In the midst of the current coronavirus crisis, the next edition of Heimtextil from 12-15 January 2021 in Frankfurt am Main is proving very popular: more than 95 per cent of the space occupied last time has now been booked.* Heimtextil thus offers international representatives from the sector a superb setting in which to launch a successful season at the world leading trade fair for home and contract textiles in 2021.
‘Even though predictions are difficult to make at present, we expect to be able to offer international players in the industry a first-rate, positive environment for their businesses in January 2021’, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt. ‘The fact that more than 95 per cent of the space as compared to the last Heimtextil is now booked makes us feel very optimistic. We of course hope that the number of companies that end up in difficulty because of the crisis will be very low. However, at this early point in time, the very good number of registrations and the concentration of industry participants at the trade fair gives us incredible momentum. As far as the pandemic is concerned, we are convinced that people will still want to meet in person to exchange their products – and perhaps more so than ever after this crisis year – and that personal contacts are the best prerequisite for good, long-term business. Virtual offers can of course complement global communication. But personal meetings and the experience of touch, especially in the field of textiles, will remain essential’.
Internationally leading platforms for wall and textile design
The world’s biggest range of wallpaper and wall coverings awaits visitors in hall 3.1. International highlights already registered to attend include Grandeco Wallfashion Group (Belgium), Graham & Brown (UK), Komar and Tapetenfabrik Gebr. Rasch (both Germany) as well as Limonta and Zambaiti Parati (both Italy). Hall 3.0 also offers a leading global platform: around 200 international textile designers are currently registered to present their new designs here. Manufacturers of digital printers (including Mimaki/Netherlands and MS Printing Solutions/Italy) and textile processing companies (including Wybenga Machines/Netherlands and ZSK Stickmaschinen/Germany) will present their wares in direct vicinity under the ‘Textile Technologies’ banner.
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*For comparison Heimtextil 2020: 231,500 gross square metres | 2,918 exhibitors from 64 countries
Furnishing and upholstery fabrics still in high demand
Nowhere else is the selection of furnishing and upholstery fabrics, leather and imitation leather as broad as it is in the ‘Decorative & Furniture Fabrics’ segment at Heimtextil. Top international producers, such as Tessutica/Beaulieu International Group (Belgium), Manifattura Tessile Di Nole (Italy), Dina Vanelli (Turkey) and Fancisco Jover (Spain), are represented in halls 4.0 and 4.1. In hall 4.2, Leder Fiedler (Germany) is one of the highlights, as is Trevira (Germany), with an international joint presentation. Here, Heimtextil will also present furnishing solutions and specialist offers specifically aimed at the contract furnishing segment and also offers the target group of interior designers, architects and hospitality experts a business and networking forum.
Everything for interior designers and international furnishers
Interior decorators and international furnishing retailers will find curtains, decorative fabrics, carpets, interior sun protection and decorative systems in hall 8.0. New product ranges will be presented here, including furnishing fabric collections by textiles editeurs, such as those by Baumann Dekor (Austria), Eustergerling Textile Group (Germany), N.V. Wind (Belgium), S.I.M.T.A. (Italy), Style Library (with the brand Clarke & Clarke) and The Ashley Wilde Group (both UK). Numerous other major players in the industry from Germany are also represented in addition to the DecoTeam, such as Gustav Gerster, W. Schmidt, Albani Group and Hohmann. Requests for larger order volumes will also be met in hall 8.0, including from international manufacturers such as Royal Vriesco (Netherlands), Tanriverdi Mensucat (Turkey) and Rovitex (Hungary).
In hall 9.0, the area ‘Beautiful Living’ awaits with strong brands and private labels from both the international and national context. The segment ‘Beautiful Living’ comprises trendy lifestyle products such as decorative cushions, blankets and bedspreads, table and kitchen linen, coated table coverings, doormats and other home accessories. New home collections will be presented by a number of companies, including A. Ferreira & Filhos and Narciso Pereira Mendes Herd (both Portugal), Eskitex (Switzerland), Laupheimer Kokosweberei, Magma Heimtex Erich Hargesheimer and Stuco Taschentücher Stuchlik (all Germany), Lombarda Trapunte and Marzotto Lab (both Italy), Natures Collection (Denmark), Öncü Grup (Turkey) and STOF (France).
