national pavilions from Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Portugal, Taiwan China, Thailand and Turkey.

Breaking with tradition, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics opened for four days instead of the usual three. The first day, named “Exclusive”, was reserved for buyers with invitations only, guaranteeing only pre-selected, qualified buyers on the stands. Despite the restricted door policy, the halls were crowded and business was brisk on day one of the fair. Days two to four were open as usual to all trade buyers, allowing exhibitors to make new contacts in the fast-growing textile marketplace.

“’Exclusive’ was a value-added feature of the show,” said Mr. Paulo Vaz of the Associacao Selective Moda, the organiser of the Portuguese national pavilion. “We knew who we were talking to and could concentrate on doing real business that day. The last three days were important for meeting new customers.”

Responding to another request voiced by exhibitors, the organisers of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics appointed a professional textile industry consultant, Texlink, to be on-site and available during the show to answer exhibitor enquiries. Texlink said many exhibitors had questions about doing business in the Chinese marketplace, and needed assistance in evaluating sales leads. “Doing business in China can be a daunting prospect for a newcomer,” said Ms Kiki He, a consultant at Texlink. “We can help people understand the way things are organised here, and advise on things such as joint ventures and set-up of production.”

For the exhibitors who were there to do business, the positive atmosphere was palpable. “China is said to be a ‘hot’ market, and listening to the visitors’ comments here, it is the truth!” said Mr. Jesse W. Curlee, President of Supima, USA.

Exhibitors generally stated three major reasons for being at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics 2004: to promote their products and raise awareness of their production capability, and to get a better idea of how the Chinese market works. Another theme commonly commented upon by many exhibitors was the need for increased promotion in the lead up to the textile quota abolition at the beginning of 2005.

“We expect to face fierce competition after the abolition of textile quotas, and that’s one of the reasons we are here,” said Mr. Dinghua Gu from Shanghai Hexiao Printing Co. “We must raise our profile and expand our network of contacts. We know that Intertextile Shanghai is the place we must be to achieve this, we can’t miss it.”

Whether exhibiting for the first time, or after many years of successful business in China, most foreign exhibitors recognise, and wish to capitalise upon, the nation’s strong and ever-growing demand for quality textiles. “China’s market for luxury textiles is growing extremely fast, and Italy is renowned for high quality textiles and outstanding designs; it makes good business sense for us to be here,” said Mr. Alessandro Liberator from the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, organisers of the Italian Pavilion. “The 56 companies in the Italian pavilion recognise that being here is crucial.”

“This is only the second year that we have brought a Japanese pavilion to Intertextile Shanghai, and already we have over 140 companies participating,” said Mr. George Ikeshita of The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). “We have been monitoring the market, and found that China’s demand for value-added fabrics is on the increase. Intertextile Shanghai is the ideal starting point for Japanese manufacturers who want to fill the gap in demand for such high-quality products.”

A major textile heavy-weight itself, Turkey is finding more and more opportunities for textile trade with China, and a national pavilion was present at Intertextile Shanghai for the first time in 2004. In all, 13 Turkish exhibitors joined the fair on a brightly lit and impressively designed joint stand, which enjoyed very high visitor traffic over the whole four days.

“Our main goal is to evaluate and understand the Chinese market better,” said Ms. Sevtap Akguloglu from the Consulate General of Turkey. “We have learnt first-hand here that there is definitely a market for high-end Turkish fabrics. If we want to expand our market share in China, we have no choice but to raise our profile here. Intertextile Shanghai is the ideal platform for us.”

It is not just in size that Intertextile Shanghai has grown. Over the last ten years as the show has matured along with the market, local buyers have become more and more professional, with greater product knowledge and much higher expectations.

“The visitors are definitely getting more professional and knowledgeable about the fabrics,” said Ms. Claudia Saam of the Confederation of the German Textile and Fashion Industry, organiser of the German pavilion. The show is getting noticeably bigger and better each year.

