New impulses for the textile care industry: Texcare 2024 supporting programme

Texcare Forum: free knowledge transfer 

The programme will be launched on Wednesday, 6 November at 12.00 noon with the opening of the fair by the organisers on the Texcare Forum stage, to which visitors and exhibitors are warmly invited. This also marks the start of Texcare’s free lecture program of the same name, covering the top themes of automation, energy and resources, the circular economy and textile hygiene. It runs over all four days of the fair and was developed in close cooperation with the German Textile Cleaning Association (DTV), VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, the European Research Association for Innovative Textile Care (EFIT), the European Textile Service Association (ETSA) and Hohenstein Laboratories.

The Forum focuses on promoting the transfer of knowledge between experts, manufacturers and users. In this context, development trends, challenges, status determination and future-oriented solutions for the industry will be examined in detail. 

The VDMA and EFIT will address the broad topic of automation in their panels, each with a view to developments in laundries and textile cleaning. The focus will be on the robotisation of laundries, digital product passports, data security and automation approaches for smaller companies.

Current trends in the field of textile hygiene in laundries will be discussed by Hohenstein Laboratories – including the comparison of reusable and disposable products in the healthcare sector, support for end customers in sorting textiles and laundry hygiene certification systems.

The ‘Energy and Resources’ panel, also hosted by the VDMA, will discuss innovative solutions in the service of sustainability. CSR reporting, energy management and CO2 neutrality are at the centre here.

The ETSA is dedicating itself to textile recycling as part of the ‘Circularity’ theme. Among other things, it will be looking at innovations in the field of textile sorting, how to overcome logistical challenges, how to use recycled fibres and how digital platforms can provide support.

In its panel, the DTV will provide information about new business models in the circular economy, from ecodesign to rental and repair services, and the European strategy for sustainable and recyclable textiles. 

Texcare Forum offers a free specialist programme. (Photo: Messe Frankfurt)

The exhibitor presentations: a focus on product innovations

In addition to invited panels, the Texcare Forum will also include a lecture format for exhibitors this year. These companies will present particularly innovative solutions or products from their portfolios to the audience in 20-minute slots. The participating companies include, among others, Ecolab, Kannegiesser, Christeyns, Electrolux, Veit and Seitz.

International market trends and developments

In their ‘International Market Updates’, also at the Texcare Forum, experts from TRSA (Association for Linen, Uniform and Facility Services Industry, USA), Sveriges Tvätteriförbund (Swedish Textile Service Association) and Texcare France will be providing well-founded insights into the textile service markets and industry initiatives in their respective countries (Galleria Level 0, A09).

In the presentation ‘The new Scandinavian Quality Control model’ (Wednesday, 6 November, 1:30 – 2:00 p.m.), the Swedish and Danish Laundry Associations will jointly address developments within the Scandinavian market and provide information about their new quality control model.

Under the title ‘American Linen, Uniform and Facility Services Market: Advocacy, Performance and Sustainability’, the TRSA lecture (Thursday, 7 November, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.) will shed light on emerging market trends within the nearly 50 billion US dollar North American industry, among other things. The changing economic, social and ecological conditions will also be discussed. The focus will be on reusable materials as a responsible alternative to disposable products, textile services as an integral part of customer sustainability, improved hygiene and the industry's environmentally friendly reputation.

The Texcare France lecture (Thursday, 7 November, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.) will thematise the status quo, current trends and developments in the French market, which is estimated to be worth €3 billion.

Guided Tours: discover innovations

For the first time, there will be Guided Tours at Texcare. On these tours, curated and led by experts, participants will be introduced to a selection of particularly exciting innovations. The focus is not only on innovations from major key players, but also on advanced solutions from smaller companies.

The tours will be conducted in English on all four days of the fair. They are free of charge for holders of a valid Texcare ticket. The tours, which last around an hour, will begin at 1 p.m. on 6 November and at 11 a.m. respectively from 7 to 9 November. The starting point is the Guided Tours stand B 03 in Galleria Level 0. Interested visitors can register to take part there and then.

Young Competence: together against the shortage of skilled workers

Another new feature is the ‘Young Competence’ programme, which has been developed in cooperation with the German Textile Cleaning Association (DTV) and vocational schools from Germany and abroad. German-based vocational schools have the opportunity to register for guided tours of Texcare on the Thursday of the fair (7 November) free of charge. Together with their young talent, the schools will visit selected exhibitors at their stands. There, the budding young professionals will have the opportunity to make contacts in the industry and gain exciting insights into the latest technologies and the diverse career options in the textile service industry.

Interested vocational schools can register to participate via the Texcare website.

Industry association events

In addition, leading industry associations use the international platform of Texcare to present themselves with their own special events. Among others, CINET (Comité International De L`Entretien du Textile) invites visitors to its PTC World Congress on 8 and 9 November and presents the internationally renowned Global Best Practices Awards on the afternoon of the last day of the fair (9 November).

Texcare Happy Hour: networking in a relaxed atmosphere

Besides product innovations and knowledge transfer, Texcare International also focuses on the exchange of ideas within the industry. The organisers therefore invite all participants to a daily happy hour (except on the Saturday of the fair). This will take place in Galleria 0, next to Hall 8, from 5.30 p.m. onwards. In a relaxed atmosphere, new contacts can be established, existing ones can be cultivated or a toast to a successful day at the fair can be made.

Further information about the leading international trade fair for textile care can be found at: www.texcare.com.

In addition to Texcare International, Messe Frankfurt holds trade fairs and conferences for the textile-care sector in all major economic regions of the world. www.texcare.com/brand