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. 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. Heimtextil 2023 with 44,000 buyers took advantage of the opportunity to participate in the global market for home and contract textiles and to gain a bundled overview of global textile innovations. Fibers, yarns, upholstery and decorative fabrics, functional textiles, outdoor fabrics, artificial leather and wallpapers to bed and bathroom textiles, mattresses, sleep systems, curtains and decorative cushions. The top ten exhibiting countries were China, India, Turkey, Pakistan, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, France and Great Britain. The top visitor countries included Germany, Italy, Turkey, the United States, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Pakistan, India and Greece.
"Heimtextil made a powerful return to January and set all the signs for success as a barometer for the trade fair business year -with an outstanding degree of internationalization of 129 participating nations" said Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt.
Exhibitors Leave Satisfaction in Messe Frankfurt Survey
According to representative surveys, 80 percent of exhibitors had already achieved their Heimtextil fair goals by the third day. Satisfaction with visitor quality was also very high: 72 percent of visitors were top decision-makers.
In addition to the diverse range of high-quality volume business from Asian exhibitor nations, the focus was also on European design and retail volumes - 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.
"The lectures are one reason for me to come to Heimtextil. Otto Group has set itself the goal of becoming even more sustainable and making this a topic for its customers. That is an exciting and indeed important task. Therefore, in addition to the trend presentations, I am particularly interested in what is happening in terms of the circular economy and sustainability. The presentation by Caroline Till, for example, was extremely exciting, as she also made the connection to innovative materials for which there are no standards yet. Top-quality presentations like these open up important new perspectives for companies. I really pick up knowledge here" reports Ursula Streblow, Head of Curtains & Decorations, OTTO, from Germany.
It was not only the "Trend Space" in Hall 9.0 with the integrated "Future Materials Library" and the material innovations for the interior sector shown there which was impressive. In the lead of the conception of this year's Heimtextil Trends "Textiles Matter" was the British future agency FranklinTill with co-founder Caroline Till, member of the Heimtextil Trend Council.
With trade fair visitors' significantly increased demand for sustainable products and solutions, the need for more transparency is also growing. This was evident, for example, in the Green Village in Hall 12.0, where interested visitors met label providers, certifiers and companies that have made an integral commitment to sustainability. In the Green Lectures on the stage of the Green Village, certifiers, industry experts and NGOs spoke about solutions, best practices and challenges around sustainability in the contract business. The Green Tours led interested trade visitors to selected exhibitors and their sustainable product solutions.
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 world’s 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.
"Heimtextil is strategically crucial for us. This is where we present our new products and meet our important international customers, decision-makers and interested visitors. We will be back at Heimtextil as an exhibitor in 2024" says Petra Schweigert, Managing Director of OBB Oberbadische Bettfedernfabrik GmbH from Germany. "At Heimtextil we met new international contacts that are essential for our business. This trade fair has enabled us in a great way which was impossible for several years due to the pandemic. We exhibited here over four days to an attractive, international audience - from Northern Europe to Australia," said Çağrı Ovayurt, Managing Director, L'appartement / Veritas Tekstil Konfeksiyon Pazarlama Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş from Turkey.
