Following the successful conclusion of the Autumn Edition in September 2020, the Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will be held from 10-12 March 2021 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The exhibition will continue to adopt a hybrid format with online platforms and digital solutions complementing the physical event, in order to support exhibitors in finding business opportunities in China’s recovering textile market.

Running as originally scheduled, the 2020 Autumn Edition welcomed nearly 3400 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions and attracted over 73,500 visitors. Over 240 virtual meetings were also arranged during the fair through the fair’s new Connect PLUS platform and the VIP business matching programme, the organisers report.

“As a global apparel textile flagship, the Spring Edition of Intertextile Apparel in 2021 will continue to serve as a reliable sourcing platform, both in-person and virtually, for the textile industry to connect and recover. With travel restrictions still in effect in many countries and regions, digital solutions and the hybrid format of the fair are essential to facilitate suppliers and buyers in their sourcing process. We look forward to international exhibitors joining us via the onsite or online formats, allowing them to take advantage of the opportunities offered by China’s recovering textile market,” said Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

“The fair will take place as China’s textile market continues to show signs of quick recovery from the effects of the pandemic. With industrial output continuing to remain strong, Chinese consumer confidence is also starting to rebound,” the organisers say. “According to a McKinsey study, net optimism of consumers is now at 54%, the highest compared to respondents from other countries[1]. This recovery in the economy and consumer demand was also observed by exhibitors from the 2020 Autumn Edition, who expressed how the fair provided a much-need trading platform for making up lost business,” they add.

“Intertextile is a great way to reconnect with the textile industry. On just the first day, we acquired 35 contacts for new fabrics and met with 10 new brands and can confidently say we’ve met our expectations so far. More importantly there are large crowds of people, meaning that people are not afraid to travel domestically, which is a good sign. Intertextile successfully opening as planned is a good first start, indicating the market is gradually returning to normal,” commented Mr Steve Stewart, Apparel Vice President, Asia at The Lycra Company.

“We participate in this fair every year. It is relatively the biggest fair in China, and the results are also the best. Over the past few days, we may have contacted thousands of customers already. We will come again next year because of the fair’s large scale and visitor quality,” said Mr Jianming Li, General Manager at Sanhe (Hong Kong) Thread Co Ltd.

Hybrid Showcase

For exhibitors who cannot travel to China, the Hybrid Showcase will be held again to display their products for onsite buyers to touch and feel, with audio visual equipment provided to help present their company. These ‘hybrid exhibitors’ will be able to stay connected with onsite and online buyers via the instant messaging and video calling functions of the Intertextile mobile app and the fair’s online business matching tool, Connect PLUS, which will be accessible before, during and after the fair.

“Due to COVID-19, we didn’t travel to the fair. But we joined Intertextile’s Hybrid Showcase and sent over some fancy knits for display, which are our company’s most popular products. We gained around 40 new contacts – some of them are our target customers and we started talking with them via emails after the fair. As this was the first time, we joined a hybrid format trade fair, we didn’t expect so much and we are satisfied with the results,” shared Mr James Nam, President at NK Fabric from Korea.

Dedicated product zones targeting different buyers

Intertextile’s country and region pavilions and dedicated product zones will be offering a comprehensive range of products to help buyers meet their specific souring needs. These include:

Country & region pavilions / zones: from Japan, Korea and Taiwan

Accessories Vision: a wide range of value-adding garment and fashion accessories

All About Sustainability: products, services and solutions to satisfy consumers’ higher sustainability expectations

Beyond Denim: advanced denim solutions and applications from stretchable jeans to business casual attire

Digital Printing Zone: fabric printing technology catering to the demand for flexible orders and shorter delivery times

Functional Lab: innovative fabrics providing comfort and protection for athleisure and sportswear

Premium Wool Zone: premium wool fabrics from European mills for custom-made clothing

SalonEurope: the place to be for the Asian market’s ever-growing appetite for European-made products

Verve for Design: inspirational and original textile pattern designs by designers and studios from different countries

Fringe programme and concurrent events

For exhibitors and visitors who are eager to learn about the latest industry trends, the fair’s fringe programme events including the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum and the Fabrics China Trend Forum, as well as seminars, panel discussions and product presentations, will offer insight into the post-pandemic textile markets in China and around the world. With four concurrent fairs – the Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, Yarn Expo Spring, CHIC and PH Value – sourcing options and business opportunities can also be maximised for exhibitors and visitors.

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2021 is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre.

[1] Understanding Chinese Consumers: Growth Engine of the World, McKinsey & Company, November 2020

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics

Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide