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By SPESA
It is June 2022 and the SPESA team has survived our first official Texprocess Americas! Not that we thought it would kill us, but, for a while there, it was hard to see beyond this looming giant of a trade show that consumed all of our time and energy. Now that we are on the other side of it, we are able to see a different perspective. We can appreciate the aspects that were successful this year, focus on improvements that can be made in the future, and begin to get excited to do it all again in 343 days!
Those of you for whom this was not your first rodeo may have noticed a few differences in the 2022 editions of Texprocess Americas and Techtextil North America. First, and most obvious, the shows were a little bit smaller than in 2018 as a result of lingering Covid concerns and increased difficulty in international travel and shipping. However, we heard from many exhibitors that, while there were fewer attendees overall, the attendees who did show were largely the decision-makers for their companies. And the smaller crowds did not equate to less business.
Meanwhile, the 2022 editions featured more show floor education than in previous years. Sessions ranging from automation and robotics in sewing to military and protective textiles brought leaders from across industries to learn about the latest industry innovations, technologies, and trends. And exhibitors featured not only new products, but also new ways of looking at the industry with the assistance of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the metaverse.
We want to give a shout-out to the companies that decided to go all-in and increase their booth spaces for 2022, including: Sewn Products Equipment Company (SPEC), Henderson Sewing Machine Company, Kuris USA, and Atlanta Attachment Company. Tukatech increased their booth space in 2022 to include live on-demand manufacturing with Los Angeles Apparel.
If you were unable to join us in Atlanta, we encourage you to take a look at some of the post-show reports to see what else you may have missed. In this month’s Behind the Seams, you can find:
Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas 2022: Unparalleled Networking, Thought-Provoking Education, and Lead Quality Among High Marks Received - Messe Frankfurt shares highlights, as well as key attendee and exhibitor takeaways from this year’s shows;
Five Takeaways from Texprocess Americas - Colorkarma’s Shoshana Burgett reflects on the recurring Texprocess Americas theme of “Sell Then Make,” and identifies shifting trends in the apparel industry;
Supply-Chain-Wide Innovation in Atlanta - Connie Huffa, 3D textile engineer at Fabdesigns, reports on the advanced technology on display at Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas in Innovation in Textiles;
Texprocess Americas 2023 and Future Shows - We break down the schedule and planned locations for the next editions.
Also, be sure to check out SPESA’s Instagram and Facebook pages to view photos from the show floor and the networking receptions.
If you did attend this year’s shows, we would love to hear any feedback you have on how the show went for your company and/or how we can make it better for you in the future. The SPESA team has spent the past couple weeks reaching out to individual members and exhibitors to learn more about their experiences at the show, and we encourage any other Behind the Seams readers to please reach out to us with ideas or requests.
As we mentioned, the next Texprocess Americas is less than a year away, so it's time to get back to work!