In one of our latest posts, we said that taking part in ITMA changed our company. In fact, during that fair in 1995, we discovered export was the key to success. Textape has been through many transformations, and compared to 28 years ago, things are now very different. What did not change, though, is our loyalty to ITMA. In fact, we have taken part in the show a few times. And this year we’re going to exhibit our products at the fair again.
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What is ITMA
In a nutshell, ITMA is the largest textile event in the world. And the one with the longest tradition. The show, in fact, was born in 1951 and has been held regularly since then. People call it the Olympic of the textile, partly because it takes place once every four years in a different city.
Within ITMA, all aspects of the textile industry are covered, from the latest technologies to be used in production processes, to machinery, to new materials. Who is the fair aimed at? This is a generalist event, so both manufacturers and designers are welcome.
Where and when will ITMA 2023 be held?
ITMA 2023 will be held from the 8th to the 14th of June 2023 and will be hosted in Milan, Italy. Specifically, the event will take place in Fiera Milano Rho, a futuristic exhibition center that people can easily reach by subway or car.
The trade show is divided into 20 sections and will cover 12 halls of Rho Fiera on the ground floor. Below, we’ll briefly tell you what you’ll find in each one:
- Hall 1, hall 3, and part of hall 2: spinning, winding, fibers, yarns & fabrics, research & innovation, Start-Up Valley;
- Part of hall 2 and hall 4: knitting and testing;
- Hall 5 and hall 7: printing & inks, colorants & chemicals;
- Hall 6 and hall 10: weaving, nonwovens, braiding;
- Part of hall 9: garment, embroidery;
- Hall 11, hall 14, hall 18, and part of hall 9: finishing.
If you’d like further information, please look at this map.
Why Milan
The last time ITMA was hosted by Milan was 8 years ago, in 2015. The fact that after a single edition in another country, the event is coming back to Italy makes us proud. The decision to host ITMA 2023 in Milan was taken during a CEMATEX General Assembly that was held right after the closure of the 2015 edition.
Why did they choose to do so? Many factors come into play. For starters, CEMATEX based its decision on visitors and exhibitors feedback. Both categories, in fact, rated the 2015 edition as one of the best ever. And both were keen to attend again in case the new edition was held in Lombardy’s capital city.
Moreover, CEMATEX wanted to pay tribute to the Italian textile machinery industry. Asking yourself why? Easy: in Italy, the companies that make part of this business are 300, and the turnover is 3 billion euros per year. In addition, Italian textile machinery companies are among the top exporters in the world.
ITMA 2023 topics
Digital transformation and circularity have been trending topics in every field for quite a while. Of course, the textile industry could not disregard this agenda. ITMA 2023 decided to organize the whole thing by macro areas. Specifically, the fair focuses upon:
- New Materials
- Automation (in other words, robotics and artificial intelligence)
- Technologies that can bring a real innovation
- Sustainability. And circularity, of course.
ITMA 2023 numbers
ITMA is the best place to meet new business partners. If you need ideas for your company, consider that the fair will host more than 1,570 firms showcasing their latest creations. Furthermore, all the world will be there: those exhibitors, in fact, come from 42 different countries. We’re glad we could make it to the show, considering the fact that in December 2022, 100 enterprises were on the waiting list because the stalls for exhibitors were almost sold out.
What about visitors? Generally speaking, the trade shows gather around 150 000 visitors per edition, and we expect no less to come to the show this year.
Another reason to visit ITMA is that the exhibition area has expanded. In 2019, the squared meters reserved for the firms presenting their products were 114,550. ITMA 2023 exhibitor space, instead, will be around 200,000 meters. But there’s more. Because companies booked larger boots. This means more and more innovations will be presented this year.
Who runs ITMA
ITMA and ITMA Asia are owned by CEMATEX, a European committee that groups together associations from different countries. In particular, it gathers together associations from:
- Belgium,
- France,
- Germany,
- Italy,
- Netherlands,
- Spain,
- Sweden,
- Switzerland,
- and the United Kingdom.
Which kind of associations? They are all linked to the machinery building field.
What to expect from IMTA 2023
As always, we are thrilled to attend this trade show. First, this will have the opportunity to present our products to companies that are not yet within our network. But, more importantly, we will be able to keep up to date with the latest developments in the textile machinery industry. Hope to see you there!
