Texcare Asia and China Laundry Expo (TXCA & CLE) closed its doors at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre after three successful days of business. In addition to the latest exhibitor feedback, visitor numbers prove that this was a logical next step in creating an improved platform with added value for the laundry and textile care industry. 25,202 visitors from all over the world came to Shanghai to boost their business and grow their global network. The attendance of 311 international brands from 21 countries and regions, with a strong presence of exhibitors from Germany and the US, highlighted the international character of the fair. To reflect the trends of the ever-evolving industry landscape, this edition put a strong emphasis on technology and sustainability, specifically underlining the importance of RFID.

With 25,202 people finding their way to Shanghai, the 2019 edition of TXCA & CLE is one for the books. The organisers noted significantly more visitors than expected. Mr Richard Li, General Manager at Messe Frankfurt Shanghai Co Ltd, adds: “This edition was truly a success. With more attention for sustainability and technology, RFID in particular, we were able to provide a product range that reflected what is currently going on in the laundry and textile care industry. The fact that a number of international companies joined us on the fairground, proves that with the merger of the shows, we are able to create added value for both domestic and overseas brands. Together with our exhibitors, we were delighted to see so many industry professionals gather in Shanghai. Visitor numbers were a lot higher than expected, and I think everybody will conclude that our show has positioned itself as a valuable asset in the market.”

Ms Xiuping Han, General Manager of Unifair Exhibition Service Co Ltd, also comments: “The textile care industry is developing towards standardisation, scale, automation and intelligence. As Asia's one-stop sourcing platform for washing technology and equipment, TXCA & CLE gathers industry experts and leading companies to promote the all-round information exchange and communication between stakeholders in the industry. The exhibition space, as well as the number and quality of both exhibitors and visitors couldn’t be better after the merger. The show has become a great place for business and has definitely played an important role in the future development of the industry.”

Strong representation of international brands

The 2019 edition was happy to see a total of 311 domestic and international exhibitors filling up its booths, which clearly reflected the international character of the show. TXCA & CLE proudly presented a selection of seven key German industry brands to the audience, including BÖWE, Kreussler, Herbert Kannegiesser, Maxi-Press, Miele, Seitz and Veit, who presented their latest technologies and innovations. Next to that, a noteworthy amount of US exhibitors attended the show, with brands like Alliance, AquaRecycle, DJ, Ecolab, Hoffman, Maxi, Whirlpool and more showcasing laundry machines, water treatment techniques, detergents and components.

Focus on RFID

The development of the IoT and the advancement in production automation is resulting in an increased use of RFID in the laundry industry, and the Chinese market is following this trend. TXCA & CLE gathered a number of field experts to share their knowledge and experience. Attending brands included Bundle, Datamars, Dresscode, Etexsys, EWELL, Finove, Spotag and Thermopatch. They provided visitors with necessary insights and relevant information on the latest technological innovations in their specific areas.

Fringe programme highlights

The 2019 fringe programme aimed on giving attendees a preview of future technologies, and in-depth insight in smart and green laundry solutions. Visitors attending the different events confirmed unanimously that the selected topics were once again on point, and additionally provided them with a good opportunity to connect with industry peers and broaden their network. Highlights were the 2019 World Laundry Industry Summit Forum, the Laundry and Dyeing Industry Professional Skills Competition, the Seminar on New Mode and Market Prospect of Leather Care and the Hotel Green Laundry Summit Forum.

The strong support from both local and overseas laundry associations lifted the quality of the buyers at the show to the next level. Next to a significant number of professionals from mainland China, the fair also welcomed delegations from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Singapore, Korea, etc. TXCA & CLE aims to keep building on this success and cordially invites all visitors and exhibitors to join the 2020 edition, which will take place in August 2020.

EXHIBITOR FEEDBACK

Mr Julien Buros, Director Products and Services, Datamars Textile ID, DATAMARS SA

“Our company provides solutions for traceability, based on RFID. We attend TXCA & CLE because China is an important market to us. The increase in demand for RFID here is definitely picking up, so this show provides us with an excellent opportunity to tap into this potential. The textile care industry in China is changing. Europe and the US already had a market for renting textile and today, the Chinese market is also moving towards this model. In that context, RFID is very important. Our target customers are the laundry owners and managers, and although it's only the first day, we’ve already welcomed lots of people to our booth. Not only from China, but also from Singapore and Malaysia. This edition is set to be a success.”

Mr Martin Rauch, Chief Sales Officer, Member of the Executive Management Team, Jensen

“We use TXCA & CLE as an opportunity to work on our branding and do a lot of networking. We were able to meet Chinese customers, but also people from West-Asia and a lot of suppliers and manufacturers. This show has reached a similar level as the fairs in Europe and the US. TXCA & CLE is probably the only trade fair where we actually get to place orders and close contracts, but that is not our main reason for being here. We want to show people what we’re doing and allow them to discover our new products. The main focus is on networking and presenting the company. The Chinese market is doing a generation jump from very simple machinery a couple of years ago, to fully automated processes, water reduction and labour savings. All the things that we implemented in Europe, we’re now seeing here as well. And there seems to be a lot of money out there from investors that are looking for opportunities.”

