VDMA member companies have given a positive feedback for the ITMA 2015 trade fair that concluded in Milan last month, as 96% of the companies felt that both the quantity and the quality of visitors to their booths were high.

In expressing her satisfaction with the show, Regina Brückner, Chairperson VDMA Textile Machinery and CEO Brückner Trockentechnik said: “We were very pleased with ITMA 2015 in general, especially with the great number of visitors that were not only looking but were discussing real projects - some will be realised in the short term, some in the medium term.”

Winning new customers and closing deals

The acquisition of new customers was the major target of the VDMA members in Milan. Three out of four German companies were able to close contracts and negotiations already during the show time in Milan.

"The quality and the number of visitors, the commercial success for our company and the new contacts being generated during the show exceeded our expectations by far. ITMA proved again it is the leading exhibition place for textile machines,” commented Roland Hampel, member of the board of VDMA Textile Machinery and Managing Director, A. Monforts Textilmaschinen.

Johann Philipp Dilo, Member of the board of VDMA Textile Machinery and Managing Director of Dilo Group added: “Numerous projects are very promising and we expect further contracts to be concluded in the short term. All in all, ITMA in Milan has been a great success. Milan confirmed again the importance of the European ITMA.”

Energy and material efficiency

ITMA demonstrated that sustainable textile production continues to be a major issue for the industry. According to the VDMA survey, energy and material efficiency were the topics to which customers showed the highest interest.

Asked about energy efficiency, 72% of the responding VDMA members said that it was a topic of high interest for the customers. Material efficiency ranked number two in the list. “We felt for the first time a real understanding and interest in energy efficiency and green technology. It seems that German machine builders again strengthened their positive image of producing sustainable machines which will help us to look forward to some very exciting years,” commented Regina Brückner.

Global markets

The visitor structure reflects that customers are more globally distributed again and the dependence on individual markets is decreasing, the association reports. The comeback of many markets with a longstanding textile tradition is a positive sign for the years to come.  

“The exhibition by far exceeded our expectations. For us, especially visitors from Bangladesh, India, Mexico, Pakistan and Turkey showed high demand,” said Heinrich Trützschler, member of the board of VDMA Textile Machinery and Managing Partner of Trützschler.

VDMA activities abroad in 2016

VDMA is continuing its series of conferences in dedicated markets. It is planning a forum themed German Technology meets Vietnamese Textiles to take place in Hanoi on 5 July and Ho-Chi-Minh-City, from 7-8 July. Well-known VDMA member companies will present their updated technologies to Vietnamese textile producers.

Furthermore, VDMA initiated official German pavilions at INDO Intertex in Jakarta that takes place from 27-30 April 2016 and Techtextil North America that will be held from 3-5 May in Atlanta. VDAM also expects a strong participation of German manufacturers for the leading textile machinery show in Asia ITMA ASIA + CITME 2016 that is scheduled to take place from 21-25 October in Shanghai.

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