Leaders to Convene at Massive Textile Event in Barcelona
September 16, 2011 After a tough couple of years, the textile machinery industry’s leading associations are pooling their forces to put on a truly massive event with the theme, “New Paradigms in the Global Textile Industry.”
To be held in Barcelona, Spain, it begins with the annual meeting of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (Sept. 19-21) and ends with the annual meeting of the International Textile Machinery Association (Sept. 22-29). Sandwiched in between is the ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit, a one-day event to be held on Sept. 22 that brings together textile-industry leaders and some of the world’s most influential thinkers and policy makers.
The Summit is the first joint initiative between the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX) and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), and is being organized in partnership with the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) and international event organizer, MP International. ITMA, the world’s largest international textile and garment machinery show, is owned by CEMATEX and held every four years at different venues across Europe.
According to ITMF Director General Christian Schindler, joining forces with the other associations was an easy decision to make. “Two years ago, we had already decided to hold the ITMF Annual Conference 2011 in Barcelona in conjunction with the most important textile machinery exhibition, ITMA 2011, simply because the vast majority of ITMF delegates also visit ITMA,” he says. “This saves our members both time and money. The decision to actually team up with CEMATEX, MPI and WTiN to organize a one-day event like the World Textile Summit 2011 was a logical next step, especially in times of global political and economic uncertainties.
“In our view, it is desirable to provide both the textile and the textile machinery industries with a forum for discussion and exchange of views that help to develop a strategy for the future.”
Given the broad range of speakers and topics, it’s clear that the agenda was created with an eye on the big picture.
“The ITMF/ITMA World Textile Summit will bring together highly respected speakers from the textile and textile machinery industries, as well as from the retail industry, in order to discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by the entire textile value chain,” Schindler says. “In addition, we have also invited speakers – Kofi Annan (former secretary general of the United Nations and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize), Barry Eichengreen (professor of economics and politics, University of California-Berkeley) and Rufus Yerxa (deputy director general at the World Trade Organization) – who will discuss with the delegates the greater political, social, economic, and ecological conditions and challenges the industries are facing today and will continue to face in the future.”
Focus on the Fiber Session
As always, one of the ITMF’s most anticipated events is The Cotton Fiber Session, which will be held from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Monday, Sept. 19. It will consist of two presentations and a panel discussion: “Where Will Cotton Be in 10 Years’ Time? A Vision for the Future,” to be delivered by Nick Earlam, chairman of Plexus Cotton; and “Biotechnology and Cotton Supply – Today and Tomorrow,” to be delivered by Michel Tahar, cotton product manager with BayerCropScience.
Earlam’s session will cover issues relevance to the decision-making process on the production and consumption of cotton over the next 10 years, looking at micro factors within the cotton industry and the macro factors that will affect it on a wider scale. It will look at the issues business owners, CEOs and boards will have to decide upon, but it will not give “answers,” Earlam says – conclusions will have to be self-drawn.
Tahar will emphasize the role of biotechnology, which has greatly contributed so far to securing cotton production and has been widely adopted both by large-scale farmers in the United States, Australia, and Brazil, as well as small-scale farmers in India and China.
“Up until now – and continuing in the years to come – farmers will be the primary beneficiaries of this technology,” he says. “In the future, however, biotechnology will also provide benefits to the textile industry and consumers.”
Both speakers are looking forward to the event for their own information needs. “By the time the event is over, I hope to better understand the textile industry’s concerns and challenges regarding cotton use, and identify areas of collaboration to develop cotton-based products,” Tahar says.
“The ITMF, ITMA and World Textile Summit provide a huge opportunity for learning,” Earlam says. “How our customers see the future and view the relationships that they have with their suppliers will be immensely relevant in helping us make decisions on how we wish to position our business.”
Happy Birthday, ITMA!
ITMA will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, having debuted in Lille, France in 1951. This year, the association has initiated a number of innovative offerings to expand its influence further. Offering more than just a sourcing platform for cutting-edge technology and innovation for the textile and garment machinery industry, ITMA 2011 adds value with other interactive and educational initiatives to ensure its participants make the most of their time at the trade show.
More than 1,300 exhibiting companies will be displaying their latest products and services at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via venue, taking up over 200,000 square meters. For the first time, ITMF will feature yarn and fiber as a new exhibit profile. As a result, attendees can do more than purchase machinery at ITMA; they can also source for raw materials.
Also new for 2011 is a dedicated chapter on garment-making technologies and machinery, making the show a comprehensive, one-stop platform for textile and garment makers and professionals to explore the best solutions for their business.
“Knowledge-sharing platforms such as our World Textile Summit, the Sustainable Textile Leaders Roundtable Dialogue, Textile Dyestuff and Chemical Industry Leaders’ Forum, and IFAI Advanced Textiles Europe 2011 forum will complement the trade show, offering participants more opportunities to network and grow their business contacts,” says Stephen Combes, president of CEMATEX.
CEMATEX owns the ITMA shows in Europe and Asia, comprises nine national European textile machinery associations, and plays an active role in promoting and strengthening the textile machinery industry and positioning of its member associations.
ITMA 2011 will also feature a dedicated Research and Education (R&E) Pavilion. The area will showcase the latest innovative applications and advances in textile processing, nonwovens, technical textiles and garment making, and it provides a unique platform that promotes academic collaboration among research institutes, colleges and universities.
ITMA is held every four years, and every edition sees the convergence of the world’s textile and garment industry leaders, Combes says. To be sure, the global economy still faces numerous challenges and the political situation in a number of textile- and garment-producing countries is not entirely stable, but the global outlook for textile machinery is looking a lot better than it did throughout the last two years. ITMF‘s Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics show that investments, which dropped off due to the 2008 meltdown, have picked up significantly.
“In this knowledge era, it is even more crucial to keep abreast of trends and new technologies and to build strategic partnerships in order to maintain competitiveness and achieve business success,” Combes says. “ITMA is the world’s most established industry platform and is able to offer the right opportunities to leading textile and garment manufacturers and professionals.”
TMA 2011 will herald the start of many new initiatives – new exhibit profile, forums and other highlights. Show managers will review all of these efforts, gather feedback from their associations, exhibitors and visitors, and use that feedback to make the next ITMA show even more focused.
“Our objective is always to strive to improve ITMA as a platform to promote global dialogue and exchange best business practices in textile and garment technology,” Combes says. “Reinventing an established brand like ITMA is an ongoing process. So, we think it is important to engage all the stakeholders even after the exhibition.
“Of course, our individual associations work on a daily basis with their members (our exhibitors), but CEMATEX and our ITMA organizer, MP International, will be exploring a number of options that enable us to continue the dialogue with both exhibitors and visitors. In between the ITMA Europe shows, we also have ITMA ASIA to address the needs of the industry, with the next show taking place in Shanghai in June next year.”
ITMA 2015 will be held in Milan, Italy.
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