Attendance at Shanghai’s textile/apparel shows back to normal

By

Matthieu Guinebault

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Apr 8, 2021

Intertextile, Chic, PH Value and Yarn Expo, China’s leading textile/apparel trade shows, had pushed back their dates by a week at the last minute, owing to the health protection measures in place in Shanghai. Despite this, the shows, held on March 17-19, enjoyed a high turnout, reporting the attendance of up to 88,000 visitors. For the events, this meant a return to attendance figures similar to those of 2019.

Fashion and apparel event Chic reported 88,103 visitors, who came to meet the event’s 905 exhibitors showcasing a total of 932 brands. The China National Garment Association (CNGA), organiser of Chic, underlined that the exhibitors belonged to all of the country’s apparel and textile sectors, in representation of every province in the country. Because of travel restrictions, the presence of buyers from other countries was limited, while the stands in the Chic International section were manned by local agents of the foreign brands represented. This edition was also the chance for Chic to boost its professional networking platform, through which 54 meetings were organised.

“Once more, Chic showed it is the industry’s leading commercial platform and the main trend promoter,” said Chen Dapeng, president of CNGA. “The show gives a focused perspective on the market’s current evolution, it gathers together all the resources and provides participants with the network they need. Chic has the finger on the sector’s pulse, and is the leading show for trade and industry,” he added.

The Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics show, whose latest edition featured 2,600 manufacturers, reported instead the presence of 80,533 buyers from 17 countries. The Covid-19 crisis has undoubtedly had an impact on the event’s attendance, even on its most visited sections like Functional Lab, dedicated to innovative materials, and All About Sustainability. Both Chinese and foreign exhibitors featured at the show, in the event’s second post-lockdown edition, after a slightly less busy September session.

“[There were] many positive signs, and the participants attending this week were convinced that China’s post-pandemic recovery will stay strong this year,” said Wendy Wen, senior general manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, the show’s joint organiser with CCPIT-Tex, the textile industry’s sub-council within China’s Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the China Textile Information Centre. “We hope that, by the next autumn edition in August, a greater number of international industry professionals will be able to visit Shanghai in person to enjoy the event,” she added.

The next edition of the Shanghai trade shows will not be staged in September but on August 25-27, since the city’s National Exhibition and Convention Center will not be available on the usual dates. The organisers also confirmed that the Shenzhen sessions of Intertextile, Chic, PH Value and Yarn Expo will be held as planned on November 3-5. They are targeted to industry professionals from the southern provinces of China, where the sector is thriving. The Shenzhen sessions were first staged in July last year, after the March 2020 shows in Shanghai were cancelled.