SHANGHAI — China’s boom is creating opportunities throughout the textile-care industry. That’s why Texcare Asia is returning to Shanghai less than two years after its last successful outing in Beijing.
In China, you’ll find a booming tourism market, increasing investment in energy-efficient equipment, greater environmental awareness, a push to renovate or build hotels and hospitals, and a growing middle class that’s becoming more fashion- and hygiene-conscious.
All indicators point to growth, and Messe Frankfurt and the China National Light Industrial Machinery Corp. (CNLIMC) are trying to capitalize on that fact by organizing Texcare Asia — the International Trade Fair for Modern Textile Care — here next month.
The event, to be held Sept. 19-21 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, will cover nearly 108,000 sq. ft. — about 25% more than the 2005 show. Texcare Asia ’05 drew 5,259 visitors from 52 countries; this year’s exhibitor list totaled more than 100 companies as of mid-July.
“Texcare Asia is the most important international event for the textile-cleaning and laundry industry in China this year,” says Elgar Straub, managing director of VDMA, the German Garment & Leather Technology Association.
Alliance, Cissell, Forenta, Hoffman/New Yorker, Huebsch, Ilsa, IPSO, Multimatic, Renzacci, Sailstar, Seitz, Trevil, Unimac, Veit and Wells will be among the familiar brand names to U.S. visitors on the show floor. But the exhibitors will also include many more Chinese and European manufacturers, distributors and franchisers.Popular And Prosperous. Texcare Asia — a spin-off of Germany’s Texcare International trade show — showcases products and services for laundering, drycleaning, pressing and dyeing; textile-rental goods and accessories; home-contents cleaning equipment; environmental protection and recycling equipment; and much more.
China’s booming economy, combined with the relaxation of laws regarding overseas companies setting up shop in China, means now is the perfect time for international companies to enter this dynamic market, show organizers say.
Manufacturers and suppliers new to Asia will get the chance to expose their brands, observe industry trends and meet with distributors from throughout the Far East. Companies already present in Asia will be able to expand their distribution networks, increase international brand recognition and review their market positioning.
Many factors are contributing to China’s growth. The World Travel & Tourism Council predicts that by 2020, China will be the top tourist destination for overseas visitors. The number of foreign tourists is predicted to reach 64 million in just three years.
The increase in international tourism — spurred by the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 — has resulted in hotels and hospitals investing in new laundry and drycleaning equipment to meet international standards. In Shanghai alone, 300 new hotels will be built and 400 more renovated before the World Expo.
A shortage of resources and rapidly growing demand for energy has led the Chinese government to make energy efficiency a top priority, introducing tax incentives for manufacturers and end users. Consequently, a number of hotels, hospitals, commercial laundries and drycleaners in China are investing in new water- and energy-efficient laundry and drycleaning equipment.
A partnership between Chinese utilities, suppliers of energy-efficient equipment and commercial banks is providing a total of RMB460 million ($60.5 million) in loans to small- to medium-sized enterprises in China. Chinese utilities actually market the equipment to these companies on behalf of manufacturers.
In the past 20 years, China’s economy has grown by an average annual rate of 8%, and last year, it grew at 10.7%. Economists predict that the growth will continue, and China will be the world’s second-largest economy in the next few years. What’s more, young Chinese are using fashion to express themselves and are increasingly wearing fabrics that require drycleaning and special care.Learning from Europe. The European textile-care industry leads the world in a number of areas, Texcare’s organizers say, and show patrons will be able to take advantage of their expertise at Professional Textile Care Academy (PTCA) sessions.
Organized by the International Committee of Textile Care (CINET), CNLIMC and Messe Frankfurt, PTCA will allow attendees to learn valuable business strategies and solutions from their European counterparts, as well as gather knowledge about recent technical developments.
PTCA’s objectives “are to create a communication platform, and to match businesses for future partnerships,” says Jason Cao, deputy general manager of Messe Frankfurt Shanghai. “Therefore, an exciting program was created in which professionals and experts from the textile-care industry, as well as government officials, meet to establish business contacts and exchange trade information. The PTCA initiative will offer exhibitors and visitors an outstanding added-value program and provide excellent business networking facilities.”
PTCA will be presented in two parts: a two-day workshop comprised of seminars and discussions, and an evening conference/networking event where attendees can socialize and exchange information.
Key topics will include business practices, market trends, new technologies, quality standards and environmental issues. Experts from leading European companies and institutes will lead the sessions.
The first day will focus on the textile-rental and service market, and the second will focus on consumer applications and financial issues. Content will be tailored to the audience of on-premise laundry (OPL) operators, laundry managers and personnel, and drycleaning operators. Attendees will receive PTCA certificates both days.
A cocktail reception and banquet at a hotel near the exhibit hall will provide the backdrop for the networking event. Some 250 people are expected to participate, including suppliers from all over the world, industry professionals from across China, and government representatives.
To learn more or register for Texcare Asia online, visit www.texcare.com.Bruce Beggs is the editor of American Laundry News, a sister publication of American Drycleaner.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].