Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will kick off a three-day, hybrid run on Wednesday, welcoming an expected 3,400 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions.
In addition to country- and regionally focused pavilions and dedicated product zones, the inaugural Hybrid Showcase will allow exhibitors who cannot attend the fair to physically showcase their products in a designated display area at the National Exhibition and Convention Center.
“We are delighted to be opening the doors to our Intertextile flagship event this week and are thrilled with the support from both domestic and international exhibitors, considering the challenges that this year has presented,” said Wendy Wen, senior general manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd., which produces the fair. “With the introduction of the Hybrid Showcase, not only will our digital exhibitors be accessible via video, their products will be showcased onsite for visitors to physically see, touch and examine them. This is a vital aspect of textile and fabric sourcing and an element which will increase buying efficiency for visitors.”
Wen noted that the country and region pavilions include exhibitors from Germany, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Along with the international pavilions, the eight exhibition halls will also feature a number of product zones such as Accessories Vision, Beyond Denim, Premium Wool Zone, Verve for Design, All About Sustainability and Functional Lab. Domestic exhibitors will be categorized by product end-use throughout the halls.
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Some key exhibitors in the Hybrid Showcase are Eastman Chemical, The Woolmark Company, NK Fabric Company and Kane Top Group Limited, the organizers pointed out. Buyers can contact these exhibitors through Connect Plus, the fair’s new online business matching tool. With instant messaging and video call functions to schedule and hold online meetings, Connect Plus is available before, during and after the fair to connect overseas exhibitors and buyers.
Hygiene-focused products have seen a steep increase in demand since the Covid-19 pandemic, a trend that has also taken off within the textile industry. Many textile suppliers have answered the call with new and innovative antibacterial products and solutions.
Some exhibitors who will be showcasing fabrics, fibers and technologies with this focus include HeiQ Materials and its HeiQ Viroblock NPJ03, a textile technology that is added to the fabric during the final stage of the manufacturing process. Hua Mao Nano-Tech Co., a functional filament and masterbatch manufacturer that has supplied more than 100 well-known apparel brands with antibacterial materials will be participating, along with Lu Thai Textile Co. a yarn dyed fabrics manufacturer and an international shirt producer that will highlight its Luthai Virosuppress Fabric, which it says offers effective protection against contamination and transmission of viruses. Finally, Microban International will make its debut at Intertextile by showcasing its antimicrobial fabrics and odor-control technology.