+ 130,000 square metres taken up at the close of application period At the close of space application, some 130,000 square metres gross of exhibition space in 11 halls has been booked by leading industry names from some 30 economies. Although the space application deadline has passed, the show owners are still being besieged with late applications, including several applications for very large booths. The exhibition is expected to feature some 1,300 local and international textile machinery makers who will showcase cutting-edge solutions, as well as sustainability and energy efficient machinery and processes. Chinese exhibitors make up the biggest country group, booking around 50 per cent of the total exhibition space. Besides China, the top participating countries in terms of space applications are Germany, Italy, Japan and Switzerland. Sector-wise, spinning machinery forms the largest sector. This is followed by knitting, dyeing and finishing, weaving and winding. Miss Maria Avery, Secretary General of CEMATEX, The European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, said: "The combined show is now well entrenched in the textile machinery exhibition calendar. It draws leading textile machinery manufacturers and is a must-attend showcase for the Asian market, offering plenty of business and networking opportunities.”