As 2020 in-person trade shows continue to be pushed into the future due to coronavirus fears, the inaugural Yarn Expo Shenzhen kicks off on July 15 with 115 exhibitors gathering in China’s Guangdong province.
The Chinese city of Shenzhen, linking mainland China with Hong Kong, will host the event at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center in concert with the China International Fashion Fair (CHIC), Intertextile Apparel Fabrics and PH Value, an event dedicated to knitted clothing and accessories.
“With CHIC and PH Value also taking place onsite, Yarn Expo Shenzhen will represent the first stop for the entire apparel supply chain,” event organizer Messe Frankfurt said in a statement.
The debut event in Shenzhen adds a third stop on the Yarn Expo’s trade show slate, including its biannual show in Shanghai. Yarn Expo Shenzhen, scheduled for July 15-17, will take place in Hall 10 of the convention center.
Along with Messe Frankfurt, Yarn Expo Shenzhen is organized with the help of the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the China Chemical Fibers Association and the China Knitting Industrial Association.
“While this new edition of Yarn Expo provides the yarn and fiber industry with the ideal gateway to capture the potential of the strong apparel market in South China and Southeast Asia, it will also be an important boost to help the industry recover and reconnect from the COVID-19 pandemic disruption,” the company said.
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In-person trade shows in the United States, from the NRF’s Big Show to the entirety of the Liberty Fairs event schedule, have been largely canceled or pushed back as COVID-19 infections rise across the country. China, which first tangled with the novel coronavirus in late 2019, has taken a different road to recovery and has reported virtually flat per-day case counts, with just 55 cases confirmed on July 14, according to the World Health Organization.
Messe Frankfurt and Yarn Expo Shenzhen organizers say the event will help bring the yarn and textile industry back together, especially considering the elevated demand for sustainable and antibacterial products during the pandemic.
Exhibitors like the Consinee Group, which claims to be one of China’s leading natural cashmere yarn suppliers, will use Yarn Expo Shenzhen to introduce products such as a new line of sustainable and traceable cashmere, including an antibacterial yarn.
Nantong Doublegreat Textile Co. Ltd., another Yarn Expo Shenzhen exhibitor, will showcase a yarn blended with polylactic acid, creating a natural and biodegradable material bearing additional antibacterial properties. A spinning mill, Shangdong Longrun Textile Ltd., will also introduce a diacetate yarn that is both antibacterial and eco-friendly.
Yarn Expo Shenzhen will follow a variety of new health and safety protocols, including onsite temperature checks, frequent sterilization of common areas, and distancing measures for conferences, exhibitions and seminars expected to draw crowds.