The international textile and garment machinery industry converged for the 16th edition of ITMA, the world's most established textile and garment machinery technology exhibition in Barcelona, Spain from 22 to 29 September 2011.

According to the organisers, over 100,000 visitors from 138 countries registered for the eight-day event held at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via fairgrounds. Just over 90% of visitors came from outside of Spain and the international mix of visitors and buyers was said to be very well received by exhibitors.

Mr Stephen Combes, President of CEMATEX said: "ITMA 2011 has surpassed our expectations. Considering that the world is still facing economic difficulties, the vast majority of our exhibitors are delighted with the quality and the number of visitors. According to our national associations, their members have reported significant enquiries and many have taken even more orders than they hoped for."

"The textile and garment industry must be commended for its resilience and willingness to invest and to innovate. The sales and serious enquiries generated from qualified international visitors are greatly appreciated by the exhibitors, and our participants have all given a very positive response to the show," Mr Combes added.

Commercial negotiations

A delighted exhibitor, Mr Attilio Camozzi, President of Marzoli, commented: "A lot of commercial negotiations have started and orders have been finalised for approximately 30 million Euros with customers from Argentina, India, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan."

Italy fielded the largest contingent of 9% of visitors, followed closely by host country Spain, then India. Germany and Turkey ranked fourth and fifth respectively in the visitor numbers. Making it to the top 10 list from outside of Europe were Brazil and Iran.

"The majority of the visitors are from the textile making hubs in Asia, and Central and South America. Thanks to our extensive promotions, we have been able to attract leading textile and garment makers from these vibrant areas. Being global companies, they need to invest in innovative, yet cost-effective solutions to stay ahead of the competition," said Ms Sylvia Phua, CEO of MP International, organiser of ITMA 2011 and 2015.

Trade delegations

 "ITMA 2011 demonstrated the finest of global excellence in textile manufacturing technology. India is emerging as the preferred base for textile manufacturing and Indian buyers were able to evaluate various machines for procurement during ITMA 2011. As a policy planner and in order to usher in India's next leap into finer processing, finishing and a strong textile hub, it was particularly gratifying to be shown the finest technology in the world and a range of options at ITMA 2011," said Ms Rita Menon, Textiles Secretary, Government of India, who led a high level delegation that included the Joint Secretary (Textiles) and the Textile Commissioner.

The Indian delegation was among the over 50 groups from 27 countries welcomed at the exhibition. The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) delegation was headed by the Secretary of Textiles from Bangladesh. The Vietnamese Vice Minister of Trade and Industry also led a delegation. Association groups came from all over the world, ranging from Africa, Asia, Europe, Central and South America, and the Middle East.

On the show floor, ITMA 2011 attracted 1,350 exhibitors from 45 countries and economies who demonstrated their latest technological products and innovative solutions. Another major area of focus was sustainability with many exhibitors displaying their latest green technology and environmentally friendly products.

Fibres & Yarns

The new fibre and yarn sector was said to have been particularly well-received by both exhibitors and visitors.

"The opening of a fibre and yarn sector this year was one of the greatest initiatives announced for ITMA's 60th anniversary edition. In our first participation at ITMA, we could meet both current and new customers from around the globe. ITMA was a perfect platform to communicate our marketing innovations and sustainability plan, ‘Planet Agenda'," said Ms Denise Sakuma, Global Director of Brand & Communications at INVISTA Apparel Business.

Marking 60 years since its first show in 1951, ITMA 2011 featured exhibits from the entire textile and garment making value-chain spread over 200,000 square metres of gross exhibition space.

Show owner CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, along with organiser MP International, had also introduced several new and innovative offerings tailored to suit the changing needs of the global industry.

Conferences

Miss Maria Avery, Secretary General of CEMATEX said, "The main focus of ITMA has always been about innovation, and it has never been more apparent than at the 2011 edition. We have received many commendations for the conferences we have introduced, along with the new chapters we have added to the exhibition profile. This evolution of ITMA has paved the way for greater success for future editions to promote innovation at its best."

Some 700 industry professionals were present for ‘Conferences @ ITMA', a series of collaborative events designed to cater to specific industries and sectors, which included the World Textile Summit, Sustainable Textile Leaders Roundtable, Textile Dyestuff and Chemical Leaders Forum, IFAI Advanced Textiles Europe 2011, and the Young Entrepreneurs of Textile International Meeting.

"The Forum has achieved its objectives. From speakers to attendees, the quality of discussion generated will definitely spark more innovative solutions for a sustainable future," said Mr Andrew Filarowski, Technical Director of Society of Dyers and Colourists and Moderator for the Textile Dyestuff and Chemical Leaders Forum.

Research & Education

Apart from educational events, research and education was another focus for this 16th edition of ITMA. As part of the move by CEMATEX to focus on the sustainable development of the textile and garment industry, the Research & Education (R&E) Pavilion presented leading edge textile materials and technology research from 47 universities and institutes from 20 countries. Highlights included the European Textile Research and Education Pavilion led by AUTEX, EURATEX and TEXTRANET, and the Speakers' Platform, where participants presented their latest research findings.

Making plans for 2015

With the success of ITMA 2011, preparations are already underway for the next edition of ITMA, which will be held in Milan, Italy.

 "Italy is delighted to be chosen to host the 2015 edition of ITMA. We are already in talks with the Milan city officials and other relevant stakeholders to deliver a world class event," said Mr Sandro Salmoiraghi, President of ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers,

MP International's Ms Phua, said, "We look forward to working with CEMATEX again for the next edition of ITMA. Despite the challenging business environment, we are encouraged by the warm response. We will take in the suggestions of our participants and continue to build a platform that is relevant to the industry."

ITMA 2015 will be held from 12 to 19 November 2015 at the Fiera Milano (Rho) in Milan, Italy.