#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2020-12-17

ISPO Munich Online 2021: What participants can expect

For the first time in its 50-year history ISPO Munich, the world’s leading trade fair for sports, will take place in a purely digital format from February 1 to 5, 2021. With nearly seven weeks to go before the start of the event, many international brands have already registered to present themselves and their products in the Expo Area. In addition, participants can also expect a comprehensive conference program. This is dedicated to a different key topic each day: from innovations and creativity to digitalization and health to sustainability.

Online concept finds strong support from the entire industry

Expo Area with digital brand rooms for brand and product presentations

Comprehensive conference program with daily key topics

Even in a digital format, ISPO Munich is the central platform for the international sports industry. Industry giants such as adidas Terrex, Gore, Mammut, icebreaker and YKK are showing their full trust by engaging fully as event partners. Further notable companies, associations and organizations from all areas of sports are also lending their support, including Deutsche Sporthilfe, the European Championships Munich 2022, the European Outdoor Group and the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry.

Conference program on megatrends and business topics

In addition to the presentation of new collections and products in the digital brand rooms of the Expo Area, overarching topics and trends are the focus of the event: The coronavirus pandemic in particular has shown the growing importance of sports and outdoors in society and how they can help to overcome crises. The consequences and benefits for the industry will be presented, interpreted and discussed in the conference program. Each day is dedicated to one overarching topic: creativity, digitalization, health and sustainability. Among the top-class interdisciplinary speakers there are already representatives of the BMW Group, the Deutscher Industrieverband für Fitness und Gesundheit, from Microsoft, Nielsen Sports and YouTube, as well as top athletes, such as the Catalan ultramarathon runner and mountaineer Kilian Jornet.

Overview of the day

The program schedule will follow a uniform model every day: After a short opening in the morning, there will be plenty of time to gain a market overview, maintain and expand networks and discover trends in the Expo Area. From midday, workshops and masterclasses by the exhibiting companies are on the agenda. Following this, there will be presentations, talks and panel discussions on the main stage. All of these program points will take place in front of the specialist audience.

Each day will end with “public streams” for end consumers with a love of sports and outdoors from around the world – from training sessions to product tutorials to live talks.

Initial program highlights

Joining proven and familiar formats such as the award ceremony and winner presentations for the ISPO Award and ISPO Textrends, the interactive live pitch for the title of ISPO Brandnew overall winner will also be on the program. On Monday evening, over the course of the Unveil Night, the ISPO Cup Winner will be announced and more exciting topics with relevance to the economy and society will be covered.

The Running Symposium presented by RUNNER’S WORLD will provide a thematic deep-dive into the topic of running. On Tuesday, the Sports Tech Conference Europe 2021 will take place as part of ISPO Munich for the first time. This will offer valuable inspiration on the interface between sports and technology and is free for all ticket holders.

A program overview is available online, with detailed information on the program and the speakers to follow shortly.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

Fashion will not be left behind in one of the world’s undisputed tech and manufacturing capitals. Which is why next week, at Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026, the organisers have made special efforts to integrate textile topics such as materials innovation, holistic sustainability, digitalisation and AI. Yet, from 9 – 11 June at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, the platform also includes timeless tradition and heritage-inspired evolution in equal measure. Across both shows, over 600 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions are set to showcase everything from Peruvian alpaca wool fabrics to tea-derived fibres, while their fringe programmes will explore diverse solutions along the entire value chain.

Messe Frankfurt commits further to East Africa: three textiles trade fairs during Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week from 2027

Messe Frankfurt and its Texpertise Network continue their steady, successful trajectory in the region. As Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) opened today, Member of the Executive Board Detlef Braun announced that Messe Frankfurt is licencing its three leading international trade fair brands Texworld, Apparel Sourcing and Texprocess to Nairobi, Kenya for the first time in 2027. From now on, they will take place annually as part of the Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) Nairobi.

Keeping products moving with Swedish automation at FILTECH 2026

At FILTECH 2026, taking place in Cologne from June 30th to July 2nd, members of TMAS – the Swedish textile machinery association – will highlight how the country’s engineering expertise is enabling filtration manufacturers to increase productivity, improve traceability and reduce dependence on labour-intensive manual processes.

Global Mmeeting of textile technologies, ITM 2026, attracts great interest

ITM 2026, one of the world's most prestigious organizations in the field of textile technologies, opened its doors with the participation of over 1,000 companies and company representatives from 59 countries, as well as thousands of professional visitors from nearly 100 country. Attracting thousands of international visitors on its first day, ITM 2026 once again demonstrated its status as a global meeting point for the textile industry with its advanced technologies on display, newly established business connections, and record-breaking international participation.

Countdown to Textiles Recycling Expo 2026: Brussels prepares for Europe’s textile recycling gathering

With only two weeks remaining until the start of the second edition of the Textiles Recycling Expo 2026, preparations are entering the final phase. The exhibition and conference, dedicated exclusively to textile recycling and circularity, will take place on 24–25 June 2026 at Brussels Expo and is expected to attract stakeholders from across the textile recycling value chain.

Indorama Ventures enables brands to scale circular textiles through proven, traceable supply chains

Indorama Ventures, a global leader in recycled polyester staple fibers and filament yarns, will exhibit at Textiles Recycling Expo in Brussels on June 24–25. At the event, the company will show how brands and textile manufacturers can build traceable, circular textile supply chains by working with proven partners who deliver recycled materials on an industrial scale.