The Texcare Asia and China Laundry Expo (TXCA & CLE), which took place on 25-27 September at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, enjoyed three successful days of business. A total of 25,202 visitors came to Shanghai to boost their business and grow their global network, according to a press release from joint organisers Messe Frankfurt Shanghai.

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.

TXCA & CLE is an annual event organised by the China Laundry Association and the China Light Industry Machinery Association, as well as Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) and Unifair Exhibition Service.

Texcare Asia featured 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, in addition to several US exhibitors, with brands like Alliance, AquaRecycle, DJ, Ecolab, Hoffman, Maxi, Whirlpool represented, showcasing laundry machines, water treatment techniques, detergents and components.

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 featured leading field experts to share their knowledge and experience and brands included Bundle, Datamars, Dresscode, Etexsys, EWELL, Finove, Spotag and Thermopatch.

The 2019 fringe programme aimed on giving attendees a preview of future technologies, and in-depth insight in smart and green laundry solutions. 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.

“This edition was truly a success,” said Richard Li, general manager at Messe Frankfurt Shanghai. “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..

“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.”

Feedback from exhibitors was positive. Julien Buros, director products and services, Datamars Textile ID, said: “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.”

Otto Burger, vice president of sales, Herbert Kannegiesser said: “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.”

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. 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.”