#Yarn & Fiber
Yarn Expo a leading global business hub, with exhibitor numbers up by 8%
From the globally renowned to the competitive newcomers, there was innovation to be found around every corner. Exhibitors showcased an array of fancy, specialty and regenerated yarns, as well as high quality cotton, wool, silk and linen. Fancy and specialty yarns, especially those with added functionality, were reported to be high in demand from domestic trade buyers. The new display zone, Fancy Yarn Vision, proved a popular stop for buyers to quickly and efficiently see samples from highlighted fancy yarn exhibitors on offer. Meanwhile, sustainability remains a key trend, particularly in Europe but also in China, and fringe events focused on sustainable products were filled with interested audience members.
Despite some economic uncertainty within the Chinese market, many exhibitors noted their optimism for the future, crediting this to the resilience of China’s dominant purchasing power. At the same time, the fair received good feedback from Southeast Asian exhibitors, who were able to meet new overseas clients, widening their global strategies.
Visitor feedback
“We collaborate with a lot of fashion brands like Uniqlo, Anta and Fila. Yarn Expo is very important for us and a ‘must attend’ show every year. It has a significant influence on our company’s business strategy. I can find whatever product I want here. We are also very happy to see the new Fancy Yarn display area, which is very handy for us to efficiently find good quality fancy yarn exhibitors.”
Ms Bonnie Chan, Manager of Raw Materials, Pacific Textiles, Hong Kong
“I have been coming to Yarn Expo for the last six years. What I like about this show the most is that the suppliers display all kinds of products, always keeping up with industry trends. This show is way beyond a sourcing channel – it’s more like a stage for high-quality products and innovative concepts. It gathers everybody in one place which is effective.”
Mr Rajiv Srivastava, Manager, Neman Brothers & Assoc., USA
“Yarn Expo serves as a platform for networking and partnership exploration. I come here to meet my existing suppliers as well as check out new potential partners. At this edition, I sought out 30 potential suppliers that I am interested in, and I look forward to establishing business with them. We found more exhibitors here compared to other similar fairs.”
Mr Marcin Kolasa, Product Development, Legs Sp. z o.o, Poland
“I come here almost every year. Yarn Expo is a great platform for us to source from because the offering here is huge and the price ranges are ideal. We already found a very good Chinese company and I will probably place some orders.”
Mr Akhtar Mughal, Managing Director, Al-Gohar International, Pakistan
Exhibitors’ observations
“Yarn Expo is growing larger and becoming more international each year. Our exhibitors have met visitors from Korea, Egypt and Europe. Some visitors are placing orders onsite – so far, we have recorded 40 onsite orders at the India Pavilion. We have observed buyers with higher demand for regenerated yarns, and buyers pursuing products with higher quality as well as sustainability. It is essential for us to exhibit at both editions each year to maintain our business.”
Mr Ravindranathan Narayanasamy, Director, The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL), India (India Pavilion organisers)
“We are happy with the visitor flow. In the first two days of Yarn Expo, we had over 140 visitors enquiring at our booth. We met visitors from Indonesia, Thailand and other Asian countries. The visitors were from different industry roles. Some of the visitors have already started to contact our sales team to place orders, and they would like to export and trade overseas. This offers new opportunities to avoid negative impacts from the Sino-US trade war.”
Ms Shoaping Li, Senior Manager, China Supply Chain Marketing – Yarns and Home Textiles, Cotton Council International, USA
“I think this is the best place to meet professionals from spinning mills, as well as trade buyers and even designers. This fair has everybody in one place, in one go. I estimate we met around 100 people who were very professional. And in terms of marketing, Yarn Expo has provided a lot of good coverage. This has exceeded our expectations in terms of attention and success – I think we needed a bigger booth!”
Mr Donatas Cerkevicius, Commercial Director, Naturalus Pluostas, Lithuania
“So far, the fair has been good. We have had two or three real deals, actual orders, which will take our company to the next level in the China market. We have had orders not only from China but also Turkey and Iran. There are lots of different markets here, mostly from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and China. It’s good to be here for marketing purposes and to increase our network of clients.”
Mr Ravshan Kambarov, Commerical Director, Uztex Group, Ukbekistan
“Because we gained a lot of positive and inspiring feedback from our last two experiences with Yarn Expo, we returned this year. This time the result is even better. We have received hundreds of clients and one of the clients, from Fujian, even enquired about purchasing the exclusive selling rights for one of our products. Another from Poland showed strong interest in our innovative products. We came to Yarn Expo to promote our brand image, spirit and passion, which are also the qualities owned by this fair.”
Mr Wang Zunyuan, General Manager, Qingdao Xinwei Institute of Textile Research, China
“We have joined Yarn Expo for ten continuous editions and have witnessed the scale of its growth. Compared to other similar fairs, this expo benefits from being in Shanghai and has a good reputation. That’s why more and more trade buyers attend every edition. This time, a lot of Chinese buyers showed strong interest in our high quality products. The crowds in Yarn Expo are strong evidence of China’s potential, especially in cotton and synthetic yarns.”
Mr Rravi Taparia, Senior Vice President, Reliance Spinning Mills, Nepal
“This is the fourth time for our company to join Yarn Expo. We choose this fair because there is no other fair in the industry with such scale and reputation. It is an effective gateway for us to promote our products and company image, while building an expanded network of potential buyers, especially high-end. The buyers in this fair are diverse so it helps us to better explore the China and European markets.”
Mr Joon Son, Sales Manager, HJLite, Korea
“This is the very first time for Everest Textile to join Yarn Expo. The fair has already impressed me a lot with its scale and organisation. People can explore numerous products in one place in a short time. Because Yarn Expo is a well-known fair, people from domestic and overseas markets are all here, so it’s an effective way for us to be seen. During these three days, we have continuously seen clients from China, Southeast Asia and the US coming to our booth to enquire.”
Mr Steven Shen, Textured Yarn Dept. Director, Everest Textile, Taiwan
“This is our second time exhibiting at Yarn Expo. After successfully establishing real cooperation with a few buyers last time, we decided to return. We target international markets and we are glad to meet visitors from Turkey, India, Belgium and other European countries. Exhibiting at Yarn Expo is essential for our business because we can reach out to new clients here.”
Mr Guo Biao, General Manager, Hai Thien Synthetic Fiber Ltd Co, Vietnam
Fringe programme speaker
“Our seminar result was very satisfying, with all seats occupied and even more people just standing to listen, which was way beyond our expectations. Yarn Expo is very professional and the offering is huge, that’s why people from all over the world come here. The fair has a good reputation within the industry and far-reaching influence, so it is a wise choice for us to launch new products here.”
Mr Andy Zhang, Sales Deputy General Manager, Sateri, China
