Intertextile Shanghai 2023 Autumn Edition
Oriental mysteries
But what is happening in China? What is happening to the second economy on the planet, the workshop of the planet, champion of all categories of exports of goods? The international media do not have words strong enough to describe the apocalyptic situation in which the Middle Kingdom finds itself. We went there on the occasion of the Intertextile show in Shanghai one of the flagship events organized by Messe Frankfurt on the Asia Pacific zone, to try to see things more clearly, and we have to admit that we returned hardly any further ahead. Above all, we visited a show which had a high quality edition, in the context of a spectacular restart after the sad Covid episode.
If there is one city that has suffered terribly, it is the magnificent and bubbling metropolis of a continental country that nothing seemed to stop in its conquest towards the firmament of world cities, until this disaster of the pandemic, and we will use this word deliberately as it is necessary to speak of disaster, when we know that a city of this size has been padlocked for weeks. From the throbbing heart of a booming country, this one has turned into a ghost town and its some thirty million inhabitants confined in the most terrible conditions. This is indeed what the unfortunate Shanghainese locked up in the country's most affected major city experienced. When President Xi liberated the population, the whole world imagined that it would take years to return to a normalized situation both socially and economically. This is also what we thought, and very objectively, we did not really imagine a return to normal in the world of international trade shows. However, and despite all these logistical and psychological obstacles, Messe Frankfurt took up the daring challenge.
As if nothing had ever happened
You had to be damn inflated to imagine that a show of the scale from Intertextile could return just as quickly to a normalized situation, as if nothing or almost nothing had happened for three long years. This was especially necessary as air connections are still far from having returned to their former levels, and obtaining visas is not yet a simple process for many countries. All this, however, did not prevent the teams Messe Frankfurt to move forward. It must be said that the fairs and exhibitions in the hands of German organizers have seen others both in the country of origin and internationally where the group is widely represented, which is also its strength and today constitutes its raison d'être. Also, when the situation improved in the country, the organizers wasted no time. In order to restart the mechanics of the Intertextile fair, a session with a national vocation was relaunched without delay when the green light from the health authorities was given, which made it possible not to break the momentum of the event which had become a must in the country and a meeting of potential dimension worldwide. This challenge has largely been met, and Intertextile has regained its place locally. This step was crucial, in our opinion. Indeed, we can never repeat enough that if a show remains a powerful machine in the hands of organizers of this stature, it is also a colossus with feet of clay, and many elements can weaken it. With Covid, they experienced the worst, the most unpredictable, the most frightening that could happen. Also, everything had to be locked down as quickly as possible, as soon as possible. This was done with this national edition which reinstalled the platform and prepared the ground for the return to an international edition in the most optimal conditions. This was done from August 16 to 18, with the presence of 1024 exhibitors, which is no small feat.
Not the slightest doubt
It must be admitted that we had some reason to doubt the success of such a return. These were quickly lifted when we were finally able to enter the gigantic exhibition center named National Exhibition & Convention Center which does not shine by its user-friendliness, nor by its logic in terms of construction and ease of movement. But no matter in the end, the main thing was that Intertextile be alive again. Better yet, the visitor numbers are more than positive in such a particular context, proof that confidence has quickly returned. But what particularly appealed to us was the quality, presentation, structure and depth of the offer which deserves our full consideration. On the other hand, it has always been accepted to say that our Chinese friends did not pay much attention to the global presentation of their new products and innovations whatever the area of intervention.
This 2023 session was an opportunity to review our judgment. Certainly our references to Chinese trade shows dedicated to consumer products now go back a long way and the previous edition was reserved only for national buyers, the borders were still hermetically closed. The surprise was therefore all the greater. We must therefore recognize that we were stunned by the absolutely remarkable performance of the overall offer proposed by the manufacturers, the vast majority Chinese for the reasons explained above in these columns. Certainly, it is true that there is real local know-how with a worldwide reputation in the field of interior textiles, but we rather imagined finding ourselves essentially facing specialists in export sourcing whom we could easily imagine that this year, in Due to the circumstances, they would reduce the scale even further in terms of investment reserved for the fittings and decoration of the stands, knowing in addition that this was not a recognized Chinese specialty to this day.
