06.21.19
The record number of exhibitors at ITMA 2019 – totaling 1,717 from 45 countries – has set a new milestone.
“The global economy is still facing challenges, accentuated by trade tensions and disruption," said Fritz P. Mayer, president of the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX). "However, textile being the world’s oldest manufacturing industry has demonstrated its resilience over the years.
“This is also the spirit of our exhibitors who continually innovate and launch new technologies and solutions," he continued. "We are glad that ITMA has been providing a reputable platform for textile machinery manufacturers to market their innovations. This has enabled us to record the largest number of exhibitors in ITMA’s history.”
The exhibits are showcased over 114,500 square meters of net exhibit space, a 9% increase over the previous edition in 2015. The exhibition occupies all 9 halls of the Gran Via venue, including the space under the linkway. To allow more companies to participate, many exhibitors were allocated lesser stand space than what they had originally applied for.
“ITMA has also evolved into a more international exhibition with a rich diversity of technology offerings from both East and West," said Charles Beauduin, chairman of ITMA Services, organizer of ITMA 2019. "Almost half of the exhibitors are from non-CEMATEX countries. This augurs well for the development of ITMA into a definitive textile and garment platform for the industry.”
Of the total number of exhibitors, more than half are from CEMATEX countries.
The largest number of exhibitors are from Italy (364 exhibitors), China (276), Germany (222), India (169) and Turkey (164).
Garment making, which has been impacted by digitalization and fast fashion, is also making a bigger impact at ITMA.
“We are extremely pleased to bring garment technology back in focus at ITMA," Mayer said. "While ITMA has been traditionally strong in textile making technologies, we are glad that we are able to present garment making solutions from some of the world’s most renowned technology providers. There is an increase of 27% in the number of exhibitors as compared with ITMA 2015."