Intertextile
Let's Go East
As the most comprehensive trade fair for the global textile industry, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics presents 3,100 exhibitors from 25 countries in seven halls in the heart of the world's largest market and production center. Wilmet Shea, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, welcomes almost 95,000 visitors every season and gives them a glimpse of the future of the industry.
Sustainability is a central pillar of your strategy and ensures a balance between ecological and economic interests, social responsibility and diversity. After the debut of the Econogy Hub in spring, what can visitors expect at the next Intertextile in September?
Wilmet Shea, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, said: "For eleven years, our All About Sustainability area has provided a platform for environmentally focused textile suppliers and service providers. Econogy is the evolution of this platform and includes elements such as the Hub, Talks, Finder and Tours. The exhibition and seminar model works extremely well and visitors can look forward to more of the same this fall, albeit optimistically on an even larger scale with more innovations and topics.
What are the biggest challenges in procurement with regard to sustainability and digital transformation?
Transparency and traceability. Buyers and their suppliers must increasingly use digital solutions to track textiles from the point of origin, comply with new regulations and effectively communicate sustainability credentials to consumers. In the long term, sourcing circular textiles on a large scale is likely to be the biggest challenge.
Intertextile has been presenting the entire spectrum of the supply chain for 30 years. What does it take to inspire again and again?
Intertextile started in 1995 with 123 exhibitors and today attracts around 7,000 exhibitors and 190,000 visitors every year. They can always expect a first-class business platform. We ensure that the trade fair moves with the times by strategically expanding it - such as the Econogy Hub and the Digital Solutions Zone, two current examples.
