ITMA surpasses our expectations – CEMATEX President
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.
Trade visitorship of over 100,000 from 138 countries was registered for the eight-day event held at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via fairgrounds. Just over 90 per cent of the visitors came from outside of Spain. The international mix of visitors and buyers was 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.”
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 per cent of visitors, followed closely by host country Spain, then India. Germany and Turkey ranked fourth and fifth respectively in the visitorship tally. Making it to the top 10 list from outside of Europe are 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.
ITMA opens with extensive showcase of latest technology
The 16th edition of ITMA, the world’s most established textile and garment machinery technology exhibition opened today in Barcelona, Spain. Marking 60 years since its first show in 1951, ITMA 2011 features the entire textile and garment making valuechain, including fibre and yarn which will be showcased for the very first time.
ITMA 2011 is held until 29 September at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via venue. ITMA show owner CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, and organiser MP International, have introduced several new and innovative offerings tailored to suit the changing needs of the global industry.
Speaking at the opening press conference, Mr Stephen Combes, President of CEMATEX said, “Innovation has been the key factor for ITMA’s success. With each edition, our members and exhibitors have continued to push the limits of technological advances and industry knowledge. We are confident that all participants will benefit from the knowledge exchange over the next eight days.”
True to the theme for its 60th anniversary – Master the Art of Innovation – ITMA 2011 has also partnered with some of the most important industry associations and groups, and introduced an exciting line up of informative educational events to keep participants up to date on the latest trends.
These collaborative events include 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.
Designed to cater to specific industries and sectors, the response for these events, clustered under ‘Conferences @ ITMA 2011’, has been positive. Said Ms Sylvia Phua, Chief Executive Officer of MP International, “Working closely with CEMATEX, we have introduced events that will create greater value to both exhibitors’ and visitors’ participation.
Besides being a sourcing platform, we have added education and networking elements to ITMA, which are important features in any trade show. The response has been very encouraging and we hope the sharing of knowledge generated helps to spur more companies forward in this globalised climate.”
Research and education is another major emphasis 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 presents leading edge textile materials and technology research from established institutes of learning….Read More…
Kofi Annan addresses first ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit
The first ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit took place at the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I, in Barcelona, Spain, bringing together textile-industry leaders and some of the world’s most influential thinkers and policymakers in strategically important fields such as economics, trade, technology and sustainability.
Its two keynote speakers were Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General, and Barry Eichengreen, George C. Pardee and Helen N. Pardee Professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley.
Other eminent participants included Rufus H. Yerxa, Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and Du Yuzhou, Chairman of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, while among the audience of nearly 300 was Vietnam’s Vice-Minister of Trade and Industry, Ho Thi Kim Thoa.
Delegates received a welcome from Catalonia’s Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Francesc Xavier Mena, accompanied by the President of CEMATEX, Stephen Combes, and the President of the ITMF, Bashir H. Ali Mohammad.
The World Textile Summit is the first joint initiative between CEMATEX, owners of the ITMA show, and the ITMF. The inaugural conference was organised in partnership with the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) and international event organiser MP International.
The one-day Summit set out to deliver an inspirational, forward-looking agenda, including interactive panel discussions, designed to offer a global perspective on the opportunities and challenges likely to face the textile industry in years ahead. Opening the event, Kofi Annan spoke on the topic of Sustainability and the UN Global Compact for business ethics – a cause to which he has devoted much of his attention since he left his UN office in 2006.
He was followed in the morning session by three leading textile-industry figures – Loek De Vries, CEO of technical-textile producer Royal Ten Cate, speaking on structural change; Thomas Babacan, CEO of textile-machinery giant Oerlikon Textile, addressing technological change; and Philip Chamberlain, Head of Sustainability at C&A Europe, setting out the retailer’s compliance standards for environmental and ethical performance… Read More..
