Heimtextil Summer Special 2022
Combining synergies
A total of 2,300 exhibitors and around 63,000 visitors took part in the Heimtextil Summer Special, a special event organised by Messe Frankfurt. For personal exchange and networking, the event offered numerous lectures and tours, such as in the Interior.Architecture.Hospitality programme, which was aimed specifically at experts in contract furnishing. In addition, during the "Green Tours" selected exhibitors could be discovered who focus on an environmentally friendly recycling cycle. This year, the Trend Area was themed "Next Horizons" and was curated by Anja Bisgaard Gaede from SPOTT trends & business. Divided into the themes of "Deep Nature", "Hyper Nature", "Beyond Identity" and "Empowered Identity", the exhibition presented ways of thinking that could promote a shift towards sustainable creation. The spectrum ranged from the exploration of materials and colours with natural origins to the use of digital realities and the redefinition of pastel shades that show that sustainability does not have to be earth-coloured. Fittingly, the stand design of the trend area was resource-friendly - the materials used were locally sourced, eco-friendly or borrowed for the event, allowing for continued use after the event has ended. "Sustainability and technology go hand in hand and are the most important drivers of innovation and business success in the textile sector", said Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt GmbH during the press conference for the Heimtextil Summer Special.
Messe Frankfurt's strong commitment to an eco-friendly offering was also demonstrated through its collaboration with the Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network, a United Nations (UN) online platform for industry representatives, governments and NGOs, as well as the United Nations Office for Partnerships. "Collaboration is key to fostering transformative sectoral engagement and accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Mobilising expertise, innovation, technology and resources can only be achieved through strong partnerships," said Lucie Brigham, Chief of Office of the UN Office for Partnerships Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network. The "Green Village" offered an overview of the official labels and certificates. The stands of sustainable exhibitors were also clearly marked and the "Green Tours" led visitors with an independent consultant directly to selected exhibitors who offered an exchange on the latest developments and material research in the green segment.
The organisers and visitors were clearly relieved to finally be able to use an international stage for product presentation again after the pandemic-related break and to experience technologies and textiles live. The trio of fairs also offered the opportunity to experience large parts of the value chain bundled at the Frankfurt exhibition centre. While Techtextil covered the entire spectrum of technical textiles, functional apparel textiles and textile technologies, Texprocess showcased the latest machinery, equipment, processes and services for textile and flexible materials. By means of illustrative examples, lectures by experts from the sector and discussions on current industry topics, it was possible to gain an insight into how digital processes and automation can contribute to the development of the textile industry and to exchange views on these directly with manufacturers.
In keeping with the spirit of the times to create a holistic sustainable offer by means of current technologies and material research, many exhibitors focused on a resource-saving recycling cycle – "Sustainability is the new functionality" according to the headline of textile machine manufacturer Karl Mayer. In the coming years, the sector will be faced with the major challenge of establishing environmentally conscious processes in a holistic manner and the Heimtextil Summer Special offered an urgently needed platform for joint further development. The digital extension of Techtextil and Texprocess will also be available until 8 July 2022, where, among other things, the conference formats can be accessed. The next regular edition of Heimtextil is scheduled for 10 to 13 January 2023, the next Techtextil and Texprocess will be held from 23 to 26 April 2024.
