Exhibition Stand in Hall E1, B09 – Press conference on July 28th

After a successful premiere at ITMA 2007 in Munich, the International Oeko-Tex Association is going to Shanghai to take part in ITMA ASIA 2008 from July 27th to July 31st.

At the Oeko-Tex exhibition stand B09 in Hall E1, interested trade visitors will find contacts from several Oeko-Tex Testing Institutes who can provide detailed information about Oeko-Tex Standard 100. Oeko-Tex representatives will also present additional information about the actual development and global significance of Oeko-Tex tests for harmful substances at a press conference on July 28th, 2008.

With more than 100,000 trade visitors representing all the links in the value creation chain for textiles, and more than 1,200 exhibitors, the ITMA ASIA is the most significant exhibition for innovations in textile machinery and tools in all of Asia. Oeko-Tex's renewed presence underscores the considerable significance the independent testing and certification system has for the international textile industry, which relies increasingly on meeting Oeko-Tex criteria for quality assurance, particularly when it comes to exporting their products to European consumer markets. Currently, some 50% of all Oeko-Tex Certificates issued world-wide are for Asian firms, and the trend is growing.

The Oeko-Tex Association aims to provide first-hand support for manufacturers and existing licence holders in all regions producing textiles and at all significant industry events. Trade visitors at ITMA ASIA Shanghai will have the opportunity to learn about using tests for harmful substances in accordance with Oeko-Tex Standard 100 as a valuable quality management (QM) tool during their stay and as they survey innovative machine technologies and the latest in processes and new developments in dyeing and other finishing tools.

The theme of the press conference on July 28th at the New International Expo Centre will be "Oeko-Tex Opens Unlimited Textile Markets" and will feature the following topics:

• Oeko-Tex Standard 100 – a green passport to world markets, Raimar Freitag, Oeko-Tex General Secretary (Switzerland)

• Laboratory testing and limit values – Oeko-Tex in the context of European legislation, Dr. Jean-Pierre Haug, Head of Testing at the Swiss Textile Testing Institute, Testex (Switzerland)

• Confidence in textiles – Germany as a benchmark for Oeko-Tex consumer awareness and marketing activities, Jutta Knels, Head of the German Oeko-Tex Certification Centre (Germany)

• Export the ultimate goal? – The importance of Oeko-Tex for domestic markets in Asia, Takh Him Chan, Head of Testex Swiss Textile-Testing Ltd. (Hong Kong)

The exact time and place of the Oeko-Tex press conference at ITMA ASIA 2008 will shortly become available at www.oeko-tex.com/dates. Registration is possible at the contact address [email protected] immediately.