July 1st 22
Fairs

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RESUMPTION OF FAIRS: THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM

Three textile fairs (Heimtextil, Techtextil, and Texprocess) took place last week at Messe Frankfurt. And after two false rehearsals of resumption of the fairs, everything leads us to believe that the third was for good, as most of the participants state, as well as Manuel Serrão, responsible for Associação Selectiva Moda.

“Finally, fairs are back to stay. The pandemic has increased the weight of digital in business. But, at least in the textile and clothing sector, impersonal long-distance relationships do not replace the importance of fairs and face-to-face contact in establishing new contacts and deepening relationships between producers and their customers”, he says.

“It is with great pleasure that I heard many Portuguese exhibitors tell me that they had established contacts with new customers, who dealt with their supplies in the East and who are now at least looking to diversify”, explains Manuel Serrão.

“Most companies say that the fairs went above expectations. In the specific case of Heimtextil, most companies were satisfied, made new contacts, and some even told me that they had received orders for the next Christmas business”, says Cristina Motta, a representative in Portugal of Messe Frankfurt.

“Staying at home is not the solution. I have been to all the fairs, and it  always gone well”, says António Coelho Lima (ACL). And Ana Vaz Pinheiro (Mundotêxtil) goes even further and explores the possibility of institutionalizing a second Heimtextil, for the summer: “Having two collections a year, it can make sense to have two presentations”.

Halls 8, 11 and 12 of Messe Frankfurt received Techtextil and Texprocess with a relaxed and optimistic environment. “It was spectacular, as good as the first time we came in 2005”, confided Eng. Gonzaga (Artefita). “Looks like we were in 2019”, says Miguel Pacheco (Heliotêxtil). “We are very pleased, made new and good contacts. It was a fair as it should be”, concludes Jorge Pereira (Lipac).

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