Texcare International 2024 will focus on the top themes of automation, energy and resources, circularity and textile hygiene. Are there any aspects that you see as being particularly in focus at the upcoming show?
One focus will certainly be on automated textile care, not least due to the acute shortage of skilled labour within the industry. Although already at a high level, the degree of automation will continue to increase. Identification systems, robotics and artificial intelligence will play a central role in this context - from sorting and the flow of goods to taking over heavy or monotonous tasks.
I expect the second focus to be on energy. Soaring energy prices are the driving force behind numerous technical innovations aimed at reducing consumption and therefore emissions and costs. The integration of renewables and new energy sources is also becoming increasingly important. This often goes hand in hand with considerable investments by companies.
To what extent can Texcare help shape the future of the textile care market as the industry's leading trade fair?
As a global gathering of the laundry, cleaning and textile service industry, Texcare International is often the place where tech innovations are introduced to the professional audience for the first time. The fact that product development departments worldwide work specifically towards this date emphasises the importance of the show.
However, the focus is not only on new products; the industry also values and utilises the event as a place for personal encounters. The deals made here, the transfer of knowledge and the exchange of expertise can influence the future of textile care. Completely new solutions and business models are being offered by the start-ups and the many new exhibitors, including providers of automation solutions, software companies and machine manufacturers.
Are there areas in which a particularly large number of innovations can be expected?
Only the upcoming edition of the trade fair will tell. But I suspect that we will see, for example, improved processes for inspecting and sorting dirty laundry and for folding and stacking dry laundry. Machine technology will also be further optimised in order to achieve higher throughput figures while maintaining quality levels. In the area of resource efficiency, the focus will be on economical consumption and solutions for water and energy recovery.
Can we expect a similarly high level of internationality among exhibitors and visitors at the next Texcare as in 2016?
The number of international exhibitors is set to increase even further. Over 300 companies from 31 countries have already registered, including the market leaders and 80 companies that are taking part for the first time. After Germany, the top exhibiting countries include Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Spain, Switzerland, the USA and Turkey. The new ‘Texcare Contactor’ on the website provides a compact overview of the participating companies and their products.
When it comes to visitors, I expect an equally high level of internationality based on the response so far. In 2016, 57 per cent of our visitors came from abroad, three quarters of them from Europe. Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria and Poland were particularly well represented. 23 per cent of international visitors came from overseas, including 12 per cent from Asia, seven per cent from America and two per cent each from Africa and Australia.
What will be the focus of the supporting programme?
Together with our partners, we have developed a very comprehensive programme. At its centre is the Texcare Forum, which will highlight the top themes on all four days of the trade fair. With our partners VDMA and EFIT, we will be highlighting both the laundry and dry-cleaning side of the ‘Automation’ topic. Current hygiene trends in laundries will be addressed by Hohenstein Laboratories. Innovative solutions relating to sustainability will be the focus of the VDMA-hosted topic ‘Energy and resources’. As part of the ‘Circularity’ theme, ETSA will focus on the increasingly important topic of textile recycling, while DTV will shed light on new business models in the circular economy.
For the first time at Texcare, we are also offering ‘Guided Tours’ of the trade fair. They are designed to help visitors discover and categorise the many new products.
Important industry organisations will also be presenting their own events at the trade fair. For example, CINET is inviting visitors to its World Congress on 8 and 9 November and will be presenting the internationally renowned Global Best Practices Awards.
And last but not least, I would like to invite all participants to our daily (except on Trade fair Saturday) Happy Hour from 5.30 pm in the Galleria, right next to Hall 8. This is an excellent opportunity to meet, network and relax after a long show day.
I am looking forward to four days full of innovations, new alliances and fresh impetus for the future of the textile care industry.