Lenzing Innovation Seminar Series, Texworld USA Floor Sessions and new Industry Roundtables draw industry crowds
New Independent Designer Meet-Up and Resource Row area debut on the show floor
The Summer 2017 editions of Texworld USA and Apparel Sourcing USA opened their doors and show floors to exhibitors and visitors alike on Monday, July 17. Over three days the shows, once again co-located with Home Textiles Sourcing Expo as well as the debut edition of Avanprint USA, presented a wide range of international suppliers from around the globe who showcased textiles, trims and accessories, manufacturing and private label development services, and finished apparel.
Texworld USA Summer 2017 featured a record-breaking 519 exhibitors representing 12 countries, including: Canada, USA, Colombia, India, Haiti, China, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and more. As always, China was heavily represented on the show floor with a large showing of high-quality textile and trims suppliers. Turkey, Korea and Taiwan returned with dedicated country pavilions featuring 9, 56, and 29 suppliers respectively. The Lenzing Pavilion also returned to the heart of the Texworld USA show floor with 27 exhibitors focused on integrating sustainable fibers, such as TENCEL® and Lenzing Modal®, into a wide range of product categories including knits, cotton, performance fabrics and more.
Apparel Sourcing USA, the co-located and long-term joint venture partnership between Messe Frankfurt and CCPIT-TEX, presented 252 suppliers from 11 countries including: China, Taiwan, Mexico, Australia, USA, Hong Kong and more. Both established and emerging sourcing destinations were showcased on the show floor with dedicated pavilions from Egypt, India, Bangaladesh, Pakistan and Suzhou China, while Guatemala represented western hemisphere sourcing options with 2 suppliers present on the show floor.
Following the success of the Winter 2017 shows, the Summer 2017 editions also showed an unprecedented increase in visitors, making 2017 an overall record-breaking year for Messe Frankfurt's North American textile and apparel shows. Recorded verified attendee numbers across the four shows indicated an astounding 25% increase over the previously documented attendance record. Texworld USA and Apparel Sourcing USA visitors in attendance represented a total of 61 countries, including: USA, France, Australia, Canada, Japan, Italy, Brazil, Ecuador, India, Portugal, Russia, Israel, Nigeria, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Spain, Hong Kong, China, Norway, Argentina, United Kingdom, and others.
"This year our shows have demonstrated incredible growth both in terms of exhibitor numbers and industry attendance." said Dennis Smith, President and CEO, Messe Frankfurt North America. "This shows us that our on-going efforts to create a comprehensive sourcing platform through the addition of complimentary sourcing marketplaces like Apparel Sourcing USA and Avanprint USA are paying off."
"As organizers we also recognize that our responsibilities extend far beyond just providing a space for the industry to do business." added Jennifer Bacon, Show Director, Fashion & Apparel. "We believe in building a true industry event, one that also includes access to education and value-add resources, as well as opportunities for this vibrant community of professionals to connect and exchange ideas and information. The summer 2017 editions of our shows truly felt like the embodiment of this idea."
Summer 2017 shows present largest education offering in show history with Texworld USA Seminar Series, Floor Sessions and new Industry Roundtable programming
As always, Texworld USA's complimentary educational sessions proved to be a big draw for attendees. Organized by Lenzing Innovation, the seminar series focused on industry hot topics like sustainability, fiber development, A/W 2018 color trends, duty-free trade and Western hemisphere sourcing, digital printing, and more.
The most popular seminars by attendance included Pantone's color trend seminar titled "Blending Colorful Memories & Dreams for A/W2018", the Gail Strickler moderated session "Sourcing in Preference Program Countries” , and the always popular "Fashion 101: Getting Back to the Basics of Starting a Fashion Line" with Mercedes Gonzalez.
The July 2017 edition also saw the return of Texworld USA Floor Sessions, which included three distinct series of talks: "Performance Pitches", organized by Texworld USA, "Textile Talks" organized by Lenzing Innovation, and “Independent Designer Discussions”, moderated by StartUp FASHION. This addition to the shows’ educational programming was designed to provide attendees at all levels of the industry with the opportunity to discuss topics of interest with their peers in a more intimate setting. The discussions drew crowds throughout the three day event, with Lenzing's sustainability topics and the StartUP FASHION series drawing the largest attendance.
"We had a bustling Lenzing Innovation Pavilion over the three days of Texworld USA and our mill partners were also pleased with the quality of attendees and market optimism," said Tricia Carey, Director of Global Business Development – Denim, Lenzing Fibers Inc. "The Lenzing Innovation Seminar Series, covering topics related to sourcing, sustainability, trends, and fiber developments was consistently well attended as the market is seeking information to enhance sourcing and design. Texworld USA is the comprehensive sourcing destination!"
Resource Row and StartUP FASHION Meet-Up provide attendees with valuable industry connections and networking opportunities
New to the show floor this summer was a dedicated networking opportunity for independent designers and startup brands. On Monday, July 17th, pre-registered attendees converged on the Apparel Café for an hour of cocktails and mixing-and-mingling with StartUP FASHION Founder Nicole Giordano and other independent designers. Meet-up attendees were also provided with a Texworld USA x StartUP FASHION trade show tip sheet and sourcing workbook, filled with information on Texworld USA low-minimum suppliers and tips for navigating the trade show floors.
Additionally, a new Resource Row area dedicated to relevant industry resources made its debut on the Texworld USA show floor. Summer 2017 Resource Partners included business development tools, recycling solutions, 3D printers, and textile education materials such as Fashiondex, FabScrap, Gowanus Print Lab, Heisel, AboutSources, FIT Bookstore, Trend Council, Queen of Raw, Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator, Thr3efold, and more.
Both the Resource Row and the Texworld USA x StartUP FASHION Independent Designer Meet-Up will return to Texworld USA for the Winter 2018 edition.
For more information about upcoming editions of Texworld USA or Apparel Sourcing USA shows, please visit www.texworldusa.com and www.apparelsourcingshow.com.
About Texworld USA
Over the past decade, Texworld USA has become the premier international business platform for apparel fabric buyers, research and product development specialists, designers, merchandisers and overseas sourcing professionals. Season to season, this can't-miss industry event offers attendees access to the most comprehensive sourcing marketplace in North America, which includes thousands of global suppliers specializing in a wide product range covering the entire fabric spectrum, as well as free educational opportunities, industry networking events and more. The next edition of Texworld USA will take place January 22-24, 2018 and will once again be co-located alongside Apparel Sourcing USA.
About Apparel Sourcing USA
As a long-term joint venture partnership between Messe Frankfurt and CCPIT-Tex, Apparelsourcing USA offers apparel brands, retailers, wholesalers and independent design firms a dedicated sourcing marketplace for finding the best international apparel manufacturers. As the only event on the East Coast to focus on finished apparel, contract manufacturing and private label development, the show provides attendees direct access to suppliers specializing in ready-to-wear for men, women, children and accessories.
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is one of the world’s leading trade fair organisers, generating over €640* million in sales and employing 2,364* people. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 30 subsidiaries and 55 international sales partners, allowing it to serve its customers on location in 175 countries. Messe Frankfurt events take place at approx. 50 locations around the globe. In 2016, a total of 138* trade fairs were held under the Messe Frankfurt umbrella, of which more than half took place outside Germany.
Comprising an area of 592,127 square metres, Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds are home to ten exhibition halls. The company also operates two congress centres. The historic Festhalle, one of the most popular venues in Germany, plays host to events of all kinds. Messe Frankfurt is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent.
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
*Preliminary figures for 2016