Important innovation for one of the main textile machinery trade fairs held in Asia.
As of 2008, ITMA Asia will move from Singapore to Shanghai.
A further confirmation of the importance of China in the global textile machinery sector.

CEMATEX (the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers), CTMA (China Textile Machinery Association), CCPIT-Tex (Sub Council of Textile Industry, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade) and CIEC (China Exhibition Centre Group Corporation) have announced the signing of an agreement for cooperation which will start with the organization of ITMA Asia + Citme in 2008.

ITMA Asia + Citme 2008 will be held at the International Expo Centre in Shanghai from 27th to 31st July 2008, while the subsequent edition has already been scheduled for 2010 (the event will in fact be held every two years).

The previous two editions of ITMA Asia were held in Singapore, while Citme was launched in 1988 by CTMA, and its 10th edition will take place in Beijing next October.

A keen sense of satisfaction for this agreement was also expressed by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, a Cematex member. “This is certainly an important result,” states Dr. Paolo Banfi, President of ACIMIT, “for two main reasons.”

“Firstly, the transfer from Singapore to Shanghai. This change of location for ITMA Asia allows the event to move even closer to the main buyers of textile machinery, that is, the Chinese textile manufacturers. China, in fact, is the world’s principal market for textile machines, absorbing around 25% of the global demand for textile machinery.”

“The agreement, however,” adds Dr. Banfi, “is also extremely positive from another viewpoint. In fact, this deal foresees the unification of two large trade fairs on the international scene, ITMA Asia and CITME. This rationalization of the global trade fair calendar for the textile machinery sector responds to a need felt by both individual manufacturers and the industry’s national associations. In the current economic climate, in which containing costs has become a priority for many manufacturers, a reduction in the number of trade fair events, along with a major reshuffling of these events, will certainly go a long way in reaching this objective.”

In concluding, the president of ACIMIT emphasized that the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers will continue to provide maximum support towards ensuring the success of ITMA (to be held in Munich from 13th to 20th September 2007) and ITMA Asia.

For further information contact:
Mauro Badanelli – ACIMIT Economics and Press Office
tel: +39 024693611 – fax: +39 0248008342 - e-mail: info@acimit.it
website: http://www.acimit.it