Techtextil leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens with around four months still to go before welcoming its visitors, the exhibition space booked is already 10% greater than the total space occupied in 2013. The large number of registrations is primarily the result of their strategic development concept. In addition to international market leaders, numerous returnees and new exhibitors have signed up for Techtextil 2015.

According to Messe Frankfurt, organizer of this trade fair, exhibitors and visitors can look forward to the biggest Techtextil ever in May this year. As, the world market for technical textiles and nonwovens is growing continuously.

With its focus on functional apparel textiles, the new Hall 6.1 is already very well booked. Many exhibitors, several of them new customers, have welcomed the addition of a fourth day for the fair.

To be occupied by Techtextil for the first time this year, Hall 6.1 is already showing signs of being a magnet for visitors. It will not only house themed special shows and pavilions, such as the Portuguese pavilion. It is also the setting for manufacturers from all over the world who want to present their latest developments in the fields of functional apparel textiles and smart textiles, said Michael Jänecke, Director Brand Management Technical Textiles & Textile Processing.

In Hall 6.1, exhibitors and visitors will also find the Innovation made in Germany area of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, with numerous young and innovative companies based in Germany.

This will be for the first time that Nike IHM will be taking part in the trade fair. Registrations for Hall 6.1 have also been received from the following companies: Huntsman Advanced Material, Klopman International, Outlast Europe, Schoeller Textil and Toray GmbH.

The Techtextil programme of events has been expanded and optimized for 2015. The new heart of Techtextil and the concurrent Texprocess is the Innovative Apparel Show, where four universities and fashion schools will present their innovative designs on all four days of the fair.

After a live walk, they will explain the processes and materials used. This will also illuminate synergies to Texprocess, Leading International Trade Fair for Processing Textile and Flexible Materials. The pieces shown and other student creations will also be on show in a special exhibition.

The concept of Techtextil Symposium, the leading event for textile research, has also been adapted this year. Thus, the themes of the Avantex Symposium for functional apparel textiles have been integrated into the four-day congress. Techtextil Symposium will be split into six successive lecture blocks, each with six presentations.

The subjects to be covered at Techtextil Symposium 2015 include thermo-plastic composites, bio-based polymer composites, hybrid yarns, self-cleaning textiles, 3D printing, 3D spacer fabrics for personal protective equipment, multi-axial technologies for customised technical textiles, smart fabrics and a lecture on the Spacetex project.

Techtextil and the international TensiNet association will also be holding the 13th Textile Structures for New Building 2015’ student competition, which spotlights innovative and realistic approaches and solutions to building with textiles or textile-reinforced materials.

The Techtextil Innovation Award for outstanding inventions and developments in the fields of technical textiles, nonwovens and functional apparel textiles will be presented for the 13th time at Techtextil 2015.