intertextile sanghai
2023 AUTUMN
Gallery
Incredible quality at the Intertextile show
It must therefore be admitted, the exhibitors of the Intertextile show gave us the opportunity to eat our hat, and it's no exaggeration to say. It is therefore a superb edition that we have attended, and this brings us once again to our questions about the veracity and reality of the Chinese economic crisis which is shaking the world. Indeed, all the companies we visited did not hide their satisfaction at being present again at an event of international scope of this level. Better still, they showed real optimism for the months and years to come, given the contacts and projects in terms of development. All this, however, has a logical explanation. Indeed, manufacturers and industrialists in the business no longer rely solely on export markets. They know that many of them have cut back in terms of purchases due to a difficult situation, due to galloping inflation which is eating away at household purchasing power, a consequence of a war in Ukraine which continues dragging on causing tension on the energy. They are therefore redeploying their strategy towards the domestic market and this is precisely where it raises even more questions about the reality of the Chinese internal crisis, especially in the interior textiles sector which are by definition reserved for interior layout of the house, its decoration, its comfort, its furniture. However, we are told that real estate is doing very badly, that new buyers can no longer meet their repayments, that access to credit continues to be reduced, etc. We are told about the near bankruptcy of Evergrande, the number one in this gigantic housing sector whose shock wave could be devastating for the entire world in the event of collapse. Faced with these new threats, each more anxiety-provoking than the last, how can we explain a show with such a high level of product quality, which are also, by necessity, not cheap?
intertextile sanghai
2023 AUTUMN
Gallery
Signed Messe Frankfurt
Beyond all the speculations about the good health of the Middle Kingdom, we must see in the great success of this 2023 edition of the Intertextile show, the touch and the know-how Messe Frankfurt which makes an impeccable copy for its great return to the Shanghai site. It must be said out loud, the organizers have accomplished a flawless event. In this turbulent context, which raised questions, they showed their true talent and their incomparable experience. This resulted first of all in a very clear segmentation of the overall offer, which allowed visitors to optimize their travel and contacts at the show. Thus, the classification by product families was established in a very rigorous manner, which also greatly contributed to the perceived quality of the show and the highlighting of the new products and innovations proposed by the exhibitors, who played the game perfectly at the level the layout of the stands and the staging of the products presented. The other essential element which allowed this edition to be successful was found on the side of animations, another specialty Messe Frankfurt, recognized worldwide for the high level of meetings of all types, at all its shows, whatever the subject. In any case, those who were interested were not disappointed. As far as we are concerned, we will remember the seminar International Intertextile Trend Forum 2023 /2024 which addressed all aspects of the profession thanks to the intervention of absolutely fascinating participants, who showed their perfect knowledge of the interior textile professions in terms of trends and especially design. Indeed, we were particularly impressed by the way Chinese designers have completely integrated all the trends from around the world and how they interpret them. The result showed that in terms of creation, they have nothing to envy anyone. As for the challenges facing the world of textiles, none have been overlooked, and especially not the subject that continues to get people talking, namely artificial intelligence which is also entering this sector. This one fascinates, frightens, and never ceases to question, as its capacities seem infinite, on the verge of overturning the profession which nevertheless remains vigilant as to the advantages and disadvantages that it will bring. In any case, the subject obviously got people talking during this high-level forum which fascinated those who were able to attend. Beyond this major event, let us specify that Messe Frankfurt had also put in place many other activities which greatly energized the show.
Multiple topics
These conferences therefore covered many topics. From trends in the field of interior design, through sustainability, new technologies, the tastes and aspirations of international and local consumers, which by the way, continue to come together. Without forgetting health and well-being, which has become an essential requirement today for all consumers. In any case, the phenomenon has not escaped Chinese manufacturers who are constantly positioning themselves in this market. This is absolutely obvious in the field of bedding and its accessories. On the other hand, we must not forget the active participation of manufacturers in the presentation of very innovative products and processes, such as the Japanese company IKASAS which offered very attractive textile applications for furniture. Finally, how can we not mention the gallery which showed visitors what it is possible to achieve artistically with the raw materials of the sector. The result was absolutely superb and the creations truly stunningly imaginative.
Here is a perfectly successful edition of the great international return of the Intertextile show in the international sphere, and the 32,000 professional visitors, coming from 96 countries and regions, all expressed their satisfaction, both for the quality and the depth of a offer that shone with its dynamism and high level of quality in a remarkable decorative environment. It is clear that the platform has been put back on track thanks to the professionalism and experience of Messe Frankfurt However, there remains a big unknown about the real state of China. Is the machine really so seriously damaged as the Western media constantly claim? It is difficult to know as it is so complicated to obtain precise information in a country which practices secrecy to a high degree. Still, the 2024 edition will be held from August 14 to 16 and a smart guy can predict the future within a year. In the meantime Messe Frankfurt will have made good progress in Asia with the installation of a Vietnamese version in Ho Chi Minh from February 28 to March 1. We'll talk about it again soon.
One last word to conclude. We took advantage of a few free days between the end of the show until our return to try to take the temperature of the supposed Chinese sluggishness in terms of consumption. We have noticed that city center stores are always full, that buyers are in a hurry and that restaurants refuse people during peak hours. The frenzy is similar to what we experienced before the pandemic. This lived experience is only personal. Everyone will think what they want.