VDMA member companies are extremely satisfied with ITMA 2015 in Milan. 96 percent stated that both the quantity and the quality of visitors to their booths were good to very good. 87 percent evaluate the prospects for post exhibition business to be good to very good. These are the main results of a VDMA survey to which 53 exhibiting member companies responded. In expressing her satisfaction with the show, Regina Brückner, Chairperson VDMA Textile Machinery and CEO BRÜCKNER Trockentechnik said: “We were very pleased with ITMA 2015 in general, especially with the great number of visitors that were not only looking but were discussing real projects – some will be realised in the short term, some in the medium term”.
Winning new customers, closing deals
The acquisition of new customers was the major target of the VDMA members in Milan. 89 percent reached this goal according to the VDMA survey. Three out of four German companies (74 percent) were able to close contracts and negotiations already during the show time in Milan. This also shows the high confidence of textile mills worldwide in German Technology. Roland Hampel, member of the board of VDMA Textile Machinery and Managing Director, A. Monforts Textilmaschinen said: “What a success for ITMA 2015! The quality and the number of visitors, the commercial success for our company and the new contacts being generated during the show exceeded our expectations by far. ITMA proved again it is the leading exhibition place for textile machines.” Johann Philipp Dilo, Member of the board of VDMA Textile Machinery and Managing Director of Dilo Group added: “Numerous projects are very promising and we expect further contracts to be concluded in the short term. All in all, ITMA in Milan has been a great success. Milan confirmed again the importance of the European ITMA.”
High interest in energy and material efficiency
ITMA proved that sustainable textile production continues to be a major issue for the industry. According to the VDMA survey, energy and material efficiency were the topics to which customers showed the highest interest. Asked about energy efficiency 72 percent of the responding VDMA members said that it was a topic of high to very high interest for the customers. Material efficiency ranked number two in the list: 63 percent of the member companies evaluate it to be of high to very high interest for customers. VDMA and Blue Competence members fulfilled ITMA’s performance promise “Master the Art of Sustainable Innovation”. “We felt for the first time a real understanding and interest in energy efficiency and green technology. It seems that German machine builders again strengthened their positive image of producing sustainable machines which will help us to look forward to some very exciting years!” commented Regina Brückner.
Markets more globally distributed again
The visitor structure reflects that customers are more globally distributed again and the dependence on individual markets is decreasing. The comeback of many markets with a longstanding textile tradition is a positive sign for the years to come. “The exhibition by far exceeded our expectations. For us, especially visitors from Bangladesh, India, Mexico, Pakistan and Turkey showed high demand”, said Heinrich Trützschler, member of the board of VDMA Textile Machinery and Managing Partner of Trützschler. Arno Gärtner, CEO, KARL MAYER Textilmaschinenfabrik added: “This year’s ITMA exceeded all our expectations. We were very happy to welcome many international customers.”
VDMA activities abroad in 2016
Since local presence is essential for a meaningful dialogue between machine manufacturers and textile producers, VDMA is continuing its series of conferences in dedicated markets. Nextstop will be Vietnam. VDMA is planning a forum themed “German Technology meets Vietnamese Textiles” to take place in Hanoi (5th July) and Ho-Chi-Minh-City (7th to 8th July). Well-known VDMA member companies will present their updated technologies to Vietnamese textile producers and separately also towards textile students in HCMC. B2B Matchmaking and a gala dinner will enrich the programme. More details will be announced in the beginning of 2016. Furthermore, VDMA initiated official German pavilions at INDO Intertex in Jakarta (27th to 30th April 2016) and Techtextil North America in Atlanta (03rd to 05th May 2016). For the leading textile machinery show in Asia ITMA ASIA + CITME 2016 (21st to 25th October 2016, Shanghai), VDMA expects again a strong participation from Germany.
