T
he fourth ITMA Asia, the second called ITMA Asia + CITME, closed its doors on June 26,
2010, in Shanghai. Show organizers — the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers
(CEMATEX) and its partners in China including the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, China Council
for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT-TEX), China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA)
and China Exhibition Centre Group Corp. (CIEC) — expressed their delight, and the majority of the
exhibitors also were more than happy with the unexpected results of the five-day show.
ITMA Asia + CITME 2010 welcomed more than 82,000 visitors from 94 countries. More than 20
percent of the visitors were from overseas. The biggest groups of foreign visitors were from India,
followed by Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Korea.
A total of 1,171 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions took part in the exhibition at the
Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). China was the largest country with regard to
exhibitors and floor space: 639 Chinese exhibitors occupied some 31,000 square meters (m
2), while Germany occupied 5,400 m
2, followed by Italy with 4,000 m2, Japan with 3,300 m2 and Switzerland with 2,500 m
2.
More than 82,000 visitors from 94 countries came to Shanghai to see the products and
services of 1,171 companies exhibiting at ITMA Asia + CITME 2010.
China, not only in terms of floor space, leads the way in textile machinery exhibitions more
than ever: It was officially declared that the next ITMA Asia will be held in Shanghai again, June
12-16, 2012, in spite of the European edition of ITMA being held in September 2011 in Barcelona,
Spain. And rumors at the show indicated that an ITMA Asia already was confirmed for 2014, again in
Shanghai. So, at least for the next two years, there will be an ITMA either in Asia or in Europe.
Unexpected Success
Since February/March 2010, the markets have been booming, especially in Asia, and some
manufacturers have already very long delivery times. All people interviewed for this report agreed
that the Asia-Pacific Rim is for the time being the most important market for selling textile
machinery.
Between 60 and 80 percent of the turnover is achieved in Asia, mainly in China, followed by
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia. The importance of the Asian markets is basically thanks
to the soaring domestic market in China, which increased by 23 percent from January to May 2010.
The current global market situation and, therefore, the overall impression of ITMA Asia + CITME
2010 were considered to be positive, even very positive. Some people even articulated some fear
regarding the current market situation, that this could end up in a big bubble.
Left to right: Du Yuzhou, president, China National Textile and Apparel Council, and Gao
Yong, president, China Textile Machinery Association, greet Peter Gnägi, CEO, Rieter Textile
Systems, on the exhibition floor.
Positive Feedback
Most of the exhibitors showed some products for the first time at an exhibition in Asia.
Oliver Mathews, vice president sales and marketing, warp knitting, Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik
GmbH, Germany, confirmed that all his company’s exhibits were new and presented for the first time.
Picanol NV, Belgium, presented a new OMNIplus 6 air-jet weaving machine and an energy-saving
cordless system for selvages. Jean-Philippe Dumon, sales and marketing director, NSC nonwoven,
France, reported five sales of the company’s VarioWeb® stand-alone card during the show.
Paolo Puntoni, director, Savio Macchine Tessili S.p.A., Italy, reported the updated Savio
two-for-one twister received very positive feedback. ITEMA Weaving, Italy, showed its new Vamatex
R880 weaving machines, assembled in China. Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, presented a new
foreign material detection system that has three types of sensors to enable detection of virtually
every foreign material, and the demonstration was very impressive. Edda Walraf, head of marketing,
Rieter Machine Works Ltd., Switzerland, pointed out Rieter’s G 32 ring spinning machine with doffer
for the Asian market. She is convinced automation will play an even more important role in the
future in China. Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, presented its redesigned Autoconer X5
winder. Other exhibits were a new fully drawn yarn solution. André Wissenberg, the company’s vice
president, marketing and corporate communications, said Oerlikon Textile showed 20 new innovations,
including the longest Zinser ring spinning machine.
All companies confirmed very positive feedback from the visitors to their exhibits. Some
even sold machinery right out of the booth. For years, speed was the key point for any updated
machinery. Today, it is more reliability and quality of the products, in Asia as well. The reason
is quite simple: Everybody wants and needs the best technology for high-quality products.
Left to right: Christian Kuoni, CEO, Jakob Müller AG, and president, Swissmem Textile
Machinery Division; Blaise Godet, Switzerland’s ambassador to China; and Dr. Lukas Sigrist,
secretary general, Swissmem Textile Machinery Division, walk the floor during ITMA Asia +
CITME.
Market Situation
To follow and serve the markets in Asia, all companies surveyed now have their own
production facilities in China. ITEMA Weaving Director Fabio Mazzucchetti said that to have local
production is very important. To import duty-free machinery, the equipment must remain in the same
place for five years.
The market situation has changed dramatically since the first quarter of 2010, and is better
than expected. Everyone mentioned a strong upswing with some problems relating to delivery times
and sometimes even problems to get raw material such as steel. Trützschler’s Head of Marketing
Herrmann Selker, Savio’s Puntoni and others mentioned the cheap euro, compared to the U.S. dollar
and Chinese renminbi, is also supporting the boom. Some think this positive situation will remain
up to 2011, while others fear this could be a bubble too. But who knows exactly?
Top Visitors
All surveyed machinery makers expressed satisfaction with the event and the feedback to the
exhibits. The expectations regarding ITMA Asia were fulfilled, sometimes even exceeded. The
visitors’ frequency as well as quality were considered to be far better than in 2008. Most of the
exhibitors welcomed visitors not only from China, but also from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Indonesia and the Middle East – and even from Brazil.
The two questions about participation in ITMA 2011 in Barcelona and then ITMA Asia 2012 in
Shanghai were not argued: Most of the important European exhibitors declared their intention to
participate in Barcelona: “After all, we’re Europeans, and many of the latest technological
innovations have been developed by our companies.” And the second question, “Will you come back to
ITMA Asia next time, even it is only one year after Barcelona?” was answered in a similar way: “Do
we have an alternative?” one exhibitor asked.
Despite show organizers’ stated intolerance of copyright infringement, the issue continues
to be a challenge, with exhibitors showing products similar in appearance and function to the
products of other exhibitors. One company started a process against copycats and won. Some products
had to be taken out of the exhibition. As one exhibitor commented, “A copyright is not the right to
copy.”
July/August/September 2010