The highest-ever attended Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2015 concluded in March with huge increases in both exhibitor and visitor figures as the fair took place for the first time at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (Shanghai).

More than 62,000 trade visitors (including buyers from the concurrent CHIC and Yarn Expo Spring fairs that attended Intertextile Shanghai) from 88 countries and regions came to source the latest apparel fabrics and accessories from 2,637 exhibitors from 24 countries and regions.

This compares to 40,214 and 1,469 buyers and exhibitors, respectively, at the 2014 Spring Edition. The extra space in the new fairground allowed the exhibition area to roughly double, compared with 2014, to 100,600 square meters.

This large increase in the number, as well as quality, of buyers justified the relocation to the new venue.

“Our main reason for moving to this new fairground was to allow easier access to the fair for domestic trade buyers from around the country, and the significant increase in the visitor figure confirms this was the case and that the relocation was the right decision to make,” said Senior General Manager of fair organiser Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd., Wendy Wen.

Several exhibitors reported that the large increase in buyers also translated into many more enquiries at their booths.

“We’ve met hundreds of new customers from Europe, the US, Japan and of course China,” said Yagi Ryota, assistant manager of Sunwell (Shanghai) Co Ltd from Japan. “The number of buyers coming to our booth has doubled compared to even the autumn fair last year as we’ve had 200 to 250 customers visit us each day.”

Messe Frankfurt and Milano Unica confirmed at the fair an extension to the existing agreement regarding the Milano Unica Pavilion at the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Spring and Autumn Editions.

This agreement has been in place since 2012, covering seven fairs to date, and will be extended by another two years and four editions, up to and including Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2017.

“We are pleased that our cooperation with Milano Unica will continue, and feel it is further proof that this fair is seen as the best platform to access the high-end apparel fabrics and accessories industry in Asia,” Wen said.

He added, “The extension of this agreement shows our commitment to attract more premium suppliers from around the world to the fair, as we are also doing with the Premium Wool Zone, Verve for Design and other features.”

The Autumn Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will take place Oct. 13-15.

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2015 was co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre.