Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, which is celebrating 25 years as Asia’s leading trade fair for the interior textiles industry, is all set to open on August 28. The four-day mega show will have around 1,150 exhibitors from 27 countries and regions who will display their latest products and technologies for the home and contract textiles sectors. 

The 2018 edition had welcomed 39,730 trade buyers from 104 countries and regions. 

“We are very optimistic about the business opportunities that will present themselves at the fair next week,” Wendy Wen, senior general manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) explained. “Not only has the exhibitor number increased from last year, but with the visitor pre-registration numbers tracking well ahead of last year’s figures in the months leading up to the fair, we are expecting a strong turnout from buyers as well. This edition, we have also put a lot of effort into revamping the fair’s fringe programme to ensure it meets the needs of the industry for the present and future, with new events and zones featuring throughout the halls.” 

The fair will have country and region pavilions from Belgium, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey. There will be expanded finished products zone, finished curtain zone, areas for products like bed, bath, kitchen and table where suppliers from China will be joined by exhibitors from Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hungary, and Japan, whole-home and editor zones from where buyers can source the latest luxury branded products and gain decoration concept inspiration, and textile design zone with 20 design studios from 12 countries including China, Finland, France, India, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and the UK. 

Recognising the growing importance of this sector for the interiors industry, the Contract Business 360o concept returns again this year to ensure holistic solutions are available at the fair. More than 80 exhibitors that offer products suitable for the contract sector, including upholstery suppliers and editors, will be identified with a Contract Business 360 sign at their booth. The fair will also have seminars and guided tours by international interior designers to provide the latest insight, while a display area for contract business focusing on the practical utilisation of fabrics in commercial spaces will also feature. 

In addition to the high-quality sourcing options, the fair’s event programme has been revamped to provide the industry with the latest trends and insights in four topics - Design Inspiration: residential and commercial textile trends; Business O2O: online to offline commerce; Textile and Technology: digital printing solutions and green designs; and Industry Empowerment: global licensing trends and opportunities. 

For the first time, a Talks and Tours programme will feature renowned international designers discussing the latest trends and technologies in textiles for commercial environments, followed by guided tours of their highlights of the fair. (SV)