According to the latest information from the organizers of ITMA 2007 — the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) Textile Machinery Association and its president Johann Philipp Dilo — more than 1,450 exhibitors will take part at the show in Munich, to be held Sept. 13-20, 2007. These numbers represent a new all-time record, surpassing the record set at ITMA 1995 in Milan, with 1,436 exhibitors. ITMA 2007 will occupy the complete exhibition area of the New Munich Trade Fair Centre.

Munich: An Attractive Location
After the show in Birmingham, England, in 2003, ITMA returns to the continent in general, and to Germany in particular. Munich as the location for the event was a very good decision by the VDMA. Geographically, it’s close to the center of Europe and offers easy access for exhibitors.

Also of great importance and value for the show and visitors is the fact that the producers of knitting and warp knitting machinery are back at ITMA.

Furthermore, Asian companies are exploring Europe, not only from the visitor’s side, but also from the exhibitor’s side: The net exhibition area of Asian companies already surpasses the area of 2003 by 19 percent, with more than 11,500 square meters. Suppliers from China, India and Japan have booked substantially larger areas than they did at ITMA 2003. With an increase of more than 10 percent, Turkey has one of the largest representations of exhibitors outside of Western Europe.

Sophisticated, High-Tech Machinery Needed
In industrial countries, the increasing demand for textiles can be found mainly in the high-tech sector. Technical textiles are increasingly replacing established materials such as metal or plastic in the building materials industry, automobile construction, environmental technology and the aerospace industry. From spinning to making-up, machines for producing technical textiles will be seen in the halls at ITMA 2007.

European textile machinery manufacturers are meeting the increased demand for high-performance machinery and systems. Substantial need for replacements and modernization, especially in newly industrialized and developing countries, strengthen this trend.

On the other hand, energy costs have a significant impact on production costs and competitiveness in the textile industry. Energy savings, reduced consumption of water and chemicals, low maintenance and recycling are just a few keywords. These issues are at the top of the priority list of European textile machinery manufacturers, and also will be at the forefront at ITMA 2007.