“From humble beginnings back in October 1995, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition has grown over the last quarter century into the preeminent international event for the industry in Asia,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd commented. “The fair is recognised as the most effective platform for international suppliers to access the growing Chinese market at the mid and premium levels, and for international buyers to source from the largest collection of quality Chinese companies under one roof. In this time, it has also grown from a traditional trading platform to one that delivers trend insight, business opportunities through industry cross-overs and solutions for transitioning to e-commerce through the fair’s fringe programme and business matching events.”

“While this edition once again offered abundant opportunities, there is no hiding the fact that the market is going through challenging times at present, as has been witnessed at many industry events around the world this year. A number of underlying indicators in China still remain robust however, including continued growth in the domestic home textiles market, albeit at a slower pace than in previous years, and undiminished strong demand for overseas brands. The contract sector here in particular continues to show the most potential in coming years. All this gives us optimism that the 26th edition in 2020 and beyond will continue to offer the best business platform in the region.”

A business hub for the region

A number of organisations were recognised for their long-standing support of the fair at a gala dinner celebrating 25 years of success on 28 August. Among them was the Uludag Textile Exporters’ Association, organisers of the fair’s largest country pavilion from Turkey. Accepting the award, Ms Pinar Tasdelen Engin, President of the Association, spoke of the importance of the fair for their members. “We have been organising a pavilion at Intertextile for the past 11 years, and it’s gratifying for us that our members are now well positioned in the market and are becoming quite reputable with their own brands,” she said. “In each edition, we see an improvement in the professionalism of visitors from around the world, which confirms the global importance of this fair for our industry. In this respect we see it as a business hub for the region, and a professional and conductive atmosphere for business.”

This year’s revamped fringe programme ensured fairgoers could discover the latest design, product and industry trends and insights, as well as source from the industry’s leading suppliers. Some of the highlights included a Round Table Design Talk featuring interactions between 12 of China’s most well-known interior designers & architects and their counterparts from Europe, including Shen Lei, Ben Wu, Wang Jian, Esra Lemmens, Monika Lepel, Peter Ippolito and Christina Biasi-Von Berg, while renowned Japanese designer Toshiyuki Kita also presented to a full-house. Other events and zones included a new Talks & Tours series on home and contract topics, Contract Business Showcase area, three-day Design Trend Lecture programme, Digital Printing Micro Factory, e-Commerce Talks and more.

Exhibitors’ experiences

“For us, Intertextile is the number one gateway to the Chinese market. We’ve made around 160 contacts so far, and they are the buyers that we are targeting. We had quite a diverse range of visitors, including an increase in e-commerce buyers, but also more traditional upholstery fabrics buyers. We’ve also seen more and more people who are looking for eco-friendly products. Our booth was also part of the Talks & Tours, so it was important to tell our story to a diverse range of visitors on this tour.”

Mr Thomas Lyus, Sales Manager, LIBECO-LAGAE, Belgium

“We’ve had many buyers visit our booth so far, 60-70% of them from China, but there were also important foreign buyers. The fair is a key platform for us to showcase our new items, and the buyers have shown strong interest in our products, so this fair creates very good opportunities. Intertextile is very important for us, and one of the most important fairs in the world for the upholstery industry. Though the global economy is not in the best shape, China is the biggest market and they are still experiencing steady growth. We are getting very good feedback from this market.”

Mr Jose Carlos Oliveira, CEO, Upholstery Division, Elastron Portugal, Portugal

“We are a Polish brand and not so well known in the Chinese market, so we chose to exhibit at Intertextile because it is highly regarded in the industry. We’ve been able to increase brand awareness through this fair’s strong network and reputation. We’ve managed to meet many Chinese buyers here, so without question we are coming back next year.”

Mr Raymond Shu, General Manager, SIC Textile (Hangzhou) Co Ltd, China

“The Chinese market has a lot of business potential because incomes here continue to increase. More consumers are willing to purchase high-quality home textile products, such as down-quilted bedding. This fair is a great opportunity for overseas companies to know more about the demands of Chinese customers and to generate new business opportunities.”

Mr Tadayoshi Inoguchi, Director, SK Shouji Co Ltd, Japan

“We exhibit here to meet international buyers, and this year we’ve had a good number from the US and Europe, including a number of new contacts. Intertextile continues to get more important in China. China is the main supplier for American and European furniture manufacturers who are sourcing here, so we need to be here also.”

Ms Sneha Gaonkar, Assistant Vice President – Business Development (Export Sales), D’Decor Home Fabrics, India