Asia’s leading international event for the home furnishings and contract industries wrapped up another successful edition, its 25th occasion, on 31 August. 1,147 exhibitors from 27 countries & regions were joined by more than 35,000 trade buyers from 117 countries & regions in Shanghai from 28 – 31 August. The fair covered seven halls of the National Exhibition and Convention Center and 170,000 sqm.
“From humble beginnings back in October 1995, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition has grown over the last quarter century into the preeminent international event for the industry in Asia,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd commented. “The fair is recognised as the most effective platform for international suppliers to access the growing Chinese market at the mid and premium levels, and for international buyers to source from the largest collection of quality Chinese companies under one roof. In this time, it has also grown from a traditional trading platform to one that delivers trend insight, business opportunities through industry cross-overs and solutions for transitioning to e-commerce through the fair’s fringe programme and business matching events.”
“While this edition once again offered abundant opportunities, there is no hiding the fact that the market is going through challenging times at present, as has been witnessed at many industry events around the world this year. A number of underlying indicators in China still remain robust however, including continued growth in the domestic home textiles market, albeit at a slower pace than in previous years, and undiminished strong demand for overseas brands. The contract sector here in particular continues to show the most potential in coming years. All this gives us optimism that the 26th edition in 2020 and beyond will continue to offer the best business platform in the region.”
A business hub for the region
A number of organisations were recognised for their long-standing support of the fair at a gala dinner celebrating 25 years of success on 28 August. Among them was the Uludag Textile Exporters’ Association, organisers of the fair’s largest country pavilion from Turkey. Accepting the award, Ms Pinar Tasdelen Engin, President of the Association, spoke of the importance of the fair for their members. “We have been organising a pavilion at Intertextile for the past 11 years, and it’s gratifying for us that our members are now well positioned in the market and are becoming quite reputable with their own brands,” she said. “In each edition, we see an improvement in the professionalism of visitors from around the world, which confirms the global importance of this fair for our industry. In this respect we see it as a business hub for the region, and a professional and conductive atmosphere for business.”
This year’s revamped fringe programme ensured fairgoers could discover the latest design, product and industry trends and insights, as well as source from the industry’s leading suppliers. Some of the highlights included a Round Table Design Talk featuring interactions between 12 of China’s most well-known interior designers & architects and their counterparts from Europe, including Shen Lei, Ben Wu, Wang Jian, Esra Lemmens, Monika Lepel, Peter Ippolito and Christina Biasi-Von Berg, while renowned Japanese designer Toshiyuki Kita also presented to a full-house. Other events and zones included a new Talks & Tours series on home and contract topics, Contract Business Showcase area, three-day Design Trend Lecture programme, Digital Printing Micro Factory, e-Commerce Talks and more.
Exhibitors’ experiences
“For us, Intertextile is the number one gateway to the Chinese market. We’ve made around 160 contacts so far, and they are the buyers that we are targeting. We had quite a diverse range of visitors, including an increase in e-commerce buyers, but also more traditional upholstery fabrics buyers. We’ve also seen more and more people who are looking for eco-friendly products. Our booth was also part of the Talks & Tours, so it was important to tell our story to a diverse range of visitors on this tour.”
Mr Thomas Lyus, Sales Manager, LIBECO-LAGAE, Belgium
“We’ve had many buyers visit our booth so far, 60-70% of them from China, but there were also important foreign buyers. The fair is a key platform for us to showcase our new items, and the buyers have shown strong interest in our products, so this fair creates very good opportunities. Intertextile is very important for us, and one of the most important fairs in the world for the upholstery industry. Though the global economy is not in the best shape, China is the biggest market and they are still experiencing steady growth. We are getting very good feedback from this market.”
Mr Jose Carlos Oliveira, CEO, Upholstery Division, Elastron Portugal, Portugal
“We are a Polish brand and not so well known in the Chinese market, so we chose to exhibit at Intertextile because it is highly regarded in the industry. We’ve been able to increase brand awareness through this fair’s strong network and reputation. We’ve managed to meet many Chinese buyers here, so without question we are coming back next year.”
Mr Raymond Shu, General Manager, SIC Textile (Hangzhou) Co Ltd, China
“The Chinese market has a lot of business potential because incomes here continue to increase. More consumers are willing to purchase high-quality home textile products, such as down-quilted bedding. This fair is a great opportunity for overseas companies to know more about the demands of Chinese customers and to generate new business opportunities.”
Mr Tadayoshi Inoguchi, Director, SK Shouji Co Ltd, Japan
“We exhibit here to meet international buyers, and this year we’ve had a good number from the US and Europe, including a number of new contacts. Intertextile continues to get more important in China. China is the main supplier for American and European furniture manufacturers who are sourcing here, so we need to be here also.”
Ms Sneha Gaonkar, Assistant Vice President – Business Development (Export Sales), D’Decor Home Fabrics, India
“We’ve been exhibiting here for a decade, and the results at this year’s edition have increased. We’ve managed to meet our target customers from Asia, the US and Europe. Intertextile is a good platform for us to showcase our products, to meet new customers and to generate business opportunities.”
Mr Yonathan Adrian S., Sales and Marketing Regional Manager, Ateja Tritunggal PT, Indonesia
“Compared to other fairs in China, Intertextile attracts more overseas buyers and helps us to explore overseas markets. The quality of visitors has greatly improved, as well as the number of overseas buyers, including more from the US and Europe this edition. Here we can not only maintain our existing relationships but meet new customers too.”
Mr Frank Su, Manager, Li Peng Enterprise Co Ltd, China
“Both from the scale and quality of companies here, Intertextile is the leader in China. We have met new potential customers this edition, while in the past the fair has brought us rich business opportunities, so we will continue to exhibit at Intertextile in the future.”
Mr Wang Ruping, Managing Director, Qingdao Mirtos Homeware Corp Ltd, China
“We supply high-end European brands to the Chinese market, including Designers Guild and Casamance. There is a lot of potential here for high-end brands, and this fair is the best in Asia to tap into this. High-end consumers here are looking to improve the quality of their interior decorations.”
Mr Wang Jian, General Manager, Beijing Xin Yada Home Decoration Articles Co Ltd, China
Buyers’ thoughts
“One of the great attractions of Intertextile is the range of exhibitors we can source from and form new partnerships with. We also met with our existing partner, Libeco, and ordered their latest products. After 25 years in China, Intertextile is a barometer of the industry’s development. I attend every year and will continue to do so in future.”
Ms Joan Zi, Sourcing Manager, Champs Living Museum, China
“We’ve been attending Intertextile for over 20 years. It is definitely a useful platform for market insight, and to discover new products and technologies. We can find new suppliers here, as well as meet our regular partners. It is useful being here to see where the industry is heading in terms of prices. I will also attend one of the contract business seminars to learn what the future holds. As the third largest fair in the sector, this is definitely a good platform for the industry.”
Mr Bharat Jasani, Executive Director, Tejani Interior Décor Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia
Fringe programme attendees
“I am very pleased that there is such an innovative forum for licensing in the fair. It brings me new insights and understanding that IP can help the home textiles industry to add value. It is an effective tool that can bring our business more customers and profits.”
Ms Wenny Qu, Sourcing Department-Senior Supervisor, Sunham Home Fashions, China
“As a young Chinese designer, I found Ms Biasi-Von Berg’s work and her thoughts on design that she presented during her talk very inspiring. I came to this fair with a group of interior designers, and I think the Talks & Tours are very useful for us because the speakers are all renowned international designers and architects. I can get to know more about interior design styles in countries and cultures across the globe.”
Ms Yu Jie, Freelance Interior Designer, China
The next Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles is the Spring Edition held from 11 – 13 March 2020, concurrently with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Spring. The next Autumn Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles will be held in August 2020.
Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA). To find out more about this fair, please visit: www.intertextilehome.com. For more information about Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: https://texpertise-network.
