ITMA 2011 marks start of sustainable approach in organising the world’s leading textile machinery exhibition series

CEMATEX selects Barcelona for its 16th ITMA presentation and appoints Singapore-based organiser

13 September 2007, Munich – The world’s biggest and most established textile machinery exhibition in the world, ITMA, is set to make history with several firsts. Held every four years in Europe since 1951, the 100,000sqm nett exhibition attracts over 1,400 international exhibiting companies.

CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, which owns ITMA, has adopted an innovative format in the selection of the organiser and venue, starting with the 2011 edition.

According to CEMATEX, the new approach is part of a strategic long-term plan to strengthen the ITMA brand as a catalyst of innovation; and to safeguard the interests of textile machinery manufacturers around the world by effectively implementing stringent ITMA rules and regulations, as well as providing an attractive, cost effective venue.

ITMA debuts in Spain

The 16th ITMA presentation will be held in Barcelona in 2011. This will be the first time that an ITMA exhibition will be staged in a Spanish city. ITMA will be held at the new state-of-the-art Fira de Barcelona Gran Via from 23 to 30 September 2011 inclusive.

One of Europe’s most dynamic and attractive cities, Barcelona is a metropolis which is fully equipped to host congresses, conventions and exhibitions of various sizes, supported by an inventory of over 40,000 hotel rooms.

CEMATEX Secretary General Miss Maria Avery said, “ Barcelona has hosted a great number of leading international events and congresses. We are confident that its excellent infrastructure and hospitality services will be very well-equipped to handle the vast requirements of the ITMA exhibition.

“The September dates are also likely to be very popular with our exhibitors and visitors as the climate in Barcelona at that time should be perfect.”

The General Manager of Fira de Barcelona, Mr Agustín Cordón, emphasised: "ITMA's celebration in Barcelona fits perfectly with the interest of our organisation in offering answers to companies' current needs, and to provide a logistical and organisational framework to host great international events of strategic interest."

MPI as Organiser

The decision to appoint Singapore-based MP International (MPI) to organise ITMA 2011 was taken at a CEMATEX general assembly held in Maastricht, The Netherlands, in June 2007.

CEMATEX president Mr. A.E. Roberts explained, “In the past, for each exhibition, we appointed an organiser based in the ITMA host city. However, to take ITMA and ITMA ASIA forward on a long-term basis, we have taken the decision to collaborate with an experienced partner who is totally familiar with ITMA’s regulations and equally committed to achieve our objectives.”

The appointment is a milestone for MPI as it is the first Singapore-based professional exhibition organiser (PEO) to be appointed to organise the world’s biggest textile machinery show.

Mr Roberts added, “We’ve had two successful collaborations already with MPI when they organised our ITMA ASIA shows in 2001 and 2005. They are also our chosen co-organiser of the first ITMA ASIA + CITME combined show, which will be held in Shanghai in 2008.

“We have been impressed with the professionalism and dedication displayed by the MPI team and the excellent support they render. Hence, it was a logical and popular decision. We welcome MPI as our p artner for ITMA 2011.”

MPI chairman, Mr James Chia said, “We would like to thank CEMATEX for their vote of confidence. It is a great honour for us to organise ITMA in Europe. Having had the experience of handling two ITMA Asia exhibitions, and the upcoming show in China, we have gained the expertise to add value to ITMA Europe.

“Being part of an international group, MPI will tap into its extensive worldwide network and resources. It will also leverage on the group's vast experience in handling mega projects around the world, including the Olympics events in Europe.”

Ms Sylvia Phua, Chief Executive Officer of MPI and project director of ITMA 2011, enthused, “Innovation is the key to success in today’s globalised, knowledge-based economy. For many years, ITMA has been a catalyst for change and competitiveness for leading textile makers around the world.

“We will work with CEMATEX to further strengthen the ITMA brand and its relevance to the industry. Part of our plan is to integrate new initiatives that will build on ITMA’s current success and firmly entrench the exhibition as THE international business platform for the global textile industry.”

About ITMA

Considered the ‘Olympics’ of textile machinery exhibitions, ITMA has a 56-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 CEMATEX

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.

About MP International

Established in Singapore in 1987, MP International Pte Ltd is a professional exhibition and conference organiser. It received the Enterprise 50 award for two consecutive years, in 2001 and 2002. To date, it has organised and managed over 250 major national, regional and international events. It is the organiser of ITMA ASIA 2001 and 2005, and co-organiser of ITMA ASIA+CITME 2008.

Issued by CEMATEX and MP International Pte Ltd.
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Posted: September 2007

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