The autumn edition of the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics was held from September 23-25, 2020, with over 73,500 visitors, and alongside nearly 3,400 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions. Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is one of the leading textile trade show and a comprehensive platform to showcase supreme apparel fabrics and accessories.
Complementing the physical trade fair, new online platforms and digital solutions were added to the mix of services on offer, enhancing business opportunities amid the international travel disruptions. The combination of onsite and online services worked to further stimulate the industry’s recovery and maintained the fair’s leading global position in the textile apparel market.
Intertextile Apparel running as planned has been another significant step for the industry which has received enthusiastic support from both domestic and overseas participants. Feedback from this edition and the absence of trade fairs earlier in the year has stressed the value and irreplaceability of in-person business interactions, with fairgoers keen to meet with potential buyers and suppliers face-to-face. Particularly in the textile market, where products should be seen and felt up close, visitors appreciated the chance to comprehensively source for their needs in-person. Meanwhile, exhibitors experienced a strong demand for their products from quality buyers, making up for lost business earlier in the year, according to a media statement by Messe Frankfurt.
The debut Hybrid Showcase was well-received by buyers and exhibitors alike. Virtual exhibitors benefitted from fairgoers being able to touch and feel their products displayed onsite, whilst buyers enjoyed the advantages of a wide-ranging and efficient sourcing experience. Combined with the brand-new online business matching tool, Connect PLUS, which features video calling and instant messaging functions, Intertextile’s digital solutions successfully allowed businesses to stay connected, despite the global travel restrictions. Over 500 virtual and onsite meetings were arranged during the fair through Connect PLUS and the VIP business matching programme, which connected VIP buyers with suppliers via pre-scheduled Zoom meetings.
The fringe programme invited industry leaders to share best practices and market insights with the audience through a range of seminars and forums. The Wool Industry and e-Commerce Forum: Upgrading Supply Mode for e-commerce welcomed speakers from key players in the field such as the Woolmark company and Tmall. Meanwhile, the new ‘Fabric to Fashion’ Buyer Forum explored how businesses can develop their supply chains of the future to improve productivity, increase product quality and reduce costs. What’s more, market changes triggered by the pandemic were also discussed during the Analysis of Current Textile Industry Environment and Emerging COVID-19 Success Story Sharing Forum, to help steer the industry forward and realise the potential of post-pandemic opportunities.
“It’s apparent that the industry has greatly appreciated the return of Intertextile Apparel following the Shenzhen edition in July, as it’s still recognised as an ideal platform to reconnect with business partners and to allow participants to see and feel products in-person. And with the launch of new digital solutions including the Hybrid Showcase and Connect PLUS, our online exhibitors and buyers valued the chance to be able to connect with those who were not present at the fairground,” Wendy Wen, senior general manager of Messe Frankfurt said.
