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2005-9-9
9 September 2005, Singapore---ITMA ASIA 2005, the region''s leading textile machinery exhibition, will assume added significance this year following the abolition of global textile quotas. Over 800 exhibitors from 33 economies have confirmed their participation. The event, to be held from 17 to 21 October, is expected to attract some 30,000 international visitors, including key government and textile association officials, buyers, dealers and agents from more than 30 countries; the majority from Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific. This will be one of the biggest groups of international visitors to Singapore.
The need to upgrade drives visitors
Note: The Singapore Tourism Board hopes to attract 17 million visitors to the country by 2015. Fuelled by increasing competition in the textile industry due to global textile and apparel quotas having been lifted at the beginning of this year, ITMA ASIA 2005 is expected to lead the BTMICE (Business Travel, Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) segment to contribute to this growth target.
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CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, is forecasting the number of visitors based on the region''s impressive growth in the textile industry over the last few years. Fabric output in Asia, for example, increased by over 50 per cent in 2004[1] and the American Textile Manufacturing Institute is estimating that more than US$40 billion in textile orders will shift to lower-cost countries in the post-quota world. The numbers are just as impressive when looking at recent purchases of textile machinery. In 2004, Asia accounted for 92 per cent of all spinning machine shipments (up 4 per cent on 2003), 88 per cent of all shuttleless weaving machine shipments (up 5 per cent on 2003) and 69 per cent of all knitting machine shipments (up 4 per cent on 2003)[2] and the trend is set to continue as Asian textile makers modernise and upgrade their operations in order to remain competitive and take advantage of the huge business opportunities opening up to them.
China, together with India and Pakistan, produces more than 80 per cent of Asia''s total textile output. In the past three years, China has already invested more than US$21 billion in its textile operations, according to A.T. Kearney management consultants. The rest of Asia are also gearing up to upgrade their machinery and facilities to keep up with the competition. For example, India and Pakistan are setting up new textile parks; and technology upgrading schemes throughout the region are massively supported by the local government. These developments augur well for textile machinery manufacturers exhibiting at ITMA ASIA 2005.
Edward Roberts, President of CEMATEX said, "For textile manufacturers to keep ahead of the industry, they need to readjust their strategy to enhance overall production efficiency. They should also adopt a longer-term outlook to focus on the quality of their products which will ultimately contribute to their company’s bottom line. This will lead to a demand for new machinery and technology to modernise and upgrade their existing textile equipment."
Sylvia Phua, Chief Executive Officer of Meeting Planners International Pte Ltd (MPI) and organiser of ITMA ASIA 2005, said, "We believe that ITMA ASIA 2005 will serve as a vital platform to bring together industry players in the region to learn more about new textile machinery. This will be the leading show in Asia, showcasing a nett exhibition space of over 40,000sqm of textile machinery, with many innovative solutions making their debut."
"ITMA ASIA was first launched in 2001 in Singapore. This year, the exhibition space for the event is 25 per cent bigger than the first show four years ago, and it will be the first event at Singapore Expo that covers seven halls," she added.
Tetsuro Toyoda, President of Japan Textile Machinery Association (JTMA), Chairman of Toyota Industries Corporation, and exhibitor at ITMA ASIA 2005 said, "When we survey the Asian market, China''s demand for textile machinery remains very strong and its investments in the textile industry have been extremely significant. In addition, further growth is expected in India and Pakistan and emerging players are fast entering the market from other Asian countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. All these factors contribute to the growth of the textile industry in Asia. "
"With so many new developments in the industry, it is essential for us as a machine manufacturer to participate in ITMA ASIA 2005, where numerous visitors from Asian countries are able to meet and exchange ideas. We aim to make an impact on the textile industry in Asia by unveiling the latest technology in textile machinery and helping to enhance the overall quality and efficiency of textile production," added Mr Toyoda.
Jan Roettgering, Chief Commercial Officer of Saurer Textile Solutions, said, "The removal of the textile quotas has given rise to new challenges in the already competitive market. Textile manufacturing, being the driving force for many Asian economies, urgently needs a platform which provides industry players with new ideas and opportunities. We see ITMA ASIA as THE avenue for all players in the textile world to converge. It will be a fabulous opportunity for us to showcase our latest technology and range of solutions; and for manufacturers to acquire and upgrade their manufacturing facilities."
ITMA ASIA will be held at Singapore Expo from 17 to 21 October, 10am to 6pm daily. The exhibition floor will be abuzz with machinery demonstrations, business transactions and networking opportunities.
Highlights of ITMA ASIA 2005:
· Exhibits will be displayed in 15 product sectors, ranging from spinning, nonwovens, weaving and knitting, to finishing, testing, handling and packing. The largest three product groups in the exhibition are spinning, finishing and weaving.
· For the first time, ITMA ASIA 2005 is held in partnership with JTMA. It has also secured the support of several textile machinery manufacturers groups, namely the American Textile Machinery Association, China Textile Machinery Association, Korea Textile Machinery Association and Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry.
· ITMA ASIA is a showcase that only manufacturers are allowed to take part. Some 55 per cent of the 800 exhibitors are from Europe, with the majority coming from Italy, Germany and Switzerland. The second largest group of exhibitors is from Asia, making up over 35 per cent of the total number.
About ITMA ASIA:
Considered the ''''Olympics'''' of textile machinery exhibitions, ITMA has over 50 years of history in displaying the latest in machinery and software for every single work process of textile making. The European and Asian showcases are owned by CEMATEX.
The Asian version of this successful exhibition, ITMA ASIA, was launched in Singapore in 2001. It is owned by CEMATEX and organised by Meeting Planners International to address the needs of the Asia Pacific market.
About CEMATEX:
The European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX) comprises national textile machinery associations from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
About Meeting Planners International Pte Ltd:
Established in 1987, Meeting Planners is a professional exhibition and conference organiser. It received the Enterprise 50 award for two consecutive years, in 2001 and 2002. To date, it has organised and managed over 200 major national, regional and international events.
For more information please contact:
Lim Siow Joo / Sylvia Yap
Tel: +65 6325 4606
Fax: +65 6325 4616
Mobile: +65 9847 0817 / +65 96656016
Daphne Poon
Tel: +65 6393 0238
Fax: +65 6392 2905
[1] International Textile Manufacturers Federation - State of Trade Report June 2005
[2] International Textile Manufacturers Federation - International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics, 2004
ITMA ASIA
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