Yarn Expo has certainly established itself as a leading networking destination for worldwide visitors and exhibitors, with a wide variety of products on offer. Most notably, there was onsite evidence of ever-shifting sourcing trends from around the world. A certain buzz of new business potential filled the air, as new markets continue to open for Yarn Expo exhibitors.

“Yarn Expo Spring’s strength lies in its diversity of products and innovations. It’s undeniable that this is attracting trade buyers from throughout the supply chain,” noted Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. “It’s no longer just spinners and weavers buying from Yarn Expo. This week, we’ve also witnessed more downstream buyers sourcing directly from our exhibitors. They recognise that the properties of yarns and fibres are essential for ensuring a high-quality end-use product.” The fair welcomed buyers from well-known brands such as Fila, Guess, Ralph Lauren, Jack Jones and Vero Moda, as well as Adastria, Itochu, Li-Ning, Maracaibo, s.Oliver and a buyer delegation from Korea.

Are consumers becoming more aware of the fibres in their products? 

One visitor from Switzerland, Ms Anita Lazo, Senior Product and Business Development Manager of Sankom noted, “Although we make end-use products, by sourcing yarn we have better control over the composition of our fabrics. We are making premium underwear products, so our consumers are quite conscious of the fibres in their purchases.” Brands like Sankom, who were searching for a unique functional fibre, are increasingly visiting Yarn Expo to meet their specific sourcing needs. Whether that’s in order to source the particular yarns or fibres needed to maximise efficiency or sustainability, it’s evident that Yarn Expo Spring provides plenty of options to make end-use products stand out from the crowd.

Exhibitor testimonials 

“We expect the serious buyers to come back to sign contracts today (day 3). The visitors to Yarn Expo are very professional and match our exhibitors’ expectations. Some large Chinese importers visited our booths today, and I’ve noticed this edition there are a lot of new importers who haven’t bought from India before. We’re really happy with our participation in the fair as this is a global meeting point. This is definitely the best fair in China, and one of the best in the world. We place a lot of value on this fair. Yarn Expo is a very popular brand around the world.”

Mr Ravindranathan Narayanasamy, Director, The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil), India (India Pavilion organiser)

“The most important benefit for us being at Yarn Expo is the customer connection and to see what is new in terms of innovation. We leverage this platform for our own innovation campaign and marketing story. We have a wide range of customers – we see the entire chain up to the consumer as our customers, so we have a lot of brands from Hong Kong, Europe and the US coming here to meet us. You can always find what’s new at Yarn Expo.”

Mr Manohar Samuel, Senior President (Marketing & Business Development), Grasim Industries Ltd (Birla), India

“I decided to exhibit at Yarn Expo for the first time because I wanted to expand our business to new regions. This week I met with visitors from Ukraine, Russia, Colombia, Pakistan and Turkey. I see a very large market for sustainability – most brands, for example M&S, are all looking for eco-friendly products, and the China government is tightening environmental regulations, so this is very promising for us. Brands worldwide are certainly asking their textile manufacturers to source eco-friendly yarns, and these manufacturers are coming to this fair.”

Mr Mohamed Al-Fayed, Commercial Director, Perfect Spinning Company, Egypt

“We are very satisfied with the visitor flow of this year's Yarn Expo. Compared with the previous years, the proportion of overseas visitors is higher. In addition to the consideration of price, buyers are also increasingly pursuing high-quality products.”

Ms Lily Huang, Sales Manager-Cotton Yarn, KCTEX China Co., Ltd, Singapore

“We are very satisfied with the visitor flow of this year's Yarn Expo. Compared with the previous years, the proportion of overseas visitors is higher. In addition to the consideration of price, buyers are also increasingly pursuing high-quality products.”

Ms Lily Huang, Sales Manager-Cotton Yarn, KCTEX China Co., Ltd, Singapore