Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles - China International Trade
Fair for Home Textiles and Accessories 2004

1 – 3 September, 2004
Shanghai New International Expo Centre

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles judged a success and an independent show
Over 19,400 trade buyers visited Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles 2004 
 
 
 
Final Report

Over 19,400 trade buyers from 76 countries & regions attended Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, which was held independently from the apparel fabrics fair for the first time in September 2004. The decision to split Intertextile, which has been running as a joint apparel fabrics and home textiles event since 1995, was justified by the impressive number of buyers attending the fair, and from the positive feedback from show participants.

The majority of buyers were from the domestic market, with
16,554 visitors from Mainland China, and 2,850 from overseas. The overseas group included 365 buyers from Japan, 351 from Taiwan, 323 from Hong Kong and 277 from Korea; reflecting China’s continuing importance as an exporter as well as consumer of quality home textiles.

Mr. Majed Yousef, President of Majed Yousef Trading Co. visiting the show from Jordan, found the new concept of the fair to be much more efficient for visitors. “I came here to source for fabrics for curtains and sofas. I think the split [between apparel fabrics and home textiles events] enables visitors to be more focused when looking for products, and I made some good contacts with new suppliers here.”

Products at the show covered the entire home textile range including curtains, upholstery, fibres and yarns, bed, bath, table linen. The bulk of the 381 exhibitors were from China’s prominent home textile producing regions – including Guangdong, Haining, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanghai and Yuhang, Zhejiang – but there was also a good range of fabrics and finished products from Austria, France, Korea, Pakistan and Turkey. Foreign exhibitors were pleased at the opportunity to break into the Chinese marketplace.

“We have just opened an office in Shanghai, so it’s the right time for us to begin our promotional push here”, said Mr. Fritz Haussmann of Lenzing AG’s Business Unit Textile Fibers. “Exhibiting at this fair complements our other marketing activities in China. It’s important for us to be here to show our name and raise our profile in the marketplace, as we feel it necessary for us to be successful in the Chinese market.”

“Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles is the ideal platform for us to enter China’s home textile market step by step. It is not always easy to enter a new market and the show’s reputation as well as professionalism is facilitating that process”, said Mr. Keisuke Okumu of Kageyama & Co Ltd, Japanese bed linen exhibitor.

Mr. Farooq Ehsan, Manager Partner of Premier Towels, a company exhibiting in the Pakistan national pavilion, also had a positive impression of the fair: “This is the first time we have ever participated in an Asian exhibition, and it is overall a very good show. I have met many local buyers as well as trade visitors from Japan, Hong Kong, Russia and other overseas countries. Now, at the eve of the quotas abolition, we believe it is a good time to introduce our company and we are here to build up good business relationships”.

“Our decision to split Intertextile Shanghai into two fairs was clearly the right one,” said Messe Frankfurt’s Director of Trade Fairs in Hong Kong, Katy Lam. “The feedback from both the exhibitors and visitors at this show confirms the fact that there was a real need for two specialised events”.

An exhibitor, Mr. Şevki Aydin, Export Manager of Tanriverdi Mensucat Sanaylii A.Ş. from Turkey, also found the splitting of the show to be very positive. “I think that the idea of splitting the show is great, as the show is now specialised in home textiles and has attracted more professional visitors from that sector. Many visitors were impressed by our range of polyester fabrics as they are unique here in China. Although our prices might not be as competitive as the ones offered by local manufacturers, local buyers have shown great interest. We came to the show to meet wholesalers and we made many interesting contacts.”

Mainland Chinese companies were also pleased with the internationality of the fair, and felt it offered many opportunities to meet overseas buyers.

“As a Chinese curtain fabrics manufacturer, we have decided to exhibit at Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles as the show is well-known for attracting many international trade visitors,” said Mr.Li Guixin of Yuanzhicheng (Guangzhou) Co Ltd. “With the split, the show is more professional and focused and we can now better promote our company to overseas buyers. We have already met both old and new contacts and we believe that orders will follow.”

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Textiles will be held from
27 – 29 October 2004 and Intertextile Beijing 2005 will run from 30 March to 1 April.

For more information on Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles please visit www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com, tel (852) 2802 7728 or e-mail textile@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com

-end-

Media contacts:
Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.
Ms Elisabeth Grisoni / Ms Jennifer Lam
Tel (852) 2238 9941 / 9924
Fax (852) 2519 8632
elisabeth.grisoni@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com
jennifer.lam@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com
www.messefrankfurt.com.hk

Exhibitors comments

“I found Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles a very good show. Our aim is to expand in the China market and we are, so far, very satisfied with the quality and the quantity of the visitors to our booth. We believe a lot of them will become customers.”
Ms. Penjarn Maiwong, Export Marketing Section Head, Carpet Maker (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Thailand

“We have been exhibiting at Heimtextil Frankfurt for many years, but this is our first time at Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles as we hope to expand our business in China. Besides meeting up with old acquaintances, we have met many new buyers. We found the quality of the visitors very professional and we look forward to developing business with the contacts we have made.”
Mr. Ammar Marfani, Adamjee Enterprises, Pakistan

“It is the first time that we have exhibited our products in China, we brought along a new line of products and the reaction of the visitors has been excellent. Participating at the show has improved my understanding of the local market and I am already working on marketing strategies to further promote the company in China. The country is full of potential and opportunities not to miss.”
Mr. Coen Tolboom, Swinkels Textiles N.V., Belgium

“It is our first time at Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles. We came to observe the Chinese market situation and to test the marketability of our products. We have brought along new fabrics and we are happy with the outcome of the show.”
Mr. Alberto Piovano, Silkway Srl., Italy

“We are impressed by the large number of visitors and the overall organisation. We have met a lot of international clients during these three days.
Ms. Tien Lee, Marketing Manager, P.T. Kanasritex, Indonesia

Visitors comments

“This is a very good show and I was able to source what I need. As an agent for curtain fabrics, I was very interested to find products that are very different from the ones I can find in Europe and are at a very competitive price. I very much enjoyed seeing a lot of products from Asia I will certainly visit the show again next year.”
Mr. Robert Vallée, President, Agence Exclusive Vallée Inc., Canada

“I found the Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles show very interesting. I came here to source for high quality accessories, curtain and furnishing fabrics and I found everything I needed.”
Mr. Rajesh, Triveni Exports Co., Ltd., Indonesia