“The show was buzzing with excitement and visitors and exhibitors were extremely happy,” said Katy Lam, Trade Fairs Director, Messe Frankfurt, one of the show’s organisers. “We are not only celebrating the ten year anniversary of the fair but also its confirmed position as China’s premier trade fair for apparel textiles. The event has considerable importance for the Chinese manufacturers that are increasingly facing domestic competition, but also for international manufacturers answering their need to build-up their image in the Chinese market. We are very happy with the results.”

The next Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will be held at
Shanghai New International Expo Centre from 26 – 29 October 2005.

For more information on Intertextile please visit www.intertextile.com, fax (852) 2598 8771 or e-mail textile@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com

Photographs of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics 2004 are available on request or can be downloaded from the Internet.

-end-

Press contacts:

Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.
Ms Elisabeth Grisoni / Ms Jennifer Lam
Tel (852) 2238 9941 / 9924
Fax (852) 2519 8632
Elisabeth.grisoni@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com
Jennifer.lam@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com
www.messefrankfurt.com.hk

Comments from exhibitors

“This is the perfect time for us to start promoting our products here as we have just opened a factory in China. Our first participation at the show has been excellent and it was overall a great experience that we will definitely repeat.”
Ms. Shirley Cook of Scovill, USA

“Our crystal components have attracted many visitors to our booth and we can see a difference of professionalism from the previous years. The show has been a great success and there is no doubt that we will be here again next time.”
Mr. Edmond Chan, Swarovski, Austria

“This is the fourth time that we have exhibited at the fair and this year we have made some very interesting contacts. We even received some orders which is very rare on-site.”
Mr. Robin Lee, Yaoguang Textile Co. Ltd, China

“We are extremely happy with the results of the show. The fair has enabled us to make many new contacts from the local market but we also met overseas buyers.”
Mr. Lin Ping, High Fashion Silk Science & Technology Co Ltd, China

“The results of the fair far exceeded our expectations. We have made many new contacts and even already received onsite
orders. The visitors to our booth were very professional and we believe Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is the ideal opportunity for our company to market products to China.”
Mr. Carlos Puig, President, Puig Codina, Spain.

“This is our first time at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics and our decision to come this year proved to be excellent. There is a
huge potential for American cotton in China and we can’t pass the chance to raise our profile.”
Ms. Rose Lam, Administration Manager, China and Southeast Asia, Cotton Council International, USA

“The show is a very effective platform to promote our brand as well as new products. This year, the internationality of the show is exceptional and we can see many overseas exhibitors showcasing new products. We found ‘Exclusive’ very good and enjoyed the privileged atmosphere.”
Mr. Agung Purnavan, Marketing Development Manager, Dupont Nonwovens, USA

“One of the most important aspect for us at trade fairs is the visitor flow and we were not disappointed! The flow has been constant
and our goal to increase our exposure to the Chinese market has undoubtedly been reached. We met old and new customers and you will see us again next year.”
Ms. Annie Lam, Sales Co-ordinator, Unifi Asia Ltd, Hong Kong China

“The mood of the fair is very good and the quality of the visitors excellent. We came here to promote our products to the Chinese market but realised that we could also reach other markets. About 20 per cent of our visitors were overseas visitors.”
Mr. A.K. Banerje, Export Manager, JCT Ltd, India

“We can see an increase in buyers’ quality from last year and all the companies at the Taiwanese pavilion are impressed with the
show and see it as an opportunity to increase sales in Mainland China.”
Mr. Alex Ni, Taiwan Textile Federation, Taiwan China

“We have made many new contacts and our denim seems to be very popular with the Chinese buyers. We thought the trend forums were a great idea and very useful.”
Mr Roberto Seselovsky, Export Manager, Santista Tetil SA Brazil

“This is our first time at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Textiles. We have been visiting the show for many years but this time we have decided that it was time that we exhibited our products as well. The Chinese market is expanding incredibly fast and we cannot lose the opportunity to be present.”
Ms. Birgita Asnah of PT Apac Inti Corpora, Indonesia