The success of “Communiquez Textile !” 2008

France
(SANEPR.com) March 21, 2008 -- Visitors, promotional items retailers and garment decorators got the same opinion, as they could appreciate the huge increase of promotional wear items and of printing solutions. The final number of 3.000 visitors went beyond the initial target and all best expectations!

The fact that “Communiquez Textile !” is the only national event in France entirely dedicated to promotional wear has without doubt influenced this success. With such very well targeted exhibitors and visitors, the fair contributed to develop good quality contacts on stands and even to make orders.

Furthermore, organisers did their best, offering several services to exhibitors and proposing a wide animations program to visitors (fashion shows, conferences and other workshops), to give a convivial atmosphere to this human-sized event.

“Communiquez Textile !” succeeded in answering the promotional textile market expectations and that’s why a second edition is already scheduled for January 2009.

An environment-conscious exhibition
The equipped stands proposed by the organising company 656 Expo were absolutely original: they were made of 100% recycled cardboard. The modern aspect of these “new generation” stands obtained a good feedback by visitors and exhibitors. The visitors’ guide made of recycled paper and the bags made of corn fibre, given to visitors at the entrance of the fair, also contributed to make “Communiquez Textile!” an environment-conscious exhibition.

Lots of animations
One of organisers’ priorities was to make a lively and concrete fair. Bearing that in mind, all the 3-days animations were organised. Conferences, Fespa seminars, workshops, fashion shows and trend corners captured the attention of visitors, who were thus able to take the pulse of the market and get many ideas for their own business.

The participation of the main actors of the market
Nearly all the main actors of the promotional wear and garment decoration market trusted the organisers of the first event of this kind. More than 70 promotional wear brands (B&C, Fruit of the Loom, Jerzees, Sol’s, Switcher, etc.) and nearly 100 brands of machines and consumables for the garment decoration presented their ranges of products and their new items for 2008 in more than 60 stands.

Important and qualified visitors
More than 3.000 visitors came to Lyon. This was really remarkable considering that only 1.500 visitors were expected before the fair. These visitors came from all over France (Paris and its surroundings 12%, Rhône-Alpes 25%, South-East 15%) and from other countries (nearly 10% of the total) such as Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and Italy.
Exhibitors were satisfied not only by the quantity but also by the quality of the contacts. 43% of the visitors were promotional items retailers and communication agencies. The others were garment decoration professionals (screen printers, embroiderers, etc.). 49% of the visitors belonged to the managing sphere, whereas the other half belonged to the technical and sales area.

Promotional wear trends:
In the promotional wear market, the powerful increase of new trends close to the “prêt-à-porter” currents and of our society’s environmental and ethical concerns started last year. 2008 confirms this fact with the launch of nearly 800 new products: fashion clothes show an incredible variety of styles, whereas “basic” items are available for everybody (men, women and children) in wide colour ranges, allowing end customers to carry out all their communication campaigns. Materials, either technical or natural, have been put under the spotlight this year: technical products are large in number and items made of organic cotton or natural fibres are beginning to increase in quantity and to represent, more and more, entire ranges of products inside collections.

Garment decoration trends:
Traditional techniques like screen printing and embroidery keep on surprising proposing special effects that are more and more original (3D embroidery, sequins printing, silver sheets application, perfumed inks, daylight active inks, etc.), intended to the fashion market. “Communiquez Textile !” gave importance to the new decoration techniques like transfer and direct on garment digital printing. Visitors realised how these techniques perfectly satisfy the specific needs of the promotional wear market.

Organisation
The organising company of the exhibition is 656 Expo. It is the subsidiary of 656 Editions, the editing company of MarquageTextile, the French magazine of garment decoration and promotional wear, and of its Spanish and Italian versions (Marcaje&Textil and PromoTessile).
656 Expo: 21, rue Longue 69001 Lyon
Tel. +33 4 78 30 41 73
E-mail: info@communiqueztextile.com
Web: www.communiqueztextile.com