Sleeping redefined
Innovative new textile products for the bedroom can be experienced in hall 11.0. Exciting start-ups and numerous international top players will offer products for improved sleep. This means that Heimtextil will also be a global leader in the bed-related product segment. Those exhibiting here include Badenia Bettcomfort, Billerbeck Betten-Union, f.a.n. Frankenstolz Schlafkomfort H. Neumeyer, Heinrich Häussling and Traumina (all Germany), John Cotton Group (UK), Lenzing (Austria), MITSA Manufactures Industrials (Spain), Pyrenex (France) and Standard Fiber (USA).
Fashion and Home will bring together international top producers, including several fashion licensees, in hall 12.0. Those present will include Bedding House, Corn. Van Dijk and Essenza Home (all Netherlands), Christian Fischbacher and Schlossberg (Switzerland), Sarar (Turkey), Sorema (Portugal) and The Lexington Company (Sweden). From Germany, those registered to attend so far include Adam Matheis, Bierbaum Wohnen, Irisette, Kleine Wolke Textilgesellschaft and Wilhelm Wülfing.
Level 12.1 will function as a platform for the private label business and thus the point of contact for large-volume buyers and industry representatives. Among those represented are Doksan Denizli Dokuma and Kemal Ugurlu Tekstil (both Turkey), Lameirinho and Miguel Antunes Fernandes Unipessoal (both Portugal) as well as Microcotton (USA) and Nile Linen Group (Egypt).
Large offer from Asian producers
In hall 6.1, high-end home textiles producers from Asia with export experience will be exhibiting at the trade fair. Furniture and decorative fabrics are offered here in addition to curtains, sun protection and carpets. Akara, D Decor and G. M. Syntex from India are among those attending. Other textile companies from Asia will be presenting their wares either individually or in country pavilions on hall levels 6.0 and 6.2.
In the home textiles segment, visitors to hall 10 can expect a wide variety of products from Asian manufacturers for bathrooms, beds and tables. In hall 10.1, Fashion Knit Industries (Pakistan) and Gupta International (India) are among the highlights.
Hall 10.2 is home to selected producers with high-quality collections, such as Yunus Textile Mills, Gul Ahmed Textile Mills (both Pakistan) and ACS Textiles (Bangladesh). In addition, Hall 10 will also feature a range of country pavilions with exclusive product presentations.
New programme structure: Show | Trend | Conference
Exhibitors and visitors to Heimtextil can expect to see a change to the programme structure: in order to organise the numerous events that are aimed at various target groups in a clearer and more concise way and offer good orientation, those responsible for the trade fair will focus on three areas in future: ‘Show’, ‘Trend’ and ‘Conference’ will now be the three main elements of the trade fair, providing Heimtextil participants with comprehensive information and inspiration.
‘Show’ comprises presentations by international exhibitors at their stands in halls 3 to 12, i.e. the trade fair in the true sense of the word. Visitors will be acquainted with the highlights of the trade fair through guided tours. For example, renowned architects and furnishing experts will guide visitors in a targeted way to innovative and trendsetting companies, enabling them to experience exciting product solutions.
As a trend barometer and the first port of call when it comes to design, trend and market forecasts, Heimtextil offers a globally unique presentation and first-rate opportunities for inspiration with the ‘Trend’ element. More in-depth and comprehensive than any other event in the world, the ‘Trend Space’ in hall 3.0 showcases the colours, materials and designs for the upcoming season – curated and staged by Anja Bisgaard Gaede and her team from SPOTT Trends & Business.
The third component ‘Conference’ brings together all the presentations, discussion panels and workshops that are offered at Heimtextil in five different areas for various visitor target groups. Workshops and presentations by furnishing experts can be attended in the DecoTeam (hall 8.0). In addition, Heimtextil offers expert contributions to the themes ‘Textile Technologies’ (hall 3.0), ‘Design Dialog’ (hall 4.2), ‘Sleep’ (hall 11.0, foyer) and ‘Green’ (hall 11.0, foyer).
For more than ten years, Heimtextil has dedicated itself to the theme of sustainability and this will continue in 2021, with the ‘Green Tours’, ‘Green Village’ and the ‘Green Directory’ supplying information about sustainability issues.
Another highlight is the programme for the ‘Interior.Architecture.Hospitality’ theme comprising lectures and a curated product selection in the library in hall 4.2. All in all, architects, interior designers and hospitality experts will find the largest selection of contract textiles in the world at Heimtextil.
