Over 100 guests from press, business, politics and associations met at headquarters of United Nations to learn how Texpertise Network of Messe Frankfurt, Conscious Fashion Campaign and United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) plan to collaborate in furthering implementation of their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in fashion and textile industry.
The executive director of UNOP, Robert Skinner, opened the event and highlighted the importance of global engagement in the private sector and other stakeholders for achieving the sustainable development goals. Skinner stated that the international fashion and textile industry have the potential to advance the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. Together with Messe Frankfurt and the Conscious Fashion Campaign, UNOP will welcome the opportunity to reach a broad and professional audience, raise awareness of the goals and galvanise support.
“Along with digitalisation, sustainability is a topic currently exerting a significant influence on the global textile industry. Messe Frankfurt has been accompanying this development with its worldwide textile events under the umbrella of the Texpertise Network for more than ten years. Therefore, it is a logical conclusion that the sustainable development goals should be integrated in our worldwide textile events to generate acute awareness of the importance of sustainability in the textile industry,” said Detlef Braun, member of the executive board at Messe Frankfurt.
Through its global event partners, the Conscious Fashion Campaign will integrate education, advocacy and ultimately, engagement while also seeking to implement sustainable and circular event operations and logistics.
With its Texpertise Network, Messe Frankfurt supports the Sustainable Development Goals within the framework of the cooperation with the Conscious Fashion Campaign and UNOP. The goals will be presented at more than 50 textile events organised by Messe Frankfurt at venues around the world. Current planning includes interactive information stands, presentations, discussion forums, fair tours and the integration of special activities in the trade fair program.
Heimtextil, the world’s largest and most important trade fair for home and contract textiles that is expecting to attract around 3,000 exhibitors and 65,000 trade visitors from January 7-10, 2020, will be the next stop on the tour to present the Sustainable Development Goals.
The next event directly after Heimtextil will be Neonyt (January 14-16, 2020), which will once again take place during the Berlin Fashion Week. Within the framework of its international conference format Fashionsustain, Neonyt will feature, amongst others, the panel ‘SDGs X Fashion – The UN’s Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action’.
With a unique portfolio currently embracing 58 international textile trade fairs, Messe Frankfurt is the global market leader in trade fairs for the textile industry. In 2018, some 22,000 exhibitors and 520,000 visitors took part in the events around the world. The trade fair portfolio spans the entire textile industry value chain. As a central communication platform, the Texpertise Network provides information on the world-renowned trade fair brand and the first-class services offered by Messe Frankfurt.
