Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics - Autumn 2014, the world's largest international trade fair for apparel fabrics and accessories, was held in Shanghai, China, over four days from October 20th to 23rd.
This year, marking its 20th anniversary, the event recorded record numbers for both exhibitors and visitors. 3,844 companies from 30 countries and regions exhibited at the New International Expo Centre, covering an area of over 170,000 square meters, and 71,138 visitors from 93 countries and regions attended, making it a huge success.
At a press conference held on the first day, Stefan Buerma, president of Messe Frankfurt Asia Holding, spoke with emotion, saying, "This trade fair, which began 20 years ago with 130 exhibitors from 12 countries, has grown into one of the world's largest." Furthermore, while there are concerns about the slowdown in China's apparel market due to falling wages and rising raw material prices, the company emphasized that business opportunities remain promising, thanks to consumer interest shifting from price to quality and technological innovation.
At a Milano Unica press conference held on the first day, Chairman Silvio Albini noted that Italian fabric exports to China had fallen by approximately 13% over the past six months. However, he expressed his enthusiasm for future business expansion, saying, "China remains a huge and important market, and the number of buyers visiting the Milano Unica zone is increasing every time. Italian materials have unparalleled strengths in quality, innovation, and customer service, making them highly competitive as a leading European production center." The Milano Unica pavilion featured 128 exhibitors, including high-quality materials unique to Italian manufacturers, such as wool, cashmere, and silk.
Starting with the Spring Exhibition in March 2015, the exhibition will move to the China Exhibition Complex currently under construction near Hongqiao Airport, and will be held simultaneously with Intertextile Home Textiles and Yarn Expo in a venue of 100,000 square meters, approximately twice the size of the Spring Exhibition in 2014.
