Photographs courtesy of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH
Photographed by Jean-Luc Valentin
F
or many, Techtextil, the International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens,
conjures up anticipatory thoughts of seeing the latest in technical textiles and nonwovens, hearing
about cutting-edge research and testing, feeling out the state of the current market, and getting a
taste of what the future holds for the industry during the event’s accompanying symposium.
Many now also equate Techtextil’s Frankfurt edition with Avantex — the International Forum
for Innovative Apparel Textiles — held for the first time alongside Techtextil at its last edition
in 2005.
“The idea of holding the two events in parallel originated primarily from the industry,”
said Michael Jänecke, brand manager, Techtextil + Avantex, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. “The
benefits lie in the synergistic effects between the two events, which mean that exhibitors generate
additional visitors and can restrict their expenditures in terms of time and money to taking part
in a single event — [for example,] if a yarn manufacturer [that is] a classic Techtextil exhibitor
develops products for making garment textiles, the company not only has no need to exhibit at a
second fair but also profits from the presence of Avantex exhibitors.
“Avantex focuses on high-tech apparel textiles and presents developments ranging from the
concept to the prototype stages. With a range of products and services from the fields of technical
textiles and nonwovens, Techtextil covers a broader spectrum,” Jänecke added.
Both shows will once again be held this year at the Messe Frankfurt Congress Center in
Frankfurt from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 12, and Wednesday, June 13; and from 9:00
a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Thursday, June 14. One-day tickets for Techtextil are 19 euros (US$25) in
advance, and will be 26 euros (US$35) at the box office. Students may pay a reduced rate of 15
euros (US$20) at the box office. Three-day tickets are 34 euros (US$46) in advance, and will be 46
euros (US$62) at the box office. Tickets cover admission to both events. The Techtextil 2007
catalog will be on sale at the fair for 17 euros (US$23). Separate fees apply for the accompanying
symposium programs.
Breaking Records
Organizer Messe Frankfurt GmbH hopes to top visitor and exhibitor records set in 2005,
making Techtextil the fastest-growing fair held at the center, and the largest trade fair for
technical textiles and nonwovens. More than 1,000 companies from 38 countries are scheduled to
exhibit at the combined events as of Textile World Asia’s press time. Messe Frankfurt hopes these
exhibitors will attract more than the 21,700 visitors who attended Techtextil and Avantex in 2005.
Techtextil exhibitors will occupy Halls 3.0, 3.1 and 4.1, while Avantex exhibitors will be
integrated into Hall 3.1.
held at the Messe Frankfurt Congress Center — once again the site of Techtextil 2007.
Techtextil Basics
Messe Frankfurt organizes Techtextil by product group and application area, enabling
exhibitors to target potential customers, and visitors to easily find areas of interest to them.
The 2007 edition of Techtextil features the following product groups: research, development,
planning, development and consultation; technology, machinery and accessories; fibers and yarns;
wovens, scrims, braids and knitted fabrics; nonwovens; composites; coated textiles; bondtec, which
covers finishing processes, application processing, material pretreatment and surface treatment
technologies, among others; associations; and publishers.
Application areas include:
•
Agrotech: horticulture, landscape gardening, agriculture, forestry and livestock
farming;
•
Buildtech: membrane construction, lightweight and solid structures, civil
engineering, industrial building, temporary construction, interior design, earthworks, waterway and
road construction, and agricultural construction;
•
Clothtech: clothing and shoes;
•
Geotech: civil and road engineering, road- and dam-building, and waste-site
construction;
•
Hometech: furniture, upholstered furniture, interior furnishings, carpets and
floor covering;
•
Indutech: cleaning, mechanical engineering, chemical/electrical industry;
•
Medtech: hygiene and medicine;
•
Mobiltech: cars, ships, planes, railways and space travel;
•
Oekotech: environmental protection, recycling and waste disposal;
•
Packtech: packaging, protective packaging systems, bags and storage systems;
•
Protech: personal and property protection; and
•
Sporttech: sport and leisure, activewear, outdoor, sporting goods and equipment,
and athletic shoes.
National pavilions will offer visitors another way to view exhibitors and their products.
Fourteen countries and regions will participate, including the United States, Belgium, Canada,
China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Spain, South Africa, Taiwan
and Great Britain.
Competitions
During the fair, the Techtextil Innovation Prize will be awarded for exemplary achievements
in research; new products, means of production, applications, manufacturing and finishing
techniques; and new Buildtech, Medtech and Mobiltech applications.
The Avantex Innovation Prize will be awarded for achievements in workwear; sports; medical
applications through apparel; fashion; and material, technology, processing and handling
developments.
Brussels-based TensiNet — the European communication network for tensile structures — has
joined with Techtextil in organizing the ninth student competition focused on textile structures
for new building. Prize money worth 8,000 euros (nearly US$11,000) will be awarded to winners in
the categories of macro-architecture, micro-architecture, environment and ecology, and composites
and hybrid structures.
Awards will be presented the evening of Monday, June 11. Award-winning work from all
competitions will be displayed at a special show held during the trade fairs.
The Techtextil and Avantex symposia will commence with a joint lecture entitled “Future
Perspectives of the European Textile Industry.”
Techtextil Symposium
The 14th International Techtextil Symposium and the 4th International Avantex Symposium will
kick off Monday afternoon with a joint lecture sponsored by the Brussels-based European Apparel and
Textile Organization (EURATEX) and the EURATEX Working Group Technical Textiles. Entitled “Future
Perspectives of the European Textile Industry,” the lecture will cover industry trends, strategies
and visions for the future.
Ensuing Techtextil-Symposium lecture blocks, which will take place during the next three
mornings, will cover such topics as Medtech; Mobiltech; composites; Buildtech, including building
with membranes and textile reinforcement; and materials and technology.
Companies and institutions worldwide will be represented at the lectures. For example,
representatives from the Netherlands-based Technical University Delft architectural faculty will
discuss deflated textile constructions. Lecturers from the Institute of Security Technology
(Moratex), Poland, will cover energy-absorbing materials for anti-impact products and applications.
A representative from VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, Germany, will discuss intelligent textiles
in concrete structures; while representatives from Karl Mayer Malimo Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH,
Germany, will cover markets and trends for multiaxially reinforced glass and carbon composites.
High-performance polyphenylene sulfides for innovative developments in technical textiles
will be the subject of Germany-based Ticona GmbH’s lecture. Coatema Coating Machinery GmbH,
Germany, will present a lecture on nano-coating for medical and hygienic applications.
Lectures will be interpreted into German and English. Attendees may make appointments with
lecturers at the end of each presentation.
Admission tickets to the Techtextil symposium will also include admission to the concurrent
Avantex symposium.
Keeping It Fresh
Techtextil has developed a strong brand recognition — blossoming into a global source for
nonwovens and technical textiles. Techtextil shows are now held in North America, Russia, India and
China. Messe Frankfurt keeps the show fresh and exciting by keeping the lines of communication open
with exhibitors.
“Thus, we can take up currents and developments in the market directly and at an early
stage, which means the fair remains attractive for exhibitors and visitors,” Jänecke said. “
Additionally, we profit from the general market trend: The demand for technical textiles has been
growing continuously for years, making technical textiles the fastest-growing part of the textile
industry. And this growing interest increases our exhibitor potential, too.”
For more information about Techtextil and Avantex, contact Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH +49
69 75 75-0; fax +49 69 75 75-64 33; www.techtextil.com; www.avantex.messefrankfurt.com.
May/June 2007