Great internationality for sustainable transformation

Fu Bingbingg

Streams of visitors from all over the world， intensive business encounters with top international decision-makers， an overwhelmingly positive atmosphere and inspiration as far as the eye can see： With 44，000 visitors and 2，400 exhibitors together from 129 nations， the global textile industry was guest in Frankfurt for four days at Heimtextil 2023 and filled the exhibition halls. In numerous workshops， tours， lectures and networking formats， buyers also explored circular approaches， the important role of certificates and new applications for textile materials - and thus experienced wholly integrated sustainability at Heimtextil.

New contacts and successful orders： trade show participants achieved their goals

Finally， a return to new global contacts， networking and ordering： personal encounters were at the heart of Heimtextil 2023 and were celebrated in full exhibition halls. This was also reflected in the active ordering of the visitors.

According to representative surveys， 80 percent of exhibitors had already achieved their trade show goals by the third day. Satisfaction with visitor quality was also very high： 72 percent of visitors were top decision-makers. A mix that resulted in particularly high visitor satisfaction： 92 percent of buyers achieved their trade show goals.

And yet there is movement！ Sustainable transformation in the textile industry

Innovative material developments from natural raw materials such as mushrooms， plant fibers or recycled waste products provide impulses for the future of home textiles. This was clearly demonstrated by the "Future Materials Library" at Heimtextil. But also to the present applies： the majority of the global textile industry has long since set out on the path to sustainably redesigning manufacturing processes and forming strong partnerships and measures for transparent supply chains. To this end， Heimtextil exhibitors offered products， solutions or suggestions at many booths. The opportunity for personal exchange， inspiration and more know-how was offered by an extensive and multifaceted supporting program. This included guided tours at the trade show， high-profile lectures， events and special themed areas.

Interior.Architecture.Hospitality specialist program impressed with innovative strength

An outstanding visitor magnet was the new Interior.Architecture.Hospitality LIBRARY. Interior designers and architects experienced curated innovative exhibitor materials up close. In guided tours， the curators of the LIBRARY explained to the international hospitality experts the innovative strength， the impressive design and the functional properties of the textiles such as "flame-retardant"，"sound-absorbing"， "light-resistant"， "antimicrobial" and "water-repellent". A filigree and at the same time flame retardant curtain， fabrics with antibacterial effect made entirely of recycled polyester yarns or light and flowing fabrics for sound insulation represented the enormous potential and the wide functional range. Future-oriented topics， such as textile trends in hotel design or the sustainable use of high-quality materials， were discussed by experts and trade fair participants in the numerous formats of the specialist program， including the popular Interior.Architecture.Hospitality TOURS or LECTURES.

Area for fibers & yarns： Heimtextil responds to the growing market

In the new area for fibers and yarns， Heimtextil also met the growing demand for textile materials for preliminary stages. For the first time， visitors found a global range of fibers and yarns for decorative and upholstery fabrics compactly arranged in Hall 4.0. This was supplemented by exhibitors with outdoor fabrics as well as imitation leather.“We are delighted to exhibit our products here as Reliance Industries and Heimtextil both have the common key focus area of sustainability and circularity. We are overwhelmed to receive an extraordinary response to the launch of HEXaREL – Graphane enhanced Fiberfill – specially designed to enhance high altitude performance， at Heimtextil. It has been a wonderful experience to showcase our products and be the part of worlds leading sustainable textile companies. The Heimtextil exhibition is the perfect place to witness the latest trends in the textile industry products and materials“， says Rakesh Bali， Sr. Vice President - Head Marketing at Reliance Industries Limited from India.

Up to date on the subject of sleep

For the bedding trade and retailers， Heimtextil 2023 offered an extended supporting program. In addition to the established Heimtextil Conference "Sleep & More"， Sleep Tours were offered for the first time and were very well received. Sleep coach and preventologist Markus Kamps guided interested visitors to selected exhibitors and provided exciting insights into the topic of "healthy sleep". Among other things， the Sleep Tours took visitors to a sustainable mattress made from marine waste or a CO2-neutral fiber that is used in bedding， among other things. At the Heimtextil Conference "Sleep & More"， experts from research， industry and design spoke about the science of sleep， sustainable trends and challenges facing the retail trade.

The next Heimtextil will be held from 9 to 12 January 2024.