Mr Richard Li, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, expressed: “The Texcare Forum is an integral part of Texcare Asia, which is renowned for offering a wealth of opportunities through business networking and knowledge exchange. In the past, similar events were successfully held in Hong Kong and Macau to connect industry players and foster understanding of the two cities’ laundry markets. This year’s forum was strategically held in Singapore, a promising market landscape that benefits from rapid regional economic growth. The synergistic collaboration of both the exhibition and forum under the Texcare brand encouraged industry peers to capitalise on market opportunities and reshape the business agenda of the industry altogether.”
Supported by the Singaporean government, the forum received the presence of Mr Lim Swee Say, the Minister for Manpower, as the Guest of Honour. He shared the current industry conditions and challenges posed by the progressive shortage in manpower and an aging workforce. The event organisation was also fostered by two Singaporean organisations, the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and the TCA Textile Care Training Centre, as well as backed by the VDMA Garment and Leather Technology from Germany. Collectively, over 200 local and international industry professionals from the equipment manufacturers, laundry and dry cleaning businesses, hotel and healthcare sectors, research institutes and public agencies were in attendance.
Commenting on the event, Mr Gilbert Tan, CEO of e2i said, “In today's fast-changing business environment, innovative ideas to improve productivity are one of the key differentiators and catalysts to progress in a new manpower-lean landscape. Understanding the fact that SMEs are an integral part of our economy, e2i is committed to act as an enabler to assist progressive SMEs in re-designing jobs and tapping into technologies to transform. We are pleased that Texcare Forum Singapore is a truly international platform that connects us with the overseas experts, who are potentially our partners helping us take our businesses to the next level.”
Representing the commercial laundry business in Singapore, Mr Poh Wee Yong, Asst. General Manager, Projects & Engineering in Systematic Laundry & Uniform Services Pte Ltd shared his insights on the topic of “Reinventing Laundry Business with RFID Technology”. He was impressed by the results. “It is our pleasure to give a presentation on our views at Texcare Forum Singapore, which is so well organised. Besides delivering my speech, I can learn about what is going on around Asia by meeting participants from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and around the world. The panel discussion also encourages us to set goals of what needs to be established now.” He added: “It is essential to meet a pool of suppliers since they may have different strengths. And through this forum, leading suppliers are gathered under one roof so that we can better understand how new solutions work and explore the possibility of having different systems and equipment integrated and applied in our factories. The forum is very rewarding.”
In addition to the focus on the Singaporean market, the forum invited esteemed speakers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia to deliver the market overview of their respective countries. Mr Virgilio Sia, Chairman / CEO of Versia Corporation (the Philippines) was one of the members in the line-up. “The laundry business in my country is in an early development stage. Texcare Forum Singapore serves as a valuable chance to elaborate on our expectations, particularly from the hotel suppliers’ point-of-view, to numerous industry peers and potential partners. The event is interactive and I have had interesting conversations with many attendees who gave me feedback on my speech. As a newcomer in the industry, there is a lot for me to learn and I am glad that I have actually learnt a lot during the event,” Mr Sia remarked.
Coupled with the forum, a mingling area was set up in the neighbouring hall to offer manufacturers and sales agents an extended sales opportunity. Long-term exhibitor at Texcare Asia, Jiangsu Sea-lion Machinery Group (Corp) from China, also signed up for this event. Mr Congxun Wu, the company’s General Sales Manager expressed: “Texcare Asia is a significant communication platform, which enables us to reach our existing partners and meet new ones. Since the exhibition takes place every two years, we are delighted that the forum is held in between each edition to help us maintain and even expand our sales network in some specific regions in Asia. During the event, I have talked to several existing local clients to learn about their feedback. It means a lot to our development and through this activity we can collect their in-depth ideas in an easy and timely manner.”
After Singapore, Shanghai will once again become the focus of the international laundry and dry-cleaning industry as the next edition of Texcare Asia is set to commence at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in China. Running from 27 – 29 September 2017, the fair is expected to occupy an expansive space of 17,000 sqm, housing around 160 exhibitors from around the world.
Texcare Asia is a biennial event organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and China Light Industry Machinery Association. It is also a sister event of Texcare International. Every four years, Texcare International – the world market for modern textile care – provides an international venue for the textile-care sector in Frankfurt, Germany. The next edition of Texcare International will be held from 20 – 24 June 2020.
For further details, please visit www.textile-asia.com / www.texcare.messefrankfurt.com, or email to texcareasia@china.messefrankfurt.com
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is one of the world’s leading trade fair organisers, generating around €648 million in sales and employing 2,244 people. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 30 subsidiaries and 55 international Sales Partners, allowing it to serve its customers on location in 175 countries. Messe Frankfurt events take place at approx. 50 locations around the globe. In 2015, Messe Frankfurt organised a total of 133 trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany.
Comprising an area of 592,127 square metres, Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds are home to 10 exhibition halls. The company also operates two congress centres. The historic Festhalle, one of the most popular venues in Germany, plays host to events of all kinds. Messe Frankfurt is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent.
For more information, please visit our website at www.messefrankfurt.com.
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