Global textile and garment technology suppliers have snapped up space at next year’s ITMA exhibition in Milan. ITMA 2015, the world’s most established textile and garment machinery exhibition to be held from November 12 to 19 at Fiera Milano Rho in Milan, Italy, has attracted over 1,300 applicants from 43 countries by the application deadline of July 4. As a result, over 95 per cent of the two-lakh sq. metres of space has been sold out.
CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers which owns the ITMA brand, is much delighted over the outcome.
Interest in ITMA from CEMATEX countries is very high, with many companies planning to launch their latest technologies at the exhibition. Over 750 applications have been received to date from the companies in CEMATEX countries, taking just over 70 per cent of the space booked so far.
Several CEMATEX countries have increased the space booked for the 2015 show compared with the 2011 event, including Italy (up 30 per cent), Netherlands (up 20 per cent), France (up 13 per cent), Germany (up 4 per cent) and Sweden (up 2.5 per cent), highlighting the strength and positive market sentiment of European textile machinery manufacturers.
The top five countries in terms of space booked are Italy (34 per cent), Germany (25 per cent), Turkey (7 per cent), Switzerland (7 per cent) and India (6 per cent). The top 5 countries in terms of number of applicants are Italy (31 per cent), Germany (20 per cent), India (13 per cent), China (10 per cent) and Turkey (9 per cent).
It is interesting to note that the two Asian giants in textile manufacturing are also fielding a large number of exhibitors to ITMA 2015. The top five sectors are finishing (24 per cent), spinning (16 per cent), weaving (14 per cent), knitting (14 per cent) and printing (10 per cent).
Commenting on the sectors, Ms. Eileen Ng, Executive Director of MP Expositions and Project Director of ITMA 2015, said: “The top five sectors have always been well represented at ITMA. Exhibitors sign up for large stands to showcase their machinery through live demonstrations. Visitors can look forward to learning about the latest technologies from these manufacturers. We are encouraged that the printing sector has more than doubled in space applications from the last ITMA show in 2011. The positive response affirms our decision to expand it into a dedicated chapter. As there have been rapid developments in the digital realm, manufacturers will be using ITMA 2015 to launch their innovative solutions.”
Emphasis has also been laid to the nonwovens, fibre& yarn and garment making chapters. Technical textile solutions which have formed an integral part of the offerings by technology providers at ITMA will be further highlighted with displays of new applications.
With more than 15 months to go before the exhibition opens in Milan, the organising team is confident that the ITMA 2015 exhibition will see more participation from the industry. It is also expected to be a more exciting showcase as the world moves towards sustainability, spawning cutting-edge research and development, technological innovations and a host of enhanced and new machinery, and other product offerings.
In addition, ITMA 2015 will feature a number of knowledge-sharing events. These include the World Textile Summit, nonwovens forum jointly organised by EDANA, and Textile Colourant and Chemical Leaders Forum. Recently, CEMATEX also announced the launch of the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award programme.
“We are very encouraged by the strong space take-up over the last few weeks. The overwhelming response is testimony of ITMA as a relevant marketing and sourcing platform. It further reinforces the reputation of CEMATEX’s global platform. The textile and clothing sector is one of the most globalised of any industry. Manufacturers competing for a slice of the world market need to invest in better technology to raise productivity and meet more stringent demands on quality. Increasingly they are required to adopt clean technologies to produce eco-friendly products. ITMA’s theme of sustainable innovation is timely and resonates with the world’s leading textile and garment makers, fashion and lifestyle brands and retailers.”
– Mr. Charles Beauduin, President of CEMATEX