In numerous talks, tours and workshops, Heimtextil as well focused on two of the most important key topics of the coming decades: sustainable production and action as well as artificial intelligence. At the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles, transformations could be experienced more intensively than ever before.

With intercontinental strength, Heimtextil 2024 laid the foundation for a record year for Messe Frankfurt. 46,000 buyers from around 130 nations took the opportunity to participate in the global textile market - from upholstery and decorative fabrics, bed and bathroom textiles, mattresses, functional textiles and carpets to wallpapers, outdoor fabrics, artificial leather, curtains, fibres, yarns, sleeping systems and decorative cushions. Despite nationwide rail strikes, this edition recorded a plus in visitor numbers and, with 2,838 exhibitors from 60 nations, a 25 per cent increase in exhibitor numbers compared to the previous year's event: "Heimtextil ends with overwhelming participation. The increase in space, exhibitors and visitors in 2024 makes the following clear: the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles remains on course for growth - and sets new standards for a sustainable and AI-driven textile industry", says Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt.

Outstanding intercontinentality: participation grows nationally and internationally

Heimtextil achieved an increase in the level of internationality on the exhibitor side to 95 per cent. The top ten exhibiting countries were China, India, Turkey, Pakistan, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Great Britain and the Netherlands. There was an increase in the exhibitor numbers from Belgium, Bulgaria, China, India, Japan, Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, the USA and Egypt. On the visitor side, more visitors came from China, Germany, India, Japan, Croatia, Macedonia, Pakistan, Slovakia and Cyprus. The number of German trade visitors increased by around ten per cent.

Significant increase in satisfaction and visitor quality

In 2024, visitor satisfaction rose to an average of 93 per cent both nationally and internationally - particularly with the breadth and depth of the offering. Among German trade visitors, overall satisfaction rose by seven percentage points to 88 per cent. Over 90 per cent of all visitors achieved their trade fair goals. Exhibitors were also impressed by the increased visitor quality and buying competence: the proportion of top decision-makers among buyers rose by six percentage points to 78 per cent. Around 80 per cent of exhibitors achieved their trade fair goals.

Brilliant start for new Carpets & Rugs product segment

The launch of the new Carpets & Rugs segment was a complete success. For the first time, the global carpet industry presented together in one hall, including numerous international market leaders who exhibited in Frankfurt for the first time or after a long time - with overwhelming satisfaction:

"For our debut here in Frankfurt, we deliberately presented our entire collection, which turned out to be the right strategy. The stand was well attended throughout and we made many new global contacts - from Europe to overseas, from Asia to Scandinavia," says Katrien Vandenbroucke, CEO of Ragolle Rugs, one of Belgium's leading brands.

"We came back because we saw potential in the new concept. And I have to say, we were more than pleasantly surprised," summarises Raghav Gupta, Director of E-Commerce at the Indian company The Rug Republic, which stands for high-quality handmade rugs.

The wish for a new joint appearance came from the industry - and Frankfurt was convincing. Exhibitors such as the Egyptian Oriental Weavers Group are looking to the future:

"We are completely convinced by the new concept. The hall has turned out beautifully from the very start, a perfect platform for our industry. Now it's time to take it forward together. In any case, we already know that we will be at Carpets & Rugs in 2025 - and with a significantly larger stand," says Ahmed El Gamal, Export Sales Manager of OWG subsidiary Mac Carpet.

From AI in textile product design to scalable sustainable solutions

Never before have transformations such as artificial intelligence and sustainability been so intensively at the center of Heimtextil and presented effective levers for a future-oriented approach to key technology. For the first time in 2024, the trade fair provided fascinating insights into the textile application of artificial intelligence and the use of AI-controlled sorting to refine recycled textile waste into new yarns. In the trend space, visitors' textile design ideas were also brought to life at interactive stations using tools such as ChatGPT-4 and Midjourney.

In addition, Heimtextil once again made state-of-the-art sustainable production and action tangible. One of the main points of contact were the Heimtextil Trends with New Sensitivity: the concept focused on the ongoing transformation of the textile industry and presented numerous market-ready and scalable solutions. One example was the company Ever Dye, whose self-developed color pigments enable dyeing at room temperature. Variant 3D, on the other hand, offers AI-driven knitting software that can be used to produce even complex shapes such as lampshades without creating patterns. The Econogy program offered further central content formats, with Finder, Talks, Tours and the Econogy Hub demonstrating all the versatility of circular approaches, the relevance of certificates and possible applications for textile materials. The exhibitors listed in the Finder contributed to the holistic experience of sustainability.