FRANKFURT, Germany — Due to the pandemic, it’s been eight years since Texcare International has been held, and the textile care industry is a very different place than it was in 2016.
Automation, energy and resources, circularity, and textile hygiene are to be the focus of the 2024 event, which will be held in Frankfurt, Germany on November 6-9.
The event’s organizer, Messe Frankfurt, held a conference recently to preview the event, which is expected to have more than 300 exhibitors from 31 countries on display.
In addition to the large, established manufacturers of machinery, chemicals, textiles and equipment, the company is also expecting new players from fields such as robotics and IT.
“It’s been a hard time for Messe Frankfurt,” says the company’s Vice President of Technology Shows Kerstin Horaczek about the effects of the pandemic. “But we are proud to be back and that we are growing again, not only in Germany but also abroad.”
Evolving Needs
The trade show has changed since it last met in 2016, says Johannes Schmid-Wiedersheim, the director of Texcare International. “In this long stretch of time,” he says, “we conducted exhibitor and visitor surveys with quite surprising results.”
One of these changes is that the show is being held in November going forward, rather than its former time slot in June.
“It’s always nice in Frankfurt in June,” Schmid-Wiedersheim says, but notes that it wasn’t the best time for some of the businesses involved with the show. “That was especially in the hotel and hospitality industry, where people are much more loaded with work in early summer.”
The survey also led to the program being cut from its former five days down to four. “It’s a more compact, condense program,” Schmid-Wiedersheim says. “Everyone’s running short of time these days.”
Messe Frankfurt has also made adjustments to the offerings, adding new events and services, and allowing more time for networking.
“We are always coming from the visitor experience,” Schmid-Wiedersheim says. “I think the pandemic has also given us a bit of time to think about what people really value in shows, and it’s much more the live networking, the serendipity and finding your products, and we've tried to answer to requirement.”
Top Themes for 2024
The needs of texcare professionals have changed since Texcare International 2016, and the areas of focus planned by organizers reflect this. Main sessions held during the event will include automation, hygiene, energy and resources and circularity in textile care.
Labor costs and increasing governmental oversight have driven the topic of automation to the forefront of the attention of many textile professionals. Automation and digitalization, Messe Frankfurt says in a release, “not only optimizes the flow of goods and data but also replaces strenuous work and streamlines interfaces with customers.”
Of particular importance to dry cleaners on this topic during the event will be the session hosted by the European Research Association for Innovative Textile Care (EFIT), which will explore the question, “How can activities be simplified or automated, even in small businesses?”
Examples to be discussed include drop-off and pickup kiosks, AI in dry cleaning, advanced payment and tracking systems, marketing, delivery management and more.
“This is focused on the small family drycleaning shops,” Schmid-Wiedersheim says, “because there’s great automation potential there.”
Circularity — finding ways to recycle and increase the lifespan of fabrics to keep them out of landfills — is also a major session topic. One panel, to be hosted by ETSA, will focus on textile recycling, addressing topics such as policies, outlook, innovations in the field of textile sorting, support from digital platforms, mastering the logistical challenges and the use of recycled fibers in textiles.
Another session, hosted by the German Textile Cleaning Association (DTV), will focus on new business models in the circular economy. This panel will discuss reusable vs. disposable items, rental service, repair service and the European strategy for sustainable and circular textiles.
Other Programs
In addition to the main sessions and displays of equipment from major manufacturers, there will also be programs aimed at young professionals in the industry, guided tours of exhibitor displays, and the presentation of Best Practice Awards from CINET and its World Congress, along with networking happy hour events.
For more information, including registration information, visit the event website.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].
