Professionals greatly appreciated the offer at the show this year,
which was in step with current and future issues facing the textile
care sector. This change has paid off for exhibitors, who were
convinced by the new organisation with the Messe Frankfurt France
hallmark and who were satisfied with the numbers and calibre of
visitors.
JET Expo, taken over by Messe Frankfurt France last December,
assembled all those active in the textile care sector at Paris Expo, Porte
de Versailles between 19 and 21 May. The first session of the show
under the Messe Frankfurt umbrella saw three days that promised great
things for the future of these markets.
1681 visitors thronged the aisles on the lookout for solutions, products
and advice for their business and switch towards new services. A
definitely European rendezvous with representatives from 32 countries,
of which the top 5 were:
1. France
2. Belgium
3. Germany
4. Italy
5. Spain
“Beyond the encouraging figures at JET Expo, I wanted above all to
develop a trade fair for the sector and, in doing so, satisfy the
expectations of both visitors and exhibitors, who put their faith in us for
this 2019 show. I was keen to retain the friendly yet professional
atmosphere and sense of community, which make this event an
essential venue for the textile care sector. This succeeded well and truly,
since the show demonstrated its worth and all its potential both in the
view of visitors and exhibitors.
The future of this event will play out in the structure of the French and
French-speaking market for the industry, in which JET Expo has
assumed a role. The stakeholders in these markets also attended the
show, and encouraged us to pursue this strategy together with them. So
there will be close collaboration with businesses and organisations
involved in textile care. I intend to bring them on board as part of an
advisory committee to help determine the future direction of the show
together, also addressing the laundry sector. And one of the first
decisions to be taken by this committee will be to decide on the new
dates for the 2021 show, as the month of May, chosen by the previous
owner, has not met with unanimous approval” says Michael Scherpe,
President of Messe Frankfurt France.
The programme and organisation of JET Expo 2019 were decided on in
close collaboration with industry professionals in order to encourage
interaction between visitors and exhibitors from the world of dry cleaning
and laundries. The dedicated areas, such as the Agora and the Bistrot
Area, were ideal for trading ideas on practices and for business
meetings.
“A small trade fair, yet one that was very friendly and with a very positive
outcome for our consulting business” confirmed Christine Balmont,
president of the AFL (French Laundrette Association), emphasising the
unifying and empowering benefits of this forum. JET Expo also
convinced Olivier Risse, the president of the French Federation of Dry
Cleaners and Laundries (FFPB), who was reassured by “the involvement
of Messe Frankfurt France in helping development of the sector with JET
Expo, where a real upscaling in organisation was very much in
evidence”. “We welcomed visitors not only from all over France but also
from Belgium, Luxembourg, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and other African
countries”, said the head of corporate communications for the Kreussler
group, Katja Pryss, with satisfaction. She was delighted with their stand
which was “very visible and attracted many visitors, since there was a
steady flow of people interested in our solutions and we made highcalibre
contacts too. A “good exhibition” is how Franck Jobelot, national
sales director for Miele Professional France, summed things up “for this
sector, which is important, in wet cleaning, in more environmentally
friendly methods of cleaning.”
So there was a very favourable response to the strategy adopted. “It’s
important for the business to be there in terms of visibility. It’s an
opportunity to forge ties, build customer loyalty at this venue that is such
a good place for listening to others and trading ideas. It also means
encounters that end up in partnership projects with other exhibitors who
you have met here” says Gualtiero Ferrero, head of export sales to
France at the Italian firm of Rampi.
JET Expo is also promoting the networking aspect by grouping several
branches that are experiencing similar problems. “The main topic is now
no longer perchloroethylene but the radical change in the external
economy of businesses and the change in patterns of behaviour. Where
I’m concerned, digital technology is an opportunity for the taking! Or how
to acquire new customers with the aid of digitalisation, in particular
younger customers?” continues Pierre Letourneur, the president of
CTTN (French Technical Institute for Dry-cleaning and Laundry).
“We operate an industrial laundry in the form of an ESAT [establishment
and centre for rehabilitation through work] in the Paris region and we
process 500 kg of laundry a day. We attended the trade show for the first
time, since we needed to carry out modernisation.
We were delighted to find answers for digitalisation, with a lot of interest
in the standalone, online drop-off lockers and detailed information about
products and current and forthcoming regulations” said two visitors. Mr
and Ms Delattre, in review.
Contributing to the performance and development of the sector
The programme of lectures also allowed visitors insights into current
topics dominating an industry that is undergoing radical change. The
environmental issues, first of all, with the emergence of alternatives to
solvents and traditional detergents. Changes and digitalisation of
networks for dry-cleaning, followed by the development of bespoke
solutions proposed by start-ups attending the show. Finally, the
implementation of new industry strategies in laundries and laundrettes,
which are more and more frequently connected to the Internet.
All these topics, discussed in particular in the context of the Texcare
Forum, a new feature for 2019, allowed professionals to recognise
themselves and contribute to performance of the sector. “The gamble of
moving the JET Expo show closer to the Texcare International event in
Frankfurt has proved to be a good decision,” stressed Michael Scherpe.
”The momentum generated at the show over these three days has
played a significant role in development of the sector and helped to
shake things up”. The Texcare Forum made it possible for exhibitors to
present their products or services and to discuss solutions to
environmental challenges, setting up of new services for dry cleaners or
development of IoT-connected laundries.
Laundry care, a public health issue in Africa
French-speaking markets have caught people’s notice. A delegation
from the African Laundry Consortium attended the show to publicise the
importance of the role that laundry plays in improving the health care
system in Africa. Development of the laundry industry also offers
considerable opportunities to reduce unemployment in some countries
on the African continent.
These representatives from the Ivory Coast explored JET Expo with the
goal of finding machines and solutions that matched their requirements
and the investments planned in this region of the world.
Awards for best practices
Previously established as part of quality initiatives, good practices are
today inseparable from the subjects of the environment and good
working conditions. They are in keeping with the radical changes in
these professions.
In order to contribute towards raising awareness of and publicising these
good practices, JET Expo, in partnership with the CINET and the
Entretien Textile trade journal, offered French firms in the textile care
sector the chance to enter the Awards for Best Practices. Winners will
have the opportunity to take part in the international final in June 2020
during the Texcare International show in Frankfurt.
Winners of the awards for dry cleaning:
● Tykaz Pressing won the Innovation Award for its new concept for
Internet dry cleaning and novel business model.
● Kunz Pressing won the Environmental & Global Best Practices
Awards for their traditional service with hand finishing and their
commitment to improving the customer experience and environmental
responsibility.Winners of the awards for laundries:
● Problanc won the Innovation Award for their factory of the future
and their improvement processes.
● BIH77 won the Environment Award for their improved and
sustainable programme for hospital laundry.
● Losa Clean won the Global Best Practices Award for their quality
initiative and environmentally friendly approach with the integration of
artificial intelligence.
https://jet-expo.fr.messefrankfurt.com
JET Expo is part of Messe Frankfurt’s group of international trade fairs
that are dedicated to textile care, including in particular Texcare
International, Clean Show, Gulf Laundrex, Texcare Asia and China
Laundry Expo.
Further details here: www.texcare.com/brand
Press material and photos:
https://jet-expo.fr.messefrankfurt.com/paris/en/press/kit-presse.html
Messe Frankfurt in figures:
Messe Frankfurt is the global leader among organisers of trade shows, conventions and
events with their own exhibition grounds. With 2500*employees at 30 different sites, Messe
Frankfurt posts annual sales of over 715 million euros. The group has resource to in-depth
knowledge of the sectors it covers and draws on its international distribution network to
provide effective support for its clients’ business interests. A comprehensive range of services
– on-site and online – guarantees customers all over the world a consistently high standard of
quality and maximum flexibility in the planning, organisation and execution of their events. The
variety of services offered ranges from renting stand space to marketing services, including
stand construction, personnel services or catering. The company has its headquarters in
Frankfurt am Main. The City of Frankfurt holds a 60% share in it and the state of Hesse a 40%
share.
For further details, go to: www.messefrankfurt.com
* Preliminary results 2018
