The autumn edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, the leading apparel fabrics and accessories fair, will be located at the new and larger National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai and is expected to attract some 4,000 exhibitors when it opens its doors from 13-15 October.

Following the success of the spring edition that took place in March at the same venue, the fair’s organisers are confident that the autumn edition will be just as beneficial for exhibitors. “Despite some logistical issues due to our first time at this fairground, on balance the fair in March was a strong success due to the new venue attracting a lot more quality trade buyers,” explained Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK).

“This was due to a few reasons, including the closer proximity of the fairground to nearby textile manufacturing hubs, but also the three concurrent fairs: Yarn Expo, CHIC and PH Value. In particular, the co-location of the CHIC fashion garment fair for the first time resulted in a large increase in big-name Chinese fashion brands sourcing from Intertextile Shanghai exhibitors, and we predict this will be even more prevalent in October as the fairs are held concurrently for the second time.”

Extensive sourcing choice

Buyers attending the fair have a selection of products to choose from, according to organisers. At the high end of the market, SalonEurope caters to those looking for premium and niche products. The Milano Unica Pavilion also continues to be a strong attraction for buyers in SalonEurope. In addition, the exhibition area features pavilions from Germany, Portugal and Turkey.

Bringing more diversity to the product line up, particularly in terms of innovation, are pavilions from India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. While these pavilions help buyers to source based on the product’s origin, a number of product zones allow buyers to discover the latest developments within certain product segments.

 In recent editions, a large focus of the fair has been creating these special zones based on the market’s current and future demand to benefit both exhibitors and buyers. This year sees the return of the Premium Wool Zone, Verve for Design and All about Sustainability, while entire halls are once again dedicated to Beyond Denim and accessories. A functional fabrics zone will also be featured for the first time.

Fringe programme and concurrent events

Thanks to a huge range of concurrent fairs and fringe programme events, Shanghai will become the centre of the global textile industry in October, when it is held at the same venue with Yarn Expo Autumn, CHIC and PH Value.  

With these concurrent events, organisers expect to cover the entire textile supply chain and create benefits for its visitors. In addition, on the second day of the fair the Planet Textiles 2015, the sustainable textile event, will take place, featuring some of the industry’s foremost experts.

Visitors can also discover the latest trends and gain market updates through the fair’s fringe programme. This includes the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum, Fabrics China Trend Forums, China International Fabrics Design & Fabrics Creation Competition, and a wide range of seminars and product presentations. 

www.intertextileapparel.com