ITMA seals partnership with IWTO to enhance fibre and yarn showcase 

New chapter receives positive response ahead of 2011 show

8 February 2011, Paris – The organiser of ITMA 2011 and 2015, MP International, signed a working agreement with International Wool Textile Association (IWTO) today. The agreement was inked at the IWTO industry briefing in Paris, France.

Owned by CEMATEX, ITMA is the world’s largest textile and garment technology showcase held since 1951. Set up in 1930, IWTO is the international body representing the interests of the world’s wool textile trade and industry.

The agreement signifies the start of a new partnership that is in line with the introduction of the new fibre and yarn chapter at ITMA 2011. Covered in this new chapter are natural, man-made and technical fibres, and natural, synthetic and technical yarns. This extension represents a logical step forward as visitors to the exhibition are also potential buyers of such raw materials.

Ms Sylvia Phua, Project Director of ITMA and Chief Executive Officer of MP International, enthused, “Our main aim is to help textile and garment manufacturers be more efficient in their sourcing. Hence, we have added raw materials in the exhibit profile.

“Wool is one of the world's premier textile fibres, and world consumption in 2010/11 is forecast to reach 1.08 million tonnes, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. Through this new partnership with IWTO, we are confident of delivering an unrivalled sourcing experience for buyers looking for natural fibres at ITMA.”

Mr Peter Ackroyd, Vice President of IWTO said, “We believe there are outstanding synergies between IWTO and ITMA as we share many objectives. Our industry constantly strives to produce natural, renewable and environmentally-friendly products while ITMA remains the world’s most established textile technology show in these challenging times. As such, one of the collaboration opportunities being explored is a natural fibre pavilion, including a prominent wool section, at ITMA for our members to showcase their innovative products.”
 
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Mrs Evelyne Cholet, Secretary General of Union des Constructeurs de Matériel Textile de France (UCMTF), one of the nine CEMATEX national associations. Mrs Cholet said, “In a globalised world, innovation and partnership are vital for any organisation to remain relevant. We are delighted that ITMA has the support of IWTO and we will work towards a partnership that benefits all our stakeholders.”

New chapter gets industry support
The new fibre and yarn chapter was launched fourth quarter of last year. Besides IWTO, US-based Synthetic Yarn and Fiber Association (SYFA) is also in full support of this sector.

Kim Pettit, Managing Director of SYFA said, “We are delighted to join many major organisations to support ITMA as it integrates fibre and yarn into its product index. We believe this will make the exhibition an even more relevant industry sourcing platform. At the same time, with its strong emphasis on research, development and education, ITMA will be THE leading-edge showcase of innovations to the textile and garment world.”

Other organisations in the fibre and yarn sector supporting ITMA are the Alexandria Cotton Exporters Association, Hong Kong Woollen & Synthetic Knitting Manufacturers Association, Peruvian Cotton Institute, Taiwan Wool Textile Industrial Association, The Hosiery Association (THA) and several cotton boards in Africa and other parts of the world.

A number of top industry players have also applied to exhibit at ITMA 2011. Among them are Hermann Bühler, Lenzing and Texplan S.A.

"One of the most important goals in our business is to continue to innovate our products so as to provide products of the highest quality. ITMA, being a global showcase of the latest innovations, will be a superb platform for us to meet key buyers who are attracted to quality and novel products like ours,” said Ms Franz Renata, Business Development Manager of Hermann Bühler AG.
 
To-date, more than 1,100 applications from leading machinery manufacturers from 41 economies have been received for ITMA 2011. The exhibition will be held from 22 to 29 September at Fira de Barcelona Gran Vía, Spain. To apply for space or order your badge online, please visit www.itma.com.

About CEMATEX & ITMA
The European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX) comprises national textile machinery associations from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It is the owner of ITMA and ITMA ASIA. Considered the ‘Olympics’ of textile machinery exhibitions, ITMA has a 60-year history of displaying the latest in machinery and software for every single work process of textile making. It is held every four years in Europe.

About IWTO
The International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) is the international body representing the interests of the world's wool-textile trade and industry. Its membership covers the woolgrowers, traders, primary processors, spinners and weavers of wool and allied fibres in its member-countries, as well as all kinds of organisations related to wool products and the wool business in general. It provides for them a forum for discussion of problems of joint concern and acts as their spokesman with all those bodies and authorities towards whom a common approach is deemed necessary.

About MP International
Established in Singapore in 1987, MP International Pte Ltd is a professional exhibition and conference organiser. To date, it has organised and managed over 300 major national, regional and international events, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2009 Leaders’ Week. It is the organiser of ITMA ASIA 2001 and 2005, and co-organiser of the ITMA ASIA+CITME shows 2008, 2010 and 2012. A member of the Pico group, MP International is headquartered in Singapore with a global footprint across Asia and Europe. MP’s success with various partners is a testimony of its ability to identify opportunities and maximise the rewards for win-win partnerships.

Issued by CEMATEX, International Wool Textile Organisation and MP International.

Miss Maria Avery                        CEMATEX                                     
Tel: +44 7967 477305                      
Email: info@cematex.com              
www.cematex.com                           

Henrik Kuffner
International Wool Textile Organisation
Tel: +32 2 505 40 10
Email: media@iwto.org
www.iwto.org

Ms Daphne Poon
MP International Pte Ltd
Tel: +65 6393 0238
Email: daphnepoon@mpinetwork.com
www.mpinetwork.com

Posted: February 2011

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