CITME 2006 will take place at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing, October
17-21.
O
nce again, China’s capital city, Beijing, will host the China International Textile
Machinery Exhibition (CITME) Oct. 17-21, 2006, at the China International Exhibition Centre.
Visitors to the show can expect to view a comprehensive lineup of the latest in textile technology
from spinning and weaving machinery to testing equipment.
Now in its 10th edition, the show is organized by The Sub-Council of Textile Industry, China
Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT-Tex); China International Exhibition Center
Group Corp. (CIEC); and China Textile Machinery & Accessories Association (CTMA); and assistant
organizers Hongkong Expositions Ltd. and China Textile Machinery & Technology Import and Export
Corp. CITME also holds the honor of being the only textile machinery show in China endorsed by the
Union of International Fairs.
Growing Exhibition In A Growing Economy
Since its inception in 1988, CITME has grown in size — both in number of exhibitors and
visitors, and in exhibition space — at each biennial edition. The 2004 show recorded 1,100
exhibitors from 25 countries and regions, displaying their wares in some 62,000 square meters of
exhibit space, while some 35,585 registered trade visitors came from 63 countries and regions, and
130,000 visitors overall attended the show. Both exhibitor and visitor numbers are expected to
exceed 2004 numbers at the upcoming show.
CITME 2006 visitors will find a variety of exhibitors, spanning the many sectors of the
textile industry. Exhibits will include spinning and weaving equipment for a wide range of fibers
including cotton, wool, linen and man-made; knitting equipment; dyeing, printing and finishing
equipment; and equipment and processing systems for technical textiles and nonwovens; among other
offerings. Textile testing and measuring equipment exhibitors also will be present.
According to show organizers, CITME plays an important role for those who want to understand
and enter China’s expanding textile market. The show functions as a platform for business
cooperation and information exchange among industry leaders in China, Asia and abroad, show
organizers report.
In that spirit, the CITME 2006 Summit Forum on International Textile Machinery Manufacture
will occur concurrently with the exhibition on October 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Beijing Kun
Lun Hotel. Touted as a networking opportunity for textile machinery senior managers, experts and
scholars from around the world, the forum will focus on present and future cooperation and
development in the textile machinery manufacturing industry. Representatives from all sectors of
the industry are invited to attend and participate in the forum. Sponsors are the China National
Textile & Apparel Council and the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers
(CEMATEX); organizers include CTMA, CCPIT-Tex and CIEC. The Beijing Textile International
Exhibition Co. Ltd. will act as a cooperator.
Changes For Future Editions
It was recently announced that CEMATEX — organizer of ITMA Asia; CTMA; CCPIT-Tex; and CIEC
have signed a cooperation agreement. Starting in 2008, the CITME and ITMA Asia exhibitions will be
combined into one textile show — ITMA Asia + CITME 2008, to be held in Shanghai. It is expected the
combined show will be held every two years and will be organized by Beijing Textile Machinery
International Co. Ltd. and co-organized by Meeting Planners International Pte. Ltd., Singapore.
“I am very pleased that we shall hold this first combined show in Shanghai, and we and our
partners are delighted to welcome ITMA Asia to China,” said Gao Yong, president, CTMA. “We strongly
believe that our initiative will benefit the whole of the textile industry as well as the healthy
development of the textile machinery industry.”
About Beijing
Beijing, site of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, is a rapidly modernizing city with more than
3,000 years of history. With a population of 13 million, Beijing is the capital of the People’s
Republic of China and forms China’s cultural and political center.
In the international city of Beijing, the old comfortably lives side-by-side with the new.
Among the city’s historical and cultural sites is the Forbidden City, which is located in the
center of Beijing. Built between 1406 and 1420, the site, also known as the Palace Museum, is the
largest and best-preserved imperial residence in China.
Beijing’s Temple Of Heaven
Photograph courtesy of
www.chinahighlights.com.
encompassing 122 acres and able to hold half a million people. Located in the southern part of
Beijing, The Temple of Heaven, one of the most closely protected cultural sites in China, is the
largest collection of structures ever to be dedicated to heaven and was the exclusive altar for
Chinese monarchs during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Finally, some 75 kilometers northwest of
Beijing, the Great Wall, a United Nations World Heritage site, spans more than 6,700 kilometers and
is a symbol of China’s ancient civilization.
Classic and modern Chinese architecture await visitors, as do the Peking Opera and vibrant
nightlife. CITME’s visitors can expect to encounter fewer tourists during the fall, which is
considered the city’s most beautiful season.
September/October 2006