by Flora Zhao

With five months still to go， the worlds most influential apparel fabrics and accessories trade event， Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition 2016， is already on track to set new records for the exhibitor number and scale. Over 5，000 exhibitors （2015： 4，642） from more than 25 countries and regions are expected to exhibit in 10 halls totalling 260，000 sqm. （2015： 228，000） at the National Exhibition and Convention Center （Shanghai） from 11–13 October. Product categories include cotton， denim， functional， knitted， linen， man-made， printed， ramie， silk， sustainable and wool fabrics， as well as accessories， embroidery and lace， fibers and yarns plus design and testing services.

“With 20-plus years development， Intertextile Shanghai is now the most comprehensive and leading event in the global apparel fabrics and accessories industry，” Ms. Wendy Wen， Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt （HK） Ltd.， outlined. “With over 66，000 buyers from nearly 100 countries and regions attending last year， the fairs scale and internationalism provides opportunities for exhibitors that are unrivalled in the industry.”2015 exhibitor Unifi Textiles （Suzhou） Co.， Ltd. testified to the effectiveness of the fair， with its Vice President of Sales & Marketing Mr. Hongjun Ning saying： “Intertextile is a very international fair， and we do meet lots of overseas customers here such as big fashion brands from Europe， as well as sports and outdoor brands from North America， and fabric mills from China and elsewhere in Asia.”

Distinctive areas provide specific sourcing focuses at worlds largest apparel fabrics fair

In recent editions of Intertextile Shanghai， the fair organizers have received strong appreciation for creating distinctive pavilions and product zones. “Many exhibitors and buyers reported to us that their experience was more successful because it was easier for them to identify their target buyers or products due to the product zones and pavilions，” Ms. Wen explained.

Last year， French exhibitor Dormeuil saw the advantages brought by the fairs strategic zoning. Its General Manager Mr. Jean Denerolle shared： “Our booth is located in Premium Wool Zone， and I think it is a great idea that the organizer set up product zones as well as different countries pavilions. The fair is huge and this arrangement will definitely save visitors sourcing time and attract them to stop by our booth.” Mr. Dustin Rhodes from the US company Pro Look Sports sourced at the fair last October， and he also found the product zones very helpful. Mr. Rhodes said： “My trip becomes much easier and more efficient because the products are divided into different product zones and pavilions. This is exactly what I needed， and this layout makes me stop at each booth in that area since all my target suppliers are grouped together.”

Following on from the success of previous fairs， numerous country and region pavilions， group pavilions and product zones are confirmed to feature again in this Autumn Edition， all designed to help exhibitors meet their target buyers：

·SalonEurope： the stage for the France， Germany， Portugal and Turkey pavilions， the Milano Unica Pavilion from Italy， as well as individual exhibitors to showcase their high-end， Europeanmade products

·Asian country and region pavilions： a diverse range of cutting-edge products will be presented in the India， Indonesia， Japan， Korea， Taiwan and Thailand pavilions

·Group pavilions： DuPont， GNC， Hyosung， INVISTA， Korea Chemical Fibers Association （KCFA）， Korea Textile Trade Association （KTTA）， Lenzing and OEKO-Tex pavilions will host leading mills from around the globe to showcase the latest innovative fabrics and services

·Product zones： Accessories Hall， All About Sustainability， Beyond Denim， Functional Lab， Premium Wool Zone and Verve for Design are designed with specific focuses to fulfill different sourcing needs

In addition to the overseas exhibitors arrangement， Chinese exhibitors will be allocated into product end-use categories. These include ladieswear， casual wear， shirting， suiting， lingerie and swimwear， as well as functional and sportswear.

Extensive fringe programme enriches participantsexperiences

Intertextile Shanghai is not only an ideal marketplace for global industry players to enhance their business prospects， but is also a comprehensive learning platform for them to expand their knowledge and perspectives. The everpopular fringe programme events including the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum （Autumn / Winter 2017-18）， Fabrics China Trend Forum， China International Fabrics Design & Fabrics Creations Competition， Innotex-Space （a display zone for innovative textile applications and technologies） and a number of seminars， panel discussions and product presentations will all be held throughout the three-day fair.

In addition to the Autumn Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics， three other textile events， Yarn Expo Autumn， PH Value and CHIC， will also be held concurrently.

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics–Autumn Edition 2016 is coorganized by Messe Frankfurt （HK） Ltd.； the Sub-Council of Textile Industry， CCPIT； and the China Textile Information Center.