The region’s most influential exhibition for textile professionals, Texcare Asia, successfully ended its 2013 edition. Held from 19 – 21 November at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, the event was organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and China National United Equipment Group Corp and supported by top industry associations such as the All Japan Laundry and Dry-cleaning Association, Drycleaning Institute of Australia and VDMA Garment and Leather Technology.
A total of 150 exhibitors from Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Macau, The Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the UK and the US presented their latest innovations in laundry, dry-cleaning, ironing and dyeing machinery in addition to systems for textile management across 15,000 sqm of exhibition space.
Commenting on the show, Mr Jason Cao, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd shared: “The biennial event has once again confirmed its significance to China and greater Asia’s textile care industry. Collectively, 8,553 visitors from 55 countries and regions attended the three-day show, a 20 percent increase from the previous edition. Top 10 visiting overseas countries and regions were from Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Russia and Indonesia. Some of the business areas represented by visitors included hotels, laundromats, dry-cleaners, government and military departments and hospitals. The show was designed for these aforementioned areas, since they represent some of the fastest growing sectors of national economies in Asia. We aimed to provide to not only a showcase of new and exciting items in textile care, but also a forum with engaging and informative discussions by top industry leaders. I am pleased with our results for 2013, and I believe the fair’s influence will continue to grow for years to come.”
All Japan Laundry & Dry-cleaning Association has been a long-time supporter of Texcare Asia. Discussing the group’s participation in 2013, Mr Hiroaki Koike, Chairman said: “We returned to Texcare Asia because the Chinese market is growing considerably, and is becoming a strong market for the Japanese laundry and dry-cleaning industry more and more each year. There is still a lot of room for growth in terms of the technology adopted by Chinese suppliers. But I believe that room can be filled through the assistance of innovations from overseas areas like Japan. I am very glad to still support the organisers of the show, and I am sure our association will continue to do so in the future.”
Exhibitors and visitors praised the show’s quality and professionalism
The 2013 show’s exhibitors presented some of the most sophisticated and high-tech products as well as solutions currently or soon-to-be available on the market. Items ranging from automatic folding machinery and washers to machines capable of pressing and dry cleaning garments in just a few seconds were all on display. For exhibitors, the three-day event was an opportunity to meet decision-making authorities, learn about new solutions from competitors as well as close deals on-site; all of which were achieved by a number of participating brands.
Mr John Hacker, Director of Sales, Asia Pacific at Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH commented: “We have participated since the first edition of Texcare Asia. It is always a successful experience where we are able to meet existing clients, potential clients and network with the industry. The show’s combination with Texcare Forum Asia has made it an excellent educational platform, which offers several chances for discussion on the growth of the China market and future business opportunities by mixing people from all disciplines in the field. We will continue our participation in the next editions as we regard Texcare Asia as an important occasion for accessing the best quality of people in the China market.”
Texcare Asia’s long term exhibitor, JENSEN Group shared the same enthusiasm. Mr Thomas Yin, General Manager, China said, “We appreciate that Texcare Asia has become an international and professional industry platform, where brands can showcase new products and advancement. We can tell that the show is gathering more and more professional visitors since our booth is always busy. We believe that the show not only encourages sales of participating companies but also motivates the growth of the entire industry.”
Sankosha Manufacturing Co Ltd, one of Japan’s premier manufacturers dry-cleaning and ironing machinery, utilised the 2013 show as an opportunity to increase brand recognition for their high-end products in China. Mr Keisuke Uchikoshi, Vice President of the firm shared: “The Chinese market is currently going through a phase that Japan experienced in the 90’s, where more and more dry cleaning businesses are being franchised with central processing plants. Our primary goal at the show was to build bigger brand awareness, and I believe we achieved this with great success. The show has considerably improved from the last edition. We can’t wait to join again once more.”
Mr Hong Chen, Chairman of Jiangsu Sea Lion Machinery Group noted: “Exhibitor and visitor quality has greatly improved this year. I believe the laundry industry’s future development will be focused on the integration of energy conservation and efficiency technology. I am very optimistic about the future of laundry washing equipment in the Chinese market. Texcare Asia represents the best platform currently in China for promoting and marketing the textile care industry. We look forward to exhibiting once again at the next edition, and hopefully having a bigger booth.”
Visitors were equally pleased with their attendance, as Texcare Asia 2013 offered them the chance to compare both local and overseas exhibitors. In addition to China, a number of buyers at the show came from neighbouring areas such as Hong Kong, India, Japan and Singapore.
Mr Yaoxuan Jiang, Purchasing Leader at Chengdu Sanhe Group, visited the show with the hopes of finding textile care machinery and parts. He said: “It was my first time visiting the show, and I am very satisfied with my results. There were lots of large-scale machinery and equipment presented, as well as fantastic options in laundry accessories. I came to purchase washing machinery as well as new detergents that don’t utilise tetrachloroethylene. I believe Texcare Asia is a must-attend event for everyone involved in the textile care industry. It is a hugely influential show, and I will certainly attend the next edition.”
Mr Alex Teo, CEO of Zero Spo Laundry Service Pte Ltd in Singapore attended the show with the aim of looking for product updates on tunnel washing, dry-cleaning and ironing equipment.
He stated: "My company is a professional laundry service provider, offering large-scale integrated laundry solutions to premium hotels and serviced apartments in Singapore and Asia. I am happy to have seen big brands such as Kannegiesser, CSM and Sailstar at the Shanghai fair. The show was also a platform for discovering new products and keeping up to date with market trends.”
Concurrent Texcare Forum Asia applauded for sharing the latest global trends in professional textile care
The highly-coveted Texcare Forum Asia brought together some of the world’s top leaders in professional textile care development to its 2013 edition. Held alongside the exhibition from 19 – 20 November, the forum consisted of over 20 various sessions conducted by range of government officials, company representatives and industry association spokespersons. They shared information on the latest industry practices from around the world with the goal of aiding China’s growth in textile care.
Mr Dominique Suttheimer, Sales Director for Büfa Reinigungssyteme GmbH & Co KG, discussed current developments in washing machinery during the Education and Training day (20 November) of the forum. Looking back at his experience, he shared: “The forum was great. My discussion on washing machine technology and the latest innovations coming from Europe was very well-received by attendees. The few who attended provided some wonderful feedback on their own experiences in professional textile care and even provided some insight on where the China market is and where it is going. I’m glad to have been a part of the 2013 edition. I definitely look forward to the next version. China’s textile care market is too big for anyone in the industry to ignore.”
Mr Guozhang Wu, CEO of the Laundry Technology R&D Association in Taiwan, visited several sessions of the concurrent forum. He noted: “It’s my third time visiting Texcare Asia, and I believe the forum continues to be very applicable to everyone involved in the industry. Through the information provided on trends and advanced concepts, I believe the forum provides a great breadth of knowledge. I look forward to returning to the forum and overall exhibition for future editions, and hopefully hear from more experts on their practical experiences.”
Texcare Asia’s next edition is scheduled to take place in fall 2015. The show is a sister event of Texcare International. Every four years Texcare International — the world market for modern textile care provides an international venue for the textile-care sector in Frankfurt. The next edition of Texcare International will be held on 11 – 15 June 2016 in Frankfurt am Main. The brand, in addition to being represented in Asia, is also present in Russia.
The third edition of Texcare Forum Russia will take place in Moscow on October 2014.
For more information on Texcare Asia, please visit www.texcare-asia.com
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Rachelle Kong
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