Against all odds, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2010 will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) June 22-26, 2010. In spite of the current economic crisis, it seems that the second ITMA ASIA + CITME in China is well on its way. According to information from SWISSMEM, the Association of the Swiss Textile Machinery Manufacturers, more than 95 percent of exhibition space has been sold. The last combined show in 2008 welcomed 1,368 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions, and more than 80,000 trade visitors from 96 countries and regions.

Strong Support
This near-sellout is evidence that the world economy continues its recovery, and comes at a time of returning optimism, especially in the recovering Asian markets.

Among the exhibitors, spinning forms the largest sector, taking some 30 percent of floor space; followed by finishing, 25 percent; knitting, garment making and textile processing, 20 percent; and weaving, 15 percent. More than 1,000 exhibitors have sent in applications booking more than 95,000 square meters of space.

Swiss Activities
Dr. Lukas Sigrist, secretary general of SWISSMEM and supervisor of the forthcoming ITMA Asia committee, said in an exclusive interview with the Rupp Report that there are fewer Swiss exhibitors than were at the last show, taking up less floor space, as expected. As of today, 30 of the 38 SWISSMEM members have signed up to take part in Shanghai, and there are still a few months to go. However, he mentioned, the average booked floor space for the Swiss companies is greater than the average booked floor space for all exhibitors. "This," Sigrist said, "is the proof that Switzerland is still holding an important position in the global textile machinery markets. On top of that, it shows that the Chinese market is not only the driving force, but also is extremely important for the Swiss textile machinery manufacturers."

Large Chinese Group
As the largest country group, Chinese manufacturers have booked nearly half of the space at ITMA Asia + CITME 2010, and European and Japanese manufacturers have booked more than 35 percent. Gao Yong, president, China Textile Machinery Association, stated, "The combined show is an excellent platform to reach Asian buyers. Even though economic conditions may be difficult at the moment, textile makers recognise that it is even more critical for them to invest in better technological solutions and to upgrade their facilities. Furthermore, he said, "The Chinese textile industry has shown resilience despite the financial crisis, due to its policy to accelerate the pace of adoption of technology, increase worker productivity, and implement quality management standards."

The China National Textile & Apparel Council reports that China has invested 241.8 billion renminbi in the textile industry to date in 2009, representing a 7.9-percent increase over the same period in 2008. There were 6,395 new textile industry projects, 21.7 percent more than were reported for the January to October 2008 period.

The United Nations also predicts good news: The UN forecasts a 2.4-percent growth rate in the global economy in 2010, emphasizing that developing countries will see the strongest economic growth in 2010. China and India, in particular, are expected to see 8.8-percent and 6.5-percent growth, respectively.

No Floor Space Left (?)
The nine halls reserved at SNIEC offer a total of 100,000 square meters of exhibition space, and organizers expect the show to be sold out before the end of this year. These include Halls W1 to W5, and E1 to E4. The question remains: Will the organizers open the now-shut doors to Halls E5 and E6 and allow the run for exhibition space to continue?

More information is available at www.itmaasia.com or www.citme.com.cn.

December 22, 2009