Mr Otto Burger, Vice President of Sales, Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH

“Kannegiesser was one of the initiators of Texcare Asia many years ago. After the merger, TXCA & CLE is a very good platform to network and we’ve welcomed a lot of people to our booth this week. Kannegiesser has been in China for 15 years with its laundry division, and with the textile care division even longer. The market here is huge and it’s developing at a fast pace. Four years ago, customers were mainly focused on investment and price. But this mindset is changing. A lot of companies are prepared to invest more to be able to lower their operation cost, for example. There is a lot more focus on sustainability, which is also being pushed by the government. It’s a must and a very good signal, because it can help develop the laundry business.” 

Mr Hong Chen, Chairman, Jiangsu Sea-lion Machinery Co Ltd

“We brought our new series of dual channel spreader and folding machine, together with our revolutionary new technology of micro-particle laundry, in cooperation with UK company Xeros, to the fair. All of these are energy-saving and environmentally friendly, which is a trend in the industry. The requirements for saving energy, green initiatives, environmental protection, intelligence and high efficiency will become stricter, to meet the needs of domestic and foreign customers for high-end equipment. We found the visitor profile of this fair very diverse. We have already closed a deal with the representatives from South Korea and Singapore. This is absolutely an encouragement and support for us.”

Mr Guanhua Liu, General Manager/ Director of Sales – China, Alliance Laundry Equipment (Guangzhou) Ltd

“The quality of the professional visitors of this fair is very high. It doesn’t only attract a local audience, but also professionals from Asia, Southeast Asia and more. This time we brought the latest washer and dryer with touch screen control (dryer at the top, washer at the bottom), which was popular among the audience when it first appeared in the US market in July. We believe its debut in Asia Pacific will also create excitement and an impact on the market. The refined washing equipment products we brought to the fair use environmental protection technology, which allows us to use wet wash instead of dry cleaning, so as to be in line with government environmental protection policies. We were able to meet with professional visitors from laundry factories and laundry rooms. We will come back again next year to showcase our professional and environmentally friendly equipment.”

Mr Liyi Lv, President, Shanghai Weishi Machinery Co Ltd

“The first edition of Texcare Asia and China Laundry Expo is definitely the most popular exhibition, with a very wide product range, in the industry. The product offer totally reflects the local market demand. In the laundry industry, the finishing equipment technology is still full of opportunities. We hope to use this platform to facilitate industry communication so as to improve the standard. We have also contacted many practitioners from medical institutions and hotels. Visitors are interested in automation equipment, and with strong purchasing power. This also implies that the future of China's laundry industry will be focusing on automation and intelligent developments.”

VISITOR FEEDBACK

Mr Fuzeng Pan, President, Beijing Laundry Industry Association

“The economy is not growing as strong as before, and the operational costs are increasing. That is why we came to TXCA & CLE: to get first-hand industry information and to stay on top of the current trends. This is the first edition after the merger and we are all very excited. We organised about 20 buyer delegations to the fair. We mainly focus on automation to reduce costs, which is becoming increasingly important in a market that shifts towards environmentally friendly processes and saving energy. We were able to talk to a truly international selection of industry elites.”

Mr Weimo Wang, Chairman of Laundry Business Association of Taiwan

“We organised about 30 buyer delegations to the fair this year. I am very impressed by the fact that the show gathered so much well-known brands. The product quality of the laundry equipment in China has drastic increased. Although the economy has not been strong as before during the past two years, seeing this pushes us to do better and to stay innovative. I am very optimistic about the future of the industry! Besides laundry equipment, we also had a look at the detergents and leather care products in hall N3. The worldwide focus on environmental aspects is increasing and government policies are gradually changing as well. As a result, the demand for green detergent is going up. I am happy to see that the fair expanded its product range to stay in line with these latest industry trends”.

Mr T P Chan, Chief Executive Officer, Laundry Network Pte Ltd, Singapore

“I visit TXCA & CLE to understand the demands and expectations of the market, to look for solutions and to share my findings with my partners in the laundry industry in Asia Pacific. The Chinese market is developing quickly. In the past, companies were mainly focussed on equipment and facilities. Today, they are leaning more and more towards artificial intelligence, technology and ways to optimise labour efficiency and save energy. Our company has been focussing on technology for a while, and the challenge is to convince people that it is worth the investment. I’ve been attending the show every year since 1998, and it’s amazing to see how much it has grown, and how so many industry professionals are gathering here. I look forward to seeing them all again next year! Well done!”