The world’s largest trade event for the spring / summer season will play host to over 3,300 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions in seven halls of the National Exhibition and Convention Center until Friday.

“With 2016 certainly a challenging year for some in the industry, we found that this fair became even more important for our international exhibitors and buyers as a key meeting place where business was still being conducted,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd said. “After strong growth in recent years, the current scale and quality of the fair, particularly with the industry-leading brands that both exhibit and source here, now makes this event an unrivalled business platform for the global industry to connect with the Chinese market, and vice versa.”

International and Chinese pavilions and product zones: something for all sourcing needs

The quality of the fair’s offerings is widely evident in the International Hall (hall 5.2). The SalonEurope section of this hall will once again house the Milano Unica Pavilion, as well as the France & Germany Zones. In addition, Asian Pavilions from India, Japan, Korea, Pakistan and Taiwan, and Group Pavilions by Dyetec, Convergence Institute of Natural Materials and Lenzing feature alongside individual exhibitors from numerous countries.

To ensure ease of sourcing for buyers and increased exposure for exhibitors, key products groups are located in distinctive zones. In the International Hall, All About Sustainability, Functional Lab, Premium Wool Zone and Verve for Design feature the latest products, technologies and trends in these respective sectors, while Beyond Denim and Accessories Vision are in halls 6.2 and 8.1, respectively. Chinese exhibitors are grouped by product end-use in halls 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1 and 8.2, with a number of regional and association pavilions also featuring throughout these halls.

Fringe programme serves up the latest trends, technologies and more

Adding to the product diversity is the fair’s fringe programme, which features a range of seminars and panel discussions along with four S/S 2018 trend forums: the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum (hall 5.2) and three Fabrics China Trend Forums for Fashion Focus (hall 7.2), suiting (hall 6.1) and ladieswear (hall 8.2).

As well as Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, four other textile fairs are also held concurrently at the National Exhibition and Convention Center: Yarn Expo Spring (hall 5.1), Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition (hall 4.2), CHIC (halls 1, 2, 3 & 4.1) and PH Value (hall 3).