Texcare International 2024: when visions of the future become reality

Over the past four days, the leading international trade fair for textile care presented innovations for laundries, dry cleaners and textile service companies with great success: 98 per cent of trade visitors were satisfied to extremely satisfied with how they achieved their goals for the trade fair; 52 per cent expect an improved industry economy. After eight years without Texcare due to the pandemic, the desire among exhibitors to exchange ideas and present innovations was palpable. The international character of the event was reflected in the wide range of countries represented – around 15,500 visitors from 122 countries, including Germany, took advantage of Texcare, which ran from Wednesday to Saturday, to exchange ideas and information on topics relevant to the industry.

Wolfgang Marzin, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Messe Frankfurt: “After the long break, we are delighted with this successful comeback of Texcare. The leading international trade fair demonstrated the great strides in innovation that the industry has made in recent years. I was really thrilled to see so many exhibitors, especially new exhibitors and start-ups, as well as visitors from all over the world at Texcare. Above all, it was great to see so many young professionals at the stands and in the aisles.”

Industry celebrates its future potential

The industry is meeting the challenges of labour shortage and rising energy prices with a significant surge in innovation. The solutions are available, as demonstrated by the exhibitors with their machines, technologies and expertise. The leap towards robotisation was clearly visible at the stands. The circular economy was also in focus: many innovations showed how machine builders and textile manufacturers are working together to advance sustainability. Texcare provided the right impulse for companies in the textile care industry at the right time, enabling them to secure their successful market position by investing.

The partner industry associations of Texcare also draw a positive conclusion. Elgar Straub, CEO of VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, emphasises: “Expectations for Texcare International were very high after eight years without a trade fair, but they were even exceeded. I have rarely experienced such a good atmosphere at trade fairs in recent years. Furthermore, Texcare International was extremely well prepared by Messe Frankfurt, but the exhibitors also presented themselves to their global customers with exceptionally beautiful and informative stands. As expected, the topics that are driving the industry were hygiene, automation, digitalisation, logistics and AI. But my highlight of this fair was the truly excellent mood among visitors and exhibitors and the positive outlook for the future of textile care. Texcare International this year was simply a pleasure.”

Andreas Schumacher, General Manager of the German Textile Care Association, summarises: “There was a sense of a fresh start. You could feel that after eight long years, the exhibitors were eager to show their products and developments, and the visitors were excited about innovations. In particular, the topics of automation and digital solutions, as well as robotics, were the subject of much discussion, as many companies are facing a shortage of skilled workers. After the pandemic and the energy crisis, the discussions were once again characterised by a willingness to invest and a sense of optimism. Energy costs and corresponding opportunities for saving energy and other resources were also a key topic. Last but not least, companies in the industry are working to further improve their circular business models and to adapt to the upcoming regulations for the recycling of textiles.”

Comprehensive lecture programme and guided tours

The supporting programme at Texcare addressed key topics at the Texcare Forum and the guided tours. The panels, for example, focused on sustainability through innovation, business models in the circular economy and automation in small businesses. Experts from the USA, Scandinavia, France and China provided insights into the textile care markets in their respective countries. The daily guided tours, curated and conducted by industry experts, were very well received. For the first time, Texcare International offered young professionals from six vocational schools in Berlin, Hanover, Frankfurt, Cologne and Zurich the opportunity to visit stands and network with companies as part of the Young Competence Programme.