FRANKFURT, Germany — Texcare International will not take place in 2021 because leading suppliers have canceled their participation due to concerns about the pandemic, according to organizer Messe Frankfurt.
Earlier, Messe Frankfurt announced that its Asia-based textile-care trade fair, Texcare Asia & China Laundry Expo, was being delayed from September to Dec. 22-24 in Shanghai.
Texcare International was scheduled to take place Nov. 27-Dec. 1 in Germany. Originally scheduled to be held in 2020, the pandemic forced organizers to move the event to 2021.
Given the continuing COVID-19 crisis, Messe Frankfurt offered exhibitors of Texcare International the right to cancel their participation free of charge until Sept. 3.
Leading suppliers of laundry and drycleaning technology recently used the deadline to cancel their participation. In view of this, the Advisory Council of the textile-care fair voted to cancel the trade fair for this year because its success can no longer be guaranteed.
After rescheduling the 2020 event, Messe Frankfurt says the overall outlook became increasingly positive, and by the beginning of August, around 200 companies—including the important and big manufacturers from all parts of the textile-care sector—had registered to exhibit at Texcare International.
Factors contributing to this included the growing pace of vaccination around the world, the categorization of trade fairs as business events, and the officially approved protection and hygiene concept of Messe Frankfurt.
Nevertheless, organizers say the mood changed shortly before the cancellation deadline as leading companies decided to withdraw from the event because of uncertainties regarding the future development of the pandemic.
“Together with our partners, we worked untiringly to stage the Texcare International for the textile-care sector in the autumn,” says Kerstin Horaczek, vice president of technology shows at Messe Frankfurt. “However, a leading international trade fair with a significantly reduced spectrum on show would not do justice to participants’ expectations of the fair as the most important meeting place and innovation hub for the sector. Therefore, we have decided to accept the vote of the Advisory Council and cancel Texcare International 2021.
“We are extremely sorry about this. At the same time, we are grateful for the ongoing, high level of commitment demonstrated by the sector for their most important trade fair.”
Until the next edition, Messe Frankfurt says it can offer the textile-care sector several events where it can do business in other important economic regions of the world, including the Texcare Asia & China Laundry Expo.
Russian experts from the textile-care sector will meet at Texcare Forum Russia in Moscow on Sept. 15. On Sept. 27, Messe Frankfurt France is holding Texcare Forum Nantes.
At the Clean Show in 2022, the biggest trade fair for textile care on the American continent, also organized by Messe Frankfurt, the industry will present its latest innovations and developments in Atlanta from July 30 to Aug 2.
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