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Yarn Expo Autumn provides boost to industry with successful offline and online elements

29 Sep 2020

Yarn Expo once again proved its importance to the industry as a vital business hub, and additionally this year as a chance to reconnect and recover both in-person and virtually. As one of the first yarn & fibre industry events to take place since the pandemic outbreak, the fair was widely praised by international and Chinese companies for helping their businesses to make up lost ground. 419 exhibitors from six countries & regions – China, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, the US and Vietnam – took part in the fair, with 15,707 visitors sourcing in-person from 23 – 25 September at Shanghai’s National Exhibition and Convention Center.

“We are very pleased that we have been able to successfully hold the Yarn Expo and Intertextile Apparel fairs in both Shenzhen in July and now in Shanghai on schedule this year, as we know how many companies rely on these platforms to generate new business and foster existing relationships,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd explained. “From the feedback from participants this week, it’s clear these events have provided a real boost to help their businesses to make up some of the ground lost earlier in the year, and to look forward to the seasons ahead with some confidence. What’s more, the chance to reconnect in-person was widely acclaimed, while the new online platforms have been especially well-received by international exhibitors and buyers who were unable to be physically in Shanghai this year as a further increase to their outcomes from the fairs.”

YEA20-FR-picture
The overseas zone of this year’s Yarn Expo

Themed areas and events

Further ensuring Yarn Expo answered the current and future needs of the industry, a number of themed areas and events featured at the fair. This included the China Fibre Fashion Trends Display Zone, China Knitted Fancy Yarn Trends Display Zone, New Fibre Horizon – Textile Material Innovation Forum and Product Launch Conference.

Exhibitor impressions

“Yarn Expo is important to the yarn and fabric industry in times like this, especially when it serves as a communication platform for companies large and small to share market information and promote their new products. Holding a physical event is also crucial for businesses as buyers need to look at the products in person. The fair is professional with a wide range of products on offer. We’ve got excellent results this year as there’s been a fourfold increase in visitor enquiries!”
Ms Li Shaoping, Senior Manager, Cotton Council International, Hong Kong

“This is our first time exhibiting at Yarn Expo. Our business has experienced growth amid the pandemic, so we’ve brought a number of anti-bacterial products to the fair. The feedback on them has been positive. Having face-to-face interactions with clients again, rather than communicating online, has proven to be more effective. Many visitors came to the fair to source. The turnout has been higher than I expected, and we’ve already met with a number of potential customers.”
Mr Kent Wang, Sales Director, Shanghai Xinya New Material Technology Co Ltd, China

“The demand for organic and BCI products has been increasing due to the pandemic, so we are also highlighting these kinds of products in the fair. The exhibit result is good as we are targeting the domestic market, and there is a good amount of genuine buyers with very clear needs. We’re glad that Yarn Expo can be opened as scheduled, because physical trade fairs allow us to showcase our products more effectively.”
Ms Zhang Lin, Sales Manager, Xiamen Naseem Trade Co, China

“The pandemic has elevated the demand for sustainable and antibacterial products, so our green fibres and newly developed antibacterial socks and towels are our highlighted products. Opening the fair as scheduled will definitely help companies and the overall industry to recover. This year’s edition is an effective platform to capture the opportunities in the domestic market. In previous years we’ve seen an increasing number of overseas buyers visit which is good for our export business. Although the pandemic has impacted the international participation of the fair this year, the results have still exceed our expectations.”
Ms Sophia Zhou, Sales Manager, Hmei Thread Co Ltd, China

Buyer opinions

“We always visit both editions of Yarn Expo to check out the new trends. This year, especially after the pandemic, we really needed to be here to see how the textile industry is going to evolve. I’ve attended a few seminars and they are very inspiring. Last year, we purchased a seaweed fibre that I learned about in a seminar. I really prefer sourcing in a physical fair because it’s much easier when I can meet face-to-face with the suppliers, as well as touch the products to feel the quality. Yarn Expo is the most professional fair of its kind in China, so I’m very glad the autumn edition went ahead as planned. It’s been an effective sourcing trip.”
Ms Maggie Lu, Sourcing Manager, Orkla Group Procurement Hub Shanghai, China

“I’m mainly sourcing functional fibres for our new product development. I was able to find some suitable suppliers in the fair and products for our new product development. Yarn Expo is a regular event in the textile industry calendar that everyone will attend because it always offer the most comprehensive sourcing options compared to other similar fairs.”   
Ms Yolanda Wang, Senior Product Development Engineer, Personal Protective Equipment, Honeywell SPS, USA 

Yarn Expo Autumn 2020 was held concurrently with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition, PH Value and CHIC, providing a concentrated overview of the latest trends and developments in the textile sector. 

The next edition of the fair, Yarn Expo Spring, will take place from 10 – 12 March 2021, once again at the National Exhibition and Convention Center alongside the four concurrent fairs.

Yarn Expo is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT. For more details on the upcoming fair, please visit: https://yarn-expo-autumn.hk.messefrankfurt.com.

To find out more about all Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: http://texpertise-network.messefrankfurt.com.

-end-

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Information from the international textiles sector and Messe Frankfurt’s textiles fairs worldwide can be found at: http://texpertise-network.messefrankfurt.com.

Background information on Messe Frankfurt

Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With about 2,600 employees at 29 locations, the company generates annual sales of around €736 million. We have close ties with our industry sectors and serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of the Group’s key USPs is its closely knit global sales network, which extends throughout the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent). For